Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Sri Lanka with USS Charleston (LCS 18)

by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Butler

27 June 2021 INDIAN OCEAN (June 27, 2021) Boatswain's Mate Seaman Kiara Woods, left, from Fresno, Calif., and Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Israel Salinas, from Mission, Texas, stand by aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) during a joint flight operations exercise with Sri Lankan Navy Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Gajabahu (P-626) and a Sri Lankan helicopter as a part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), June 27. In its 27th year, the CARAT series is comprised of multinational exercises, designed to enhance U.S. and partner navies' 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 3rd Class Adam Butler)