Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Dakota David | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei - Col. Muhammad Suwardi Ariffin, left, chief of staff of Joint Force Headquarters, Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Michael Ross, right, commodore of Expeditionary Cutter Squadron, render salutes during the playing of the national anthems of Brunei and the United States during the opening ceremony for exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Brunei 2026, Sept. 14, 2026. CARAT Brunei 2026 is a bilateral exercise designed to enhance U.S. and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to shared maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dakota L. David) see less
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Royal Brunei Armed Forces, U.S. kick off CARAT Brunei 2026
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (Sept. 14, 2026) – Sailors, Coastguardsmen, and maritime forces from Brunei and the United States reconvened in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Sept. 14, for an opening ceremony to commence the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Brunei 2026.
CARAT is a maritime exercise designed to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance interoperability among participating forces. This iteration includes participation by U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) and Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30). Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72 will participate with a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Staff and personnel from U.S. 7th Fleet, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, CTF 73, CTF 75, CTF 77, and the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific will also participate.
The U.S. forces will operate alongside a Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) Darussalam-class offshore patrol vessel PV-80 and a Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopter. Personnel from both nations’ dive, and legal teams will conduct subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) ashore.
"There is nothing more valuable than the strong partnerships and alliances we have built here in Brunei and across Southeast Asia,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mike Ross, commodore, Expeditionary Cutter Squadron. “Maritime stability depends on our ability to learn, train, and operate together, which makes us more capable than what we can achieve individually.”
The shore-phase serials will consist of relationship-building events, including a bilateral sports day, community service projects, and cultural exchanges. Additionally, service members will hold SMEEs in classroom settings as well as practical education serials, focusing on critical capabilities such as maritime domain awareness and tactical combat casualty care.
“Exercise CARAT has been conducted in Brunei Darussalam since 1995,” said Col. Muhammad Suwardi Ariffin Bin Pehin Datu Laksamana Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Latiff, Chief Of Staff, Joint Force Commander, Royal Brunei Armed Forces. “Thirty-two iterations later, CARAT stands as a testament to the enduring friendship, mutual trust and defense cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the United States.”
The tactical, at-sea phase in the South China Sea will emphasize combat readiness through complex evolutions. Planned serials include anti-submarine warfare, maritime domain awareness exercises, and command and control coordination. Underway, the units will also practice visit, board, search and seizure tactics to strengthen maritime interdiction operations.
CARAT is a long-standing exercise series designed to enhance U.S. and partner forces abilities to operate together in response to shared maritime challenges in the region.
The Coast Guard Expeditionary Cutter Squadron is a deployable force of fast response cutters with organic command, logistics and support capabilities, enabling sustained forward operations from partner nation locations.
As the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed DESRON in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of ships deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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