CARAT-21 involving Japan concluded in East, India denies it sought to conduct joint exercise with US here

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Three nation Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT–21) exercise involving the US Seventh Fleet, Japanese Maritime Self Force (JMSDH) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) concluded in Trincomalee amidst simmering controversy over a section of the local media reporting Sri Lanka turning down an Indian request for the use of Sri Lankan airspace for a joint exercise.The US has termed CARAT-21 as an exercise involving the USN and its partner nations in South and Southeast Asia as part of their overall Indo-Pacific strategy.

Foreign forces and SLN concluded weeklong CARAT-21 conducted in the Trincomalee harbour and off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka on June 30.

Indian High Commission sources said that there was absolutely no basis for reports in a section of the media that Sri Lankan authorities had declined a request by India to use the Sri Lankan airspace for a Joint Military Exercise with a third country. Sources emphasized that such a request hadn’t been made by India for using the Sri Lankan airspace in the recent past for the purpose of any joint exercise with a third country.

The Island learns that the third country referred to by the Indian High Commission was the US. There had never been a reported instance of Quad members US and India conducting a joint military exercise in Sri Lankan waters or airspace though they conduct regular exercises. However, the US and another Quad member Japan conducted CARAT-21 in eastern theatre. Deployed assets included USS Charleston (LCS 18) and a P-8A Poseidon aircraft Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels SLNS Indian-built SLNS Sayurala (P623), JMSDF Asagiri-class destroyer JS Yuugiri (DD-153).

CARAT-21 marks the commencement of the first cooperation afloat readiness and training event to be held in 2021, where representatives from the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Sri Lanka and Japan participated. JMSDF had joined CARAT-21 for the first time making it a multilateral exercise.

For the first time, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) participated in the exercise.

Sri Lanka entered into ACSA (Access and Cross Servicing Agreement) with the US in August 2017. Sources said that contrary to reports, Quad members-US, India, Japan and Australia maintain close relationship with the Sri Lankan military.

pic caption: CARAT-21 underway off Trincomlee (pic courtey SLN)