SINGAPORE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Singapore Armed Forces, the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Coast Guard started their annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise here Tuesday.

    According to a statement issued by Singapore's Defense Ministry, a total of over 1,500 personnel, 11 ships, a submarine, as well as fixed and rotary wing aircraft, from the two sides are participating in the 15-day drill, which involves all the land, sea and air elements.

    This year's exercise, the 12th in its series, will focus on conventional maritime warfare competencies and feature the two countries' warships in challenging maritime security serials.

    "Highlights of Ex(ercise) CARAT 2006 include the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) firing of Barak missiles against drone targets in a combined anti-missile and anti-aircraft scenario, and the use of the USN's CENTRIX and the RSN's ACCESS command and control (C2) systems," the statement said.

    It added that the two navies are able to have real-time control over all participating units by using these systems, which increases exercise realism and enhances interoperability between the two armed forces. Enditem