US naval ship in Kuching for partnership exercise
KUCHING: The USNS ( United States Naval Ship) Fall River has returned here for the Pacific Partnership Exercise 2019 ( PP Exercise 19) which will run until April 12.
It arrived at the Pending Terminal here around 9am yesterday.
The fourth spearhead- class expeditionary fast transport, which is part of the United States Military Sealift Command, fi rst came to Sarawak two years ago.
The PP Exercise 19 is a joint col laborat ion between the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and the US Army.
Malaysia Infantry Division 1 chief of staff Col Nadzri Che Lah and PP Exercise 19 director Col Dr Mohamed Zaki Mohamed Mokhtar were on hand to receive chief of staff for PP Exercise 19 Capt Brandon Zilko and his crew.
The USNS Fall River is said to be carrying 100 US army personnel and equipment for various programmes.
Among the programmes expected are Engineering Civic Action Programme and Medical/ Dental Civic Action Programme.
PP Exercise is a multilateral annual exercise involving not just the United States IndoPacific Command and ATM but also partner nations such as Australia, Japan, Peru, Thailand, and the United Kingdom with a focus on civil military relations activities.
The exercise covers humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as community relations, field training exercises, and subject matter experts’ exchange.
PP Exercise 19 will be officially launched tomorrow ( March 30) and is expected to be closed by the US ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir on April 11.
The USNS Fall River is capable of transporting US Army and US Marine Corps company-sized units with their vehicles, or reconfigure to become a troop transport for an infantry battalion.
It has a flight deck for helicopter operations and a loading ramp that allows vehicles to quickly drive on and off the ship.