S'PORE, US NAVIES HONE MARITIME CAPABILITIES IN JOINT EXERCISE

Earlier today, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and United States Navy (USN) successfully conducted a torpedo firing exercise and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations as part of the 21st edition of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise.

Held from 13 to 24 Jul, this year's Exercise CARAT marked the first time that both navies have employed UAVs to conduct maritime surveillance. The RSN flew its ScanEagle UAV from Victory-class missile corvettes RSS Vigour and RSS Valour, while the USN deployed its Firescout UAV from Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth.

The combined torpedo firing exercise involved the RSN's Formidable-class frigate RSS Supreme, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter, and the USN's MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopter.

Witnessing the combined torpedo firing and the deployment of the ScanEagle UAV were Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman and Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs (GPC-DFA) members, who visited RSS Supreme and USS Fort Worth.

Noting that the maritime exercise has expanded in scope and complexity ever since it started in 1995, Dr Maliki said: "We see Exercise CARAT, over the years, not just looking at regular features (such as the) combined firing of torpedoes and missiles. Today, in this year's exercise, we added a new dimension to it with the deployment of the UAVs."

This high level of interoperability and trust was not achieved overnight. Speaking at the opening ceremony of Exercise CARAT on 13 Jul, RSN Fleet Commander Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lew Chuen Hong highlighted that the exercise has "provided both navies with invaluable training" and that "the basic belief in the stabilising role of the US continues to form the bedrock and underpin the strategic defence engagement between the two countries".

Sharing the same sentiment was USN Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific RADM Charles Williams, who also officiated at the opening ceremony. "The RSN has made every year's exercise more complex than the last," he said. "This marks the 21st year that our armed forces have come together for Exercise CARAT, and our enhanced military partnership today reflects the maturity of this relationship."

This year, a total of 1,400 personnel from both countries are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on sharpening their conventional maritime capabilities in anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, as well as maritime air and base defence operations.