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Malaysian, U.S. Forces Demonstrate Cooperation as CARAT Concludes

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090706-01
Release Date: 7/6/2009 11:46:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Bill Larned, Commander, Task Force 73 Public Affairs

TERENGGANU, Malaysia (NNS) -- A full-scale combined amphibious landing by nearly 200 Malaysian Army soldiers and U.S. Marines provided a fitting backdrop for the conclusion of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia 2009, July 1.

Elements of the 9th Royal Malay Regiment, the 3rd and 4th Marine Assault Amphibian Battalions, the 24th Marine Regiment and Task Group 73.5 carried out the assault near Awana Kijal Beach, where Malaysian and U.S. service members gathered for the CARAT closing ceremony.

"CARAT 2009 was a successful exercise and was a testimony of our two defense forces working together and interoperability in the planning and conducting of CARAT," said Lt. Gen. Dato' Allatif Bin Mohd Nor, commander, Joint Force, Malaysian Armed Forces. "I am very pleased we have come this far. In light of this, our achievement must push us upward and onward."

Allatif and Rear Adm. Nora Tyson, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific, observed the exercise by helicopter with other dignitaries, getting a chance to witness Malaysian-U.S. teamwork firsthand.

"You have all spent part of the last few weeks learning how to cooperate as a team, and this morning's landing was ample proof that our two militaries are always ready to work together across a broad and impressive spectrum of operations," said Tyson. "Most of [the participants] came here as strangers and partners, but we are leaving as friends and teammates."

The amphibious landing, which also involved troop movement across land and the evacuation of mock casualties, was just one of several CARAT exercises geared toward reinforcing interoperability between the armed forces of both nations.

At sea, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ships KD Sri Indera Sakti, KD Lekir and KD Handalan joined Task Group 73.5, consisting of USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Chafee (DDG 90) and USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) for five days of maneuvering and gunnery exercises. The ships fired upon both ship-deployed surface targets and a U.S. Navy BQM-74E target drone launched from Harpers Ferry.

To satisfy the goal of increased interoperability beyond previous exercises, RMN and U.S. ships used tactical radio communications at sea. The ships also utilized the Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS), designed to support the secure sharing and exchange of information between multinational partners.

In addition to the amphibious landing, Malaysian soldiers and U.S. Marines participated in challenging jungle survival training ashore. And U.S. Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, embarked aboard USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50), conducted dive operations at Tioman Island with their Malaysian counterparts.

But Malaysian and U.S. service members also had the chance to get to know each other through a sports day at Awana Kijal and collaborated on a community relations project and medical, dental and engineering civic action programs at Seberang Tayor Primary School.

Approximately 1,600 U.S. personnel are taking part in CARAT 2009. Task Group 73.5, the U.S. Navy task group for CARAT, is under the command of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 31.