Singapore and the United States on Tuesday began to conduct the annual Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), which first started in 1995.

According to a statement by the Singapore Defense Ministry on Tuesday, this year's CARAT, to be conducted from June 1 to 11, will focus on maritime warfare competencies such as anti-air warfare, diving and salvage operations, medical and logistics support.

Besides the more than 1500 personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the US Navy, and the US Coast Guard, the exercise also involves combined land, sea and air assets from the SAF and US forces, including 12 ships, a submarine as well as fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

During the drill, the Singapore navy will for the first time conduct a BARAK missile firing against a surface target, and the planning staff will also operate for the first time from a Joint Command Platform onboard the Landing Ship Tank (LST), RSS Resolution.

Describing the defense relations between the two countries as "excellent," the Singapore Defense Ministry said that the exercises like CARAT have served to enhance the interoperability of the two armed forces in anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, diving and salvage operations, as well as the friendship and goodwill among their officers and men.