USS Carl Vinson docks at Port Klang

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PORT KLANG: The USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the third Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy, yesterday docked at the Port Klang Cruise Centre near here, as part of its scheduled visit to Western Pacific countries.

The ship’s commanding officer, Rear Admiral Samuel Perez, said the port visit, lasting less than a week, was aimed, among others, at promoting cooperation and bolstering strong relations between United States (US) and Malaysia.

“The great majority of our sailors have never been to Malaysia and this visit has been something we have all been looking forward to, for some time.

“I am happy our men and women will get to experience such an amazing culture.

“We don’t view this as just a liberty port, but an educational experience for our men and women,” he told reporters who were taken on a tour of the ship.

The carrier, which was accompanied by missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), had on board more than 4,800 crew members and 65 combat aircraft.While here, Perez and his crew members will take part in community activities in the Klang Valley, which among others include visiting the Shekinah Senior Home in Klang and the Wesley Senior Citizen Home in Kuala Lumpur.

The USS Carl Vinson is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia, and operates from its home base in San Diego, California.

In October 2009, the US Navy announced that USS Carl Vinson would be the flagship of the Carrier Strike Group 1, a Navy carrier strike group which promotes, among others, regional partnerships and maritime security within the US Pacific Fleet’s 100 million square-mile area of operations.

Meanwhile, former chief of defence forces, Admiral (R) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor, when met by reporters, said the visit of USS Carl Vinson here was part of its constructive engagement with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). — Bernama