YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Despite the political unrest facing the Royal Thai Army in Bangkok, it’s been business as usual just a few hours away for the United States and Royal Thai navies.

The two navies have been training and conducting community service projects as part of the 16th Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT, headquartered southeast of Bangkok in Sattahip, according to a Navy news release.

The weeklong training, which began May 14, includes riverine, anti-submarine and unmanned aerial vehicle warfare maneuvers, the news release said.CARAT is actually a series of exercises set in Southeast Asia that allow U.S. forces to train with allies. This year’s series kicked off May 3 in Brunei. About 1,600 U.S. personnel are taking part, the news release said.

U.S. elements in CARAT include the dock landing ship USS Tortuga and its embarked Marine Corps landing force, the USS Lassen, USS Vandegrift, USS Buffalo and USCGC Mellon, along with nearly a dozen units with expertise in areas like diving, mine warfare and port security. From staff reports

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