A COMBAT ship of the US Navy is due to arrive on Tuesday in Manila, a statement from the US Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday.
The vessel is the tenth US warship to visit the country this year.
USS Freedom (LCS1), the US Navy’s first littoral combat ship, will arrive in Manila on Tuesday for its first port visit in Southeast Asia. The visit will highlight the strong historic, community, and military relations between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines,” the statement said.
It said the port visit will be an opportunity for the ship’s crew to refuel and receive supplies for the next period of its eight-month deployment.
“From Manila, the ship will proceed to Singapore, where it is scheduled to participate in the International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference. The ship is also expected to take part in select phases of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise series in Southeast Asia.
Freedom’s visit to Manila is unrelated to Balikatan 13, which opened on April 5,” the Embassy said.
“While in Manila, the Freedom’s crew will also be given opportunity for rest and recreation. The Freedom has a crew of 91, and its Filipino-American crew members will use the port call to take time off with their relatives and friends. The families of Filipino-American sailors aboard Freedom hail from Manila, Quezon, Tarlac, and Zambales,” it added.
Commissioned in 2008, USS Freedom’s maiden overseas deployment started with its departure from its homeport San Diego, California, on March 1. The first-in-its-class ship has since transited the Pacific Ocean and made port visits in Hawaii and Guam.
Several days ago, the amphibious dock landing ship, USS Tortuga (LSD46), arrived in Manila to participate in the April 5 to 17 Exercise Balikatan, where 8,000 Filipino and American soldiers are participating.
Last month the submarine USS Ohio, the destroyer USS Decatur, submarine tenders USS Frank Cable and USS Emory S. Land (AS39) and the US 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge visited Manila. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG106) visited in February.
The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN773) and the Avenger-class minesweeper USS Guardian (MCM5) visited in January. The Guardian, however, met its demise on the Tubbataha Reef, on Sulu Sea, where it ran aground.
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