• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Vietnamese Officers Embark USS Tortuga to Observe Singapore CARAT Exercises

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080626-05
Release Date: 6/26/2008 4:09:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dan Meaney, Commander Task Force 73 Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- USS Tortuga (LSD 46) embarked five Vietnamese senior staff members June 25 to observe at-sea exercises during the Singapore phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2008.

The visiting officers arrived in Singapore, in part, to consider the possibility of incorporating a Vietnam phase into future CARAT exercise planning.

The embark began the same day U.S. President George Bush and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met at the White House to discuss their plans to make the Asia-Pacific region more stable, secure, democratic and peaceful. They aim to continue to improve upon the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship.

Socialist Republic of Vietnam Navy Senior Col. Nguyen Van Kiem, the senior officer of the group, explained that the delegation's time aboard Tortuga was important to the countries' relationship.

"Vietnam has never participated in joint training with any other country," Nguyen stressed. "We are here now as observers because we are interested in exploring the possibility of bilateral training, and we may participate in a future CARAT.

"Our two countries have mutual goals, most notably to be able to respond quickly and efficiently to aid in disaster relief, to improve our search and rescue operations."

Tortuga's Vietnamese guests saw a variety of exercises during the first two full days of the Singapore phase of CARAT. Since getting underway, the group has seen a gunnery exercise, missile firing, joint command of the forces, a joint U.S. Marine-Singapore Guard amphibious assault, a joint mass casualty scenario and repeated landings by a Singaporean helicopter on Tortuga's flight deck.

"The coordination between the forces and the ships has been impressive," said one Vietnamese observer. "What impressed me most, though, was the crew of Tortuga. This crew is very professional, highly skilled and efficient.

"A good relationship between the two countries is important. We want to foster the type of relationship that will enable us to work together to fight natural disasters and to improve all of our search and rescue operations."

CARAT is an annual series of bilateral military exercises between the United States and Southeast Asian nations.

For more news from Commander Task Force 73, visit www.navy.mil/local/clwp/.