US Navy Starts Fourth Annual Naval Engagement Activity with Vietnam

The U.S. Navy began the fourth annual Naval Engagement Activity with the Vietnam People’s Navy April 21 with the arrival USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) in Da Nang.

Over the next five days, both navies will focus on non-combatant events covering search and rescue, medical exchanges, diving medicine, navigation and shipboard firefighting. Public ship tours, community service projects, and sporting events will also take place.

“This port visit and the activities planned this week are an opportunity to enhance cooperation between our navies based on mutual trust, understanding and shared interests,” said Rear Adm. Tom Carney, commander, Task Force 73. “Each year, we add more complexity to these engagements, a trend I expect will continue.”

New events this year include a maritime security symposium and a case study discussion on logistics support to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Medical professionals will also share best practices on a range of topics.

U.S. participants in this year’s activities include the guided missile destroyer Chung-Hoon; the rescue and salvage ship Salvor; Sailors from Task Force 73; Marines and medical professionals from 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF); and a Mobile Diving and Salvage Detachment.

The U.S. Navy has made several successful port visits to Da Nang in recent years, while military sealift command ships completed voyage repairs in Vietnamese shipyards, such as Cam Ranh Bay Shipyard. Along with annual staff talks between senior leadership, these engagements speak to enhanced levels of cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnamese navies.

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Naval Today Staff, April 23, 2013; Image: US Navy