Story Number: NNS130417-22
Release Date: 4/17/2013 11:01:00 PM
From Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific Public Affairs
SINGAPORE (NNS) -- The Navy's first littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) arrived in Singapore April 18, highlighting the next phase of her deployment to Southeast Asia.
"Freedom has met every milestone of this deployment on time and with the professionalism you would expect of U.S. Navy Sailors," said Cmdr. Timothy Wilke, commanding officer, USS Freedom. "I'm proud of Freedom's accomplishments to date, but I'm also looking forward to putting the ship through its paces over the next several months while deployed more than 8,000 miles from homeport."
Announced at the 2011 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Freedom's maiden overseas deployment began with a departure from homeport San Diego, March 1, 2013. The first-in-class ship has since transited the Pacific Ocean, entered the 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), and made port visits in Hawaii, Guam and most recently in Manila. Additional port visits will occur throughout the deployment.
As with other parts of this deployment, lessons learned from logistics and maintenance support during the transit and port visits will inform follow-on rotational deployments as well as the overall LCS program.
Next month, Freedom will participate in the upcoming International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) in Singapore. In the months following IMDEX, Freedom will join regional navies and other 7th Fleet units as a participant in select phases of exercises Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT). Occurring throughout Southeast Asia, both exercises provide Freedom opportunities to train extensively with comparable-sized ships.
"We plan on spending most of our time here in Southeast Asia - this will be Freedom's neighborhood for the next eight months," said Wilke. "We are eager to get out and about, work with other regional navies and share best practices during exercises, port visits and maritime security operations."
Fast, agile, and mission-focused, LCS platforms are designed to employ modular mission packages that can be configured for three separate purposes: surface warfare, mine countermeasures, or anti-submarine warfare. Freedom will be initially manned by her "Gold" crew of 91 Sailors to include mission package personnel and an aviation detachment to operate an embarked MH-60 helicopter.
Freedom will remain homeported in San Diego throughout this rotational deployment to Southeast Asia. Midway through Freedom's deployment, a crew-swap will be conducted with her "Blue" crew, commanded by Cmdr. Patrick C. Thien.
19 comments:
Whether the ship is "based" or "rotated" in Singapore or not, whether the crew can use Changi bunks or cook house or not, what is the difference?
Singapore is provides the essential port facilities that the ship cannot operate without. Without Singapore, the US Navy must either find another ally or go home. Singapore has chosen to be that enabler.
Whether the word "base" is used does not make a drop of difference to the equation.
from now on, the two scorpene- class submarines of the malaysian navy will be extra busy ...
Why are we inviting foreign troops onto our lands? What if North Korea nuke Singapore then?
Anon 9:06: spare us from such ridiculous comments please...
outside of south east asia, most countries can't find the "little red dot" on a world map.
The new LCS is more of a replacement for their aging Frigates.
They can see seen as the USN's efforts to maintain power in the far east.
Our Frigates though have the Asters to provide them wide AA coverage that those RIM cannot
The U.S. Navy is if needed able to operate, maintain, supply and fuel all classes of their vessels without a need to "base" in another country. It's been proven time and time again. I'm sure if the local government had not wanted a U.S. ship there, it would not be there. 9 to 10 month deployments seem to have become the norm with this navy for some vessels lately.
Why on earth would the ancient and under equipped RMN attempt to shadow USN warships? If anything, they would RSN, USN and FPDA support if the shit hits the fan.
RSN's 6 AAW capable Formidable frigates with the 8 new multi mission light frigates/LCS fearless class replacements together with the USNs 4 Freedom class LCS constitute,a powerful deterrent in South East Asia. Nothing comes close in Asean.
Anonymous April 20, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Some people are just stupid and think Malaysia is the source of all evil and will attack us if it has the chance.
Such people have been thoroughly propagandized. Like that guy who thinks all the world is ruled by some kind of government that keeps the peace between the children.
M'sia is the least of our worries guys. In fact what this super congested water ways need is joint maritime patrol inter-agencies: RSN-PCG-MPA together with our neighbours counterpart M'sia, Indonesia & Brunei. Keeping the sea lanes open and not beholden to any BIG countries.
True but these countries united are not strong enough militarily to stand up to China. Even if you count Vietnam in, still not strong enough.
Singapore benefits from maritime security but does not have any SCS island claim, I'm not even sure if Singapore wants to be involved. I think if the islands were securely in China's hands Singapore would be just as happy.
If China makes a massive push, the US may or may not win hands down. But regardless of the military outcome, Beijing will certainly exact an economic price from Singapore for supporting the US. Singapore will probably "stay neutral" and willingly pay the political price to the US.
The absence of punishment from China will be its own reward.
After a few years, reopen CNB to the USN and try to make up like an untrue friend.
China's hegamonic ambition is a matter of time will start world war III. Pray for the best but prepare for the worst.
"stay neutral" will not keep One safe when a war started. No one in Asia will and can just stand-by and watch without getting involved even Singapore or Indonesia. Anyone who claim those island or the whole of SCS make the first move will drag Singapore in, it just a matter of time "when". Anything can happen during a war.
Not true. Our only concern is the passage of goods. There will be other routes though we may need to send escorts in convoys and more expensive. Hence, RSN is beefing up. Why on earth will we get into ridiculous arguments over islands miles away. If the Malaysians are going to get smacked by the chinese, we should just watch and express our concern.
^ See, this is why I said Singapore does not care who owns the islands.
Now only in hindsight we discuss with a matter of fact the victories of the allies during WWII. But if you and I were there without the benefit of time travel, I think we will also pee in our pants when we see the might of the NAZI Germany and the Imperial Japanese war machine. We will, like many folks in Europe pray and hinge our hope with the then British PM who when on a peace mission to appease Hitler but we now know, with no avail. We talk gentleman and no action and the next thing we know, NAZI took Poland! It is only kudos to the moral courage of the British people that Winston Churchill, with no certainty of military advantage over the NAZI juggernaut, declared war with the evil NAZI regime who took a sovereign country by military might. Now we look at China and all their advancement in military might we pee in our pants and the first instant is to entertain the thought of appeasement and dream of an alternative world and optimistically foolish and bury our heads in the sand and think that once we give China all the islands and all the seas it will be business as usual. We have so quickly forgotten history of the second world war... After taking Poland will/did NAZI machinery sit on its laurels? Or has this generation lost our gumption and has become so soft that we don't dare to fight for ... We know, instinctively in our hearts, rightness from wrongness. Like our allied ancestors of WWII, with inferior tanks and some still mounting calvary charged against the NAZI technological marvels and superior war tactics.
Even in China herself, do you think at the time Dr Sun Yet San and his revolutionaries thought they can win the Ching dynasty if they do cost-benefit inventory analysis? Nobody in their right mind thought that the revolutionaries will overthrow the autocratic dynasty backed by the countries coffer and greedy western imperialist military-industrial complex of that time. But the braves know in their hearts... The rightness and wrongness.
If you want to quote the Brits, here's one: there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. We can,always extend humanitarian help. But let us not get drawn into the territorial disputes of others, especially, when their own forces are inferior to ours.
April 27, 2013 at 1:20 AM
??? What talking you ???
Post a Comment