RIMBA AIR BASE, Brunei - Combat Aircrew (CAC) 9 of the “Red Lancers” Patrol Squadron (VP) 10 joined the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) and USS Charleston (LCS 18) for the 28th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise on Rimba Air Base, Brunei, Oct 24 – 31.
Hosted by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), this bilateral event demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s long-term interest in strengthening relationships with partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. CARAT 2022 aims to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance interoperability among participating forces.
Aircrew and maintainers from VP-10 were given the opportunity to mission plan and train with the RBAF while discussing the capabilities and roles of the P-8A Poseidon.
“I learned a lot on a cultural and strategic level from working with our RBAF counterparts,” said Lt. j.g. Brandon Aro, a CAC-9 flight officer in the detachment. “We were able to share information and tactics about different mission scenarios which strengthen our interoperability and leads to improved and standardized evolutions in the future.”
Over the course of eight days, the “Red Lancers” crew hosted several distinguished visitors including Commander Operations Group of the Royal Brunei Air Force Colonel Hishamuddin bin Abidin and participated in numerous combined-force events. The “Red Lancers” demonstrated how to preflight the P-8A Poseidon aircraft, exchanged information with other subject matter experts, and toured the Charleston with members of the RBAF.
CAC-9 wrapped up CARAT operations with a final tracking exercise aimed at increasing both navies’ understanding of tracking and pursuing targets utilizing surface ships and aircraft.
The “Red Lancers” are based in Jacksonville, Florida and are currently operating from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance, as well as theater outreach operations, as part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.