Cambodian, US Navies to Conduct Drills

KHMER TIMES
VEN RATHAVONG

The US Navy makes regular visits, the last time in January this year. Supplied

The Cambodian and United States navies will conduct joint military exercises and live-fire drills off Preah Sihanouk province next week.

Rear Admiral Mai Dina, the deputy commander and chief of staff at Ream Naval Base, said the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Millinocket will dock at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on Sunday and stay in the Kingdom until November 8.

He said the Cambodian and US navies would start military exercises from Monday and the exercises were aimed at enhancing cooperation between both sides.

“We will exercise in the maritime zone from November 2 to 3,” RDML Dina said, adding that joint military exercises would be on disaster assistance, anti-terrorism, landing crafts, health, maintaining and repairing small vessels and attacking.

“At this time, they will conduct [exercises] on our ships, they will not use theirs,” RDML Dina said. “We will have live-fire drills on the sea [on November 2 and 3].”

According to RDML Dina, live-fire drills will take place at the eastern and southern zones of Koh Tang. The drills will use two combat vessels to fire about 200 25mm and 12mm rounds.

“We will use only two vessels for live-fire drills, but we have many ships for landing crafts,” he said.

Jay Raman, a public affairs officer for the US embassy, told Khmer Times the USNS Millinocket was coming to Cambodia as part of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) exercise.

However he said: “We have not yet made any public announcement about this year’s Carat exercise.”