A Vietnamese frigate left the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on Monday for Singapore to attend an international fleet review and a series of related events.
The Gepard-class frigate Dinh Tien Hoang (HQ-011) of Brigade 162, under the 4th Regional Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy, departed from Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa, in the afternoon.
The vessel is scheduled to attend an international fleet review, and a multilateral joint maritime exercise within the framework of the 6th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS-6).
It will also take part in the Maritime Defense Exhibition & Conference 2017 (IMDEX Asia 2017) from May 16 to 18 at Singapore’s Changi Exhibition Center, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Singaporean navy.
During its journey, the Dinh Tien Hoang will carry out patrols in the southern part of the East Vietnam Sea.
The participation will provide an opportunity for Vietnamese naval officers to practice maritime exercises, improve leadership, sharpen their ability to control the ship’s weaponry technology, and gain experience of international cooperation.
From March 15 to April 1, the Dinh Tien Hoang attended the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2017) in Malaysia.
Also on Monday afternoon, the U.S. expeditionary transport ship U.S.N.S. Fall River (T-EPF-4) arrived at Tien Sa Port in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang to begin the Pacific Partnership 2017 (PP17).
Personnel from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan are participating in this year's events in Da Nang.
Speaking at a press conference, Captain Stanfield Chien, the Pacific Partnership mission commander, said that the program would run for 10 days, focusing on maritime medical assistance, search and rescue, and disaster recovery.
Joining the U.S.N.S. Fall River is Vietnam’s hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01. The two will continue their activities in Khanh Hoa Province after concluding the ones in Da Nang.