The USS Vandegrift destroyer and two diving and salvage ships of the US docked in Cambodia 's Sihanoukville Port on October 22 for the third CARAT joint exercise.

Approximately 500 US Navy and 300 Royal Cambodian Navy personnel are participating in the five-day joint exercise..

The exercise focuses on enhancing maritime security skills through activities such as maritime interdiction, diving and salvage operations, maneuvering, and disaster response.

In addition, it also aims to increase cooperation and mutual understanding and build trust between the US and Cambodian navies.

Cambodia participated in the CARAT Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise for the first time in 2010. Other CARAT participants include Bangladesh , Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Philippines , Singapore , and Timor- Leste.

Since 1995, the CARAT exercises have taken place annually in the Southeast Asia region.-VNA