US warships to visit Vietnam

HANOI - A group of US warships, including the USS Blue Ridge warship from the US Navy's Fleet 7 will arrive at Tien Sa port in Vietnam's central Da Nang City on April 23, beginning their 5-day visit to Vietnam, reported local online VNExpress on Wednesday.

The official welcome ceremony is expected to be attended by US Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear, Fleet 7's Commander and Vice-Admiral Scott Swift, captains of the visiting ships and other US officials and generals, said the report.

The visiting American sailors planned to participate in the 5-day cooperative program with the Vietnamese navy men, with several events held, focusing on non-battle events including exchange of skills in maintenance and operations of the ships, meetings with the local public, sports exchange, and musical performance, according to the report.

Besides the USS Blue Ridge, there will be the destroyer- escorted warship USS Chafee, the USNS Safeguard ship, together with sailors of the Task Force 73 and logistics force of the western Pacific region, and mobile coast guards and divers.

Previously, on July 15,2011, a group of US warships including the USS Preble, USS Chung Hoon and USNS Safeguard also landed at Tien Sa port to participate in a joint program with the Vietnamese navy men to celebrate the 16th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.