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USS Freedom Arrives in Singapore on Maiden Overseas Deployment

USS Freedom Arrives in Singapore on Maiden Overseas Deployment

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April 18, 2013

Sailors attached to Forward Liason Element, USS Freedom (LCS 1), observe Freedom as it arrives in Singapore during an eight-month deployment to Southeast Asia. US Navy Photo

SINGAPORE — The US Navy said Thursday that the first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), has arrived in Singapore, 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 US 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.”

Freedom’s maiden overseas deployment began with a departure from homeport San Diego on 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.

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.”

Freedom will remain homeported in San Diego throughout this rotational deployment to Southeast Asia.

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