U.S. AIR, NAVAL FORCES JOIN LIMA
A showcase for US-Malaysia military ties, says US embassy
MEMBERS of the United States (US) Air Force and Navy service, aircraft and ships have arrived to take part in the biennial Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition from Tuesday to Saturday.
A statement from the US embassy here said the US military participation would include everything from bands to bomber jets, underscoring the significant regional and global partnership shared by the two democracies.
“LIMA is a phenomenal multinational event and showcase for the military-to-military ties between the US and Malaysian armed forces,” said Colonel Scott Humphrey, US mission commander with the Washington Air National Guard.
“We appreciate our Malaysian hosts. We are grateful to be here and we look forward to celebrating our relationship throughout the exhibition.”
The Washington Air National Guard, through the US Department of Defence’s State Partnership Programme, has been Malaysia’s partner since 2017.
This followed the countries elevating their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2014. Through this partnership, the US and Malaysia have worked together on security matters, including counterterrorism, maritime domain awareness and regional stability through participation in bilateral and multilateral training, exercises and visits.
Kamala Shirin Lakhdir, the US ambassador to Malaysia, said: “LIMA represents Malaysia’s strategic importance geographically, economically and, for the US, bilaterally.
“This year, the US will bring a seniorlevel delegation to highlight business opportunities that can benefit both countries, the bilateral cooperation that has boosted regional peace and stability, and peopleto-people relationships that have brought our countries into a comprehensive partnership.” US aircraft scheduled to join this year’s exhibition includes the C-17 Globemaster III transport, KC-135 Stratotanker refueller, MQ-9 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter, P-8 Poseidon intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform and SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. The B-52 Stratofortress bomber is scheduled to perform a flyover.
US naval assets are scheduled to include the USS Blue Ridge and USS Preble.
A total of 1,400 US airmen and sailors, including commanders of US Pacific Air Forces and US Pacific Fleet, are scheduled to take part.