Two US naval vessels will arrive in Da Nang early next week to begin a six-day visit which will include such activities as search and rescue exchanges, concerts, and sporting events.

The US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City announced on Tuesday that the guided missile destroyer USS John S McCain and the rescue and salvage ship USNS Safeguard will dock in the city on 7 April.  A welcoming ceremony and a press conference to introduce details of the visit will be held when the ships arrive.

The guided missile destroyer USS John S McCain

The US delegation at these events will include Rear Admiral Cindy Thebaud, Commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific, Colonel Paul Schilse of Destroyer Squadron Seven, the captains of the USS John S McCain and the USNS Safeguard, and the US Consulate General Deputy Principal Officer Robert Ogburn.

During the visit, the naval forces of Viet Nam and the USA will exchange expertise in health, search and rescue, disaster relief, diving training, and on-board repairs.  In addition, a series of activities including ship tours, US naval band concerts, community relations events, and US v Vietnamese navy sporting events are also scheduled to take place.  A musical exchange session between the US Navy’s 7th Fleet band Orient Express and the Da Nang University of Technology will take place on 8 April.  One day later, Orient Express will give a public performance in Bien Dong Park.

Previously, the USS John S McCain paid a visit to Da Nang in 2010 within the framework of cooperation between the Viet Nam People’s Navy and the US 7th Fleet.  In 2012, USNS Safeguard, together with the two other warships USS Blue Ridge and USS Chafee, also visited Da Nang.

(Source: Tuoi Tre Online / Danang Today)