Naval co-operation

A crew from the US Navy and the Viet Nam People's Navy meet yesterday at central Da Nang City's Tien Sa Port to begin the annual Naval Engagement Activity (NEA).

The event began with a welcome ceremony for the USS John S McCain (DDG 56) and USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50) at the port. This is the fifth consecutive NEA to be held and the 10th year that US Navy ships have called to the port of Da Nang. The USS John S McCain last visited Da Nang in 2010 as part of the inaugural NEA Viet Nam, which helped mark the 15th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the US and Viet Nam. Captain Paul Schlise, commodore of Destroyer Squadron Seven, emphasised that NEA Viet Nam and the many port visits by US Navy ships over the past decade were examples of growing naval co-operation.