160604-N-XX666-002 SULU SEA (June 4, 2016) Ships from the Royal Malaysian Navy and the U.S. Navy steam together during a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) multilateral training activity in the Sulu Sea, June 4. The ships joined the Philippine navy operating with USS Ashland (LSD 48) from separate locations in the Sulu Sea for the first multilateral phase of CARAT in the 22-year history of the exercise. CARAT is a series of annual maritime exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations to include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. (Courtesy photo/RELEASED)