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SUBIC BAY, PHILIPPINES (BNS) : The navies of United States and Philippines have marked the beginning of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philippines exercise on Wednesday.

The 16th CARAT Philippines exercise will be held from October 13th to 22nd in the former US Navy base at the Subic Bay in Zambales.

"Over the next ten days, our people will help propel the relationship between our sea services forward and strengthen the longtime friendship between our nations," Destroyer Squadron 31 Deputy Commodore Capt. David Welch, said in the release.

The exercise is mainly focused to hone the maritime capabilities such as maritime security areas, including diving and salvage operations, port security, small boat handling and maintenance, maritime interdiction, visit board search and seizure boarding operations, maritime aircraft operations, engineering civic action programmes, along with traditional at-sea surface operations.

CARAT participants include the guided missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50). Units training ashore include expeditionary maritime security squadron 7, maritime patrol squadron 9, naval mobile construction squadron 11 and riverine squadron one.