CARAT Sri Lanka 2024 Kicks Off

TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (April 22, 2024) –Lt. Col. Anthony Nelson, U.S. Defense Attaché to Sri Lanka, lights a ceremonial oil lamp to mark the beginning of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Sri Lanka 2024 alongside members of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) at SLNS Vidura, April 22. CARAT Sri Lanka is a bilateral exercise between Sri Lanka and the United States designed to promote regional security cooperation and strengthen maritime understanding, partnerships, and interoperability. In its 29th year, the CARAT series is comprised of multinational exercises, designed to enhance U.S. and partner forces’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles Oki)