COLOMBO (NewsRadio); The US Navy and Marine Corps will conduct a week-long military training exercise in Colombo, Mullikulam and Trincomalee from tomorrow.
The US Embassy in Colombo said, the US Navy and Marine Corps will commence exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT)/Marine Exercise (MAREX) with the Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force in Colombo, from tomorrow to the 26th of January.
The Embassy said in a statement, CARAT/MAREX Sri Lanka is a bilateral exercise between Sri Lanka and the United States designed to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance maritime interoperability.
This is the fifth CARAT/ MAREX exercise between the United States and Sri Lanka, and this year includes participants from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Maldives National Defence Force.
Training exchanges will occur in Colombo and on the Sri Lanka Navy bases in Trincomalee and Mullikulam.
The week-long exercise is designed to enhance US and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and build relationships through sports, cultural, and information exchanges.
In addition to training for humanitarian disaster relief and lifesaving training, U.S. and Sri Lankan service members will participate in a Women, Peace and Security roundtable with the US Ambassador in Colombo.
During the exercise, the 7th Fleet Navy band, in partnership with the Sri Lankan Navy band, will give a series of free performances in Colombo.
