Lumut Naval Base in Lumut, Perak, Malaysia, dates back to the creation of the Royal Malaysian Navy, serving as the institution’s headquarters since Sept. 9, 1984. In October, the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces hosted a detachment of personnel from Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) aboard the installation during the execution of the U.S. Navy-lead exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2024, also called CARAT Malaysia. From Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, U.S. Marines and Sailors joined Royal Malaysian Armed Forces personnel to build relationships, increase interoperability, and ensure regional stability.

CARAT Malaysia consisted of both a shore and sea phase, incorporating training in military medicine, legal concepts, engineering, logistics, public affairs, diving and explosive ordnance disposal. Additionally, naval vessels and maritime surveillance aircraft conducted training operations focused on antisubmarine (ASW), surface (ASuW) and air (AWW) warfare, and maritime domain awareness.

For the Marines of MRF-SEA, efforts were focused on contributing to the training events taking place ashore. Members of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Army, and Royal Malaysian Air Force, along with U.S. Navy counterparts from Destroyer Squadron 7, joined MRF-SEA for military expert exchanges and training events focused on improving combat medicine, conducting combined amphibious operations planning, and understanding the implementation of cyber operations and cyber security best practices. Regardless of topic, CARAT training took place to strengthen relationships between U.S. and Malaysian military personnel, ensuring that we can effectively work together to maintain regional stability and freedom of movement on land, at sea and in the air.

“We’re enhancing the [Royal Malaysian Armed Forces] capabilities, learning from their planning process, as well as having them learn from our capabilities and expertise,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Thomas Vallely, operations officer for MRF-SEA. “If any real-world situation were to happen, we have interoperability with our partners because we know how each other’s planning processes work.”

U.S. Marines and Sailors with MRF-SEA are on rotation in Southeast Asia to conduct eight exercises in six different countries. The Marine Corps sends this purpose-built rotational force to countries like Malaysia in order to reassure them as allies or partners, increase interoperability among forces, and ensure a safe, secure, free and open Indo-Pacific.

“This is a very good experience and chance that we have, since we are in the process of improving our capabilities,” said Royal Malaysian Army Maj. Mohammad Fazrul bin Mohammad Fadir, staff officer with 10th RDF. “Working with our allies, like the United States Marine Corps, who have a very vast experience in amphibious operations, is a very good experience and gives us time to learn from them and help us uplift our amphibious capability.”

During CARAT Malaysia, a detachment of 11 MRF-SEA personnel successfully exchanged valuable insights and expertise on amphibious operations planning with Royal Malaysian Armed Forces personnel. This collaboration enhanced the Malaysians' abilities, fostered trust, and improved interoperability in combined planning for these types of operations. The combined effort between militaries strengthened working relationships, ensuring the force’s ability to effectively respond to real-world situations and promoting regional stability. CARAT Malaysia laid a solid foundation for future cooperation, reinforcing both nations' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.