Two US Navy vessels arrived at Tien Sa port in central Da Nang city on April 6, commencing a five-day visit to the coastal locality.

The vessels, USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS Fort Worth, were welcomed by representatives of the municipal authorities, the Ministry of National Defence, High Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy, the US Embassy, and the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The visit, the 6 th Naval Exchange Activity (NEA) held between the two navies, will focus on sharing experience in military medicine, search and rescue and maritime security along with workshops on maritime laws, concerts, community activities, and sports.

Other US Navy units participating in the NEA include the Destroyer Squadron 7, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and the 7 th Fleet Band “Orient Express”.

One of the outstanding activities planned during their stay in Da Nang is a practice drill of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), helping the two navies avoid communication disparities at sea and boosting mutual understanding, Captain Hung Ba Le from Destroyer Squadron 7 told the media after the welcome ceremony.

Le, a Vietnamese-American, commanded the destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) during its visit to Da Nang in November 2009.

US Consul General to HCM City Rena Bitter said the NEA takes place as the two nations celebrate 20 years of the normalisation of ties, adding that the maritime activity will contribute to mutual understanding and trust between the countries’ peoples and navies.-VNA