On the evening of December 8, Da Nang officially welcomed the arrival of two US Navy ships - the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls. The delegation, led by Rear Admiral Thomas Shultz, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, includes over 2,000 officers and crew members.
The reception at the port was attended by representatives from the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs, Naval Region 3 Command, the city's Military Command, Border Guard Command, Port Border Gate Command, the External Affairs Office of Military Region 5, the Department of Foreign Relations under the Ministry of National Defense, the Navy Command, and other relevant agencies.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam–US diplomatic relations. The visit of the US Navy to Da Nang reflects efforts to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, officially upgraded in 2023.
According to the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs, the city - with its tourism, culture, economy, and hospitality - aims to serve as a bridge for defense-security cooperation, cultural-sports exchanges, and knowledge sharing between the navies of both nations.
During the four-day visit, ship commanders will pay courtesy calls to the Da Nang People’s Committee, Military Region 5, and Naval Region 3. Officers will also take part in professional exchanges and sports activities with Vietnamese naval personnel, visit children at the Hope Village, meet students at the University of Foreign Language Studies (University of Da Nang), and tour local cultural and tourism destinations.
The USS Tripoli is a next-generation America-class amphibious assault ship. It measures 257.3 meters in length and 32.3 meters in beam, with a displacement of nearly 45,000 tons and a top speed of 25 knots.
The vessel can carry 10 to 20 F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and is equipped with advanced weaponry, including Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile launchers, naval guns, and machine guns.
The USS Robert Smalls is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser. Commissioned in 1989 as USS Chancellorsville, the ship was renamed in March 2023. It is outfitted with cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, naval guns, anti-submarine weapons, and two helicopters.
Previously, in 2023, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, along with the guided missile cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Robert Smalls (CG 62), also made a port call in Da Nang.
Ho Giap
Vietnamnet.vn
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