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

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

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

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

One of the outstandingactivities planned during their stay in Da Nang is a practice drill ofthe Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), helping the two naviesavoid communication disparities at sea and boosting mutualunderstanding, Captain Hung Ba Le from Destroyer Squadron 7 told themedia 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 asthe two nations celebrate 20 years of the normalisation of ties, addingthat the maritime activity will contribute to mutual understanding andtrust between the countries’ peoples and navies.-VNA