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Arleigh Burke, SAS Amatola Arrive in Simon's Town, South Africa

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090719-09
Release Date: 7/19/2009 11:00:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) David Holmes, USS Arleigh Burke Public Affairs

SIMON’S TOWN, South Africa (NNS) -- USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) made its second South African port visit in Simon's Town July 18 after a week-long series of exercises with South African Navy ship SAS Amatola (F 145).

The two ships conducted a range of cooperative activities geared to enhance maritime interoperability between the two partner nations.

Additionally, each ship hosted several Sailors from the other ship to give them the chance to ride a foreign Navy ship.

"This last week has been extremely beneficial to our navies, as well as to both our navies' Sailors," said Capt. Jim Tranoris, commander of Task Force 363. "We have had the unique experience to refine our skill sets at sea with the South Africans, bringing us to a higher level of maritime awareness and interoperability. I am proud of both our nations' Sailors for the work they've accomplished and the new relationships that have been forged."

Exercises such as maneuvering drills, flashing light communications and small boat operations were some of the various activities carried out between the two ships.

"I really like the way they train here. I've learned a lot," said South African Navy Submarine Lt. Zanele Madiba, a ship rider aboard Arleigh Burke. "I think riding a foreign Navy's ship is a good idea to simply gain understanding. Everyone needs to understand other cultures and deal with different types of people. Especially if you're in a leadership position, you need to understand how others think and operate."

Arleigh Burke arrived in the port city of Durban, South Africa, July 13 to kick off the cooperative activities between the United States and South African Navy. An additional range of ashore and at-sea cooperative activities are scheduled in the coming week between the two nations' Navies.

Arleigh Burke, a guided-missile destroyer homeported in Norfolk, Va., is on a regularly scheduled deployment to the 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility. The ship has supported various partnership-building operations and training, including Africa Partnership Station 2009 port visits in Djibouti and Kenya. Arleigh Burke is scheduled to continue similar port visits to Mauritius and Tanzania in the coming months.