Pacific Partnership News

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach and C40 Cities have begun discussions to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex. The corridor will focus on low- and zero-carbon fuels for bunkering, as well as digital tools to support deployment of low- and zero-carbon ships.This collaborative effort supports the Green Shipping Challenge launched during the World Leaders’ Summit at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this week.

New Lighting Technology offers bright ideas for better interior and exterior lighting that saves money, manpowerThe U.S. Navy is leaving traditional lighting behind for Solid State Lighting (SSL) with very long-life solid-state light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. Technology has illuminated new ways to light ships that are safer, more efficient and more affordable. Taking advantage of the new technology has its challenges, such as finding cost effective lighting that is rugged…

U.S. and partner nation personnel participating in Pacific Partnership 2018 aboard the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), arrived in Port Kelang, Malaysia, April 16. The Pacific Partnership mission in Malaysia will feature medical exchanges, civil engineering projects, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness seminars, and community outreach engagements in the greater Kuala Lumpur area. The secondary mission platform for Pacific Partnership, the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) will arrive in Tawau, Malaysia April 21 for a series of civil engineering, medical and outreach engagements with the local community and Royal Malaysian Armed Forces.

Service members and partner nations participating in Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18) departed Bengkulu aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), April 10. "I'd like to thank the residents of Bengkulu for their hospitality. I have found that they are some of the most engaging and friendly people I have ever met," said Capt. David Bretz, PP18 mission commander. While in Bengkulu, service members and partner nations aboard Mercy, Indonesian military members, and civilians participated in a series of community relations events interacting with the local community at eight different events, with the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band conducting 12 concerts at locations such as local elementary and junior high schools, universities, and receptions.

Servicemembers assigned to Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) made a brief mission stop, March 20, near Ulithi Atoll, part of the Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). This is the first official engagement of Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18), where Mercy will be sailing near Ulithi Atoll and using helicopters to deliver medical supplies to a advanced echelon team of PP18 medical professionals embarked on USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6), the secondary mission platform.

U.S. ports are positioned for another solid year of growth, though the Trump administration's evolving stance on both domestic and international trade is a long-term development worth a close watch, according to Fitch Ratings in its latest sector briefing. This after a strong 2017 in which ports on both coasts saw overall growth through the year. "Moving to larger ships and implementing operational alliances have helped drive volume growth on both coasts in 2017," said Emma Griffith, Director.

The expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF-6) concluded a port visit to Kuching, Malaysia, Jan. 17. The crew took advantage of the opportunity to experience Malaysia's rich culture following a port visit to Lumut, Malaysia. "It is important for our Sailors to interact with local communities throughout the region," said Capt. Lex Walker, commodore of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7. "The experiences they share with partner nations allows the U.S. The Royal Malaysian and U.S. Navy continue to work closely together through increasingly sophisticated exercises including the annual bilateral Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Malaysia and the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise. "For over two decades, the U.S.

The littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) departed Singapore Nov. 4 after completing a 14-month rotational deployment to Southeast Asia. During the deployment, the ship and crew operated with navies of 16 partner nations, participated in 11 multilateral and bilateral exercises, and made 10 strategic port visits across the region. "The rotational deployment of USS Coronado demonstrated the relevance of LCS as a platform tailor made for the dynamic and congested sea lanes, straits and archipelagos of South and Southeast Asia, providing flexible options and tactical advantages," said Rear Adm Don Gabrielson, Commander, Task Force 73. "We made tremendous strides in a challenging, forward deployed environment and the team is already applying lessons learned to future deployments in 2018.

New alliances, structural change and positive economic trends have transformed the container shipping market over the past year, driving growth and pushing business performance figures from deep red into black. However, despite long-term rates that are, in some cases, up 120 percent year on year, the future remains uncertain due to a looming shadow on the horizon. And, according to Xeneta, it’s not being cast by the ‘usual suspect’. Xeneta, the global benchmarking and market intelligence platform for containerized ocean freight, says a recovery of the container segment is well underway.

The U.S. and Philippine navies will participate in the Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama June 19-25 in the vicinity of Cebu. Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama is designed to enhance the complexity and diversity of training opportunities, while strengthening the longstanding alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of the Philippines. The exercise will focus on mutual security concerns that affect the Philippines including piracy and sea smuggling, maritime domain awareness and patrol, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness. "The training we will perform over the next week will provide excellent opportunities to deepen our long-time maritime partnership with the Philippine Navy," said Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, commander, Task Force 73.

Ships from the Republic of Singapore navy, Royal Thai navy and U.S. Navy completed a three-day multilateral Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise in the South China Sea May 12. The three-day exercise included a broad spectrum of naval competencies and maritime security training aimed at enhancing cooperation and interoperability amongst the three navies. The navies are long-time maritime partners under the CARAT series, which began in 1995 with Thailand and Singapore as original participants in the exercise series. The multilateral engagement follows initiative to make some phases of the CARAT exercise series multilateral.

Pacific Partnership 2017 (PP17) and Malaysian partners embarked aboard expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) arrived in Kuching, Malaysia, Apr. 14. As the second and main mission stop in Malaysia, and the third mission stop overall, activities in Kuching will kick off the large focus on humanitarian aid and disaster response, as well civil engineering projects for Pacific Partnership 2017 Malaysia. According to Lt. j.g. Robin Pepper, the mission's engineering sail-in echelon officer in charge, Kuching is going to be an exciting change of pace for the sail-in team after working only one-on-one with the host nation engineers at their last projects in Sri Lanka.

Pacific Partnership 2017 made its initial mission stop in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, March 7, with the arrival of Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4). This marked the first mission to Sri Lanka in the 12-year history of the annual civil-military operation, and the Pacific Partnership mission in Sri Lanka continues through March 18 and will make follow-on mission stops in Malaysia and Vietnam. Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, and aims to enhance regional coordination in areas such as medical readiness and preparedness for man-made and natural disasters.

The U.S. Navy is joining allied and partner nation forces for the 12th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin March 1. This annual maritime operation will help improve disaster response preparedness and capacity, while enhancing partnerships with participating nations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. This year's mission will be led by the deputy commander and staff from Coastal Riverine Group 1, embarked aboard expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4), and will include more than 200 supporting military and civilian personnel from the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

Vietnam has approved a foreign consortium's plan to invest around $315 million in a seaport and industrial zone complex in northern Quang Ninh province, the government said on Saturday. The licence was handed on Friday to the consortium including CDC International Corp from Cayman Island, Asia Infrastructure Development Co from Hong Kong and Singapore's Tien Ich Trung Dong Co, said in a report on the government's website. Construction is slated to start next year with full completion in 2036, it said. While the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, with Vietnam one of the 12 signatory nations, looks uncertain after the U.S. presidential election, the Southeast Asian nation is still receiving record foreign investment due to its numerous trade accords, cheap labour and relative stability.

The White House on Monday said it was hopeful it could win congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact before President Barack Obama leaves office, and warned that failing to do so would undermine U.S. leadership in the region. "The president is going to make a strong case that we have made progress and there is a path for us to get this done before the president leaves office," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a new briefing ahead of a trip by Obama to Asia this week. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by James Dalgleish)

A U.S. hospital ship conducted a medical evacuation, or “medevac”, May 27 to assist an ailing Republic of Korea sailor aboard a Republic of Korea Navy (ROK-N) submarine. At approximately 10:30 a.m. May 26, the Military Sealift Command operated USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) received orders from Commander Task Force (CTF) 73 to render medical assistance to ROK-N submarine SSK Lee Eok Gi (SS 071) in the mid-Pacific. Mercy, which was approximately 18 hours away, altered its track to meet the submarine.

Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations May 24 in support of Pacific Partnership 2016. Now in its 11th year, Pacific Partnership is a multilateral, disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. "Partner nations, who invited Pacific Partnership 2016 to visit, refined our mission's focus this year," said Capt. Tom Williams, U.S. Navy, Pacific Partnership 2016 mission commander. Pacific Partnership 2016 will conduct stops in Timor Leste, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Palau, with partners from around the Pacific -- including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

U.S. U.S. ports and our marine transportation system – and the hardworking men and women behind these operations – are essential drivers of the American economy. Every day, our ports and waterways handle millions of tons of domestic and international cargo, including food and agricultural products, petrochemicals and automobiles. In 2014 alone, $1.7 trillion worth of U.S. goods moved through our ports, representing 75 percent of imports and exports by weight. But ports, like our highways and bridges, face challenges.

The growing worldwide demand for marine technologies, port construction and shipbuilding is generating new export opportunities for U.S. companies. As more firms look to boost their bottom line by maximizing their reach to the more than 95 percent of world consumers who live outside of the United States, many are taking advantage of numerous export resources along the way. At the same time, many other businesses have yet to export. International Trade Specialist Maryanne Burke leads the U.S. Commercial Service’s Marine Technology Team, and is based at the Boston U.S.

For providers deployed aboard a hospital ships, making sure all the right equipment is on board is vital. The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) completed a year-long project to optimize and standardize combat support Authorized Medical Allowance Lists, April 5. "The goal of this project was to develop standard AMALs for both hospital ships [USS Mercy and USS Comfort]" said Capt. Rita Simmons, NHRC's commanding officer. "If you're an orthopedic surgeon performing a procedure, you should have access to the same equipment and supplies whether you're on Mercy or Comfort.

Cai Mep, Vietnam - With five new services calls added to Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) since May of 2015, container volume has surged by 130% to 277,303 TEUs for the first three months of 2016, as compared with the same period a year ago. This growth follows an 80% expansion in container traffic at CMIT in 2015 over the year prior, to 724,768 TEUs. CMIT, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, is a deep-water facility located in the Ba Ria‐Vung Tau Province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, and is capable of accommodating larger deep-draft vessels of up to 15,000 TEU capacity, now cascading into Vietnamese trade routes.

Throughput at Cai Mep International Terminal, the APM Terminals facility in Vietnam’s Ba Ria‐Vung Tau province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, expanded by 130 percent in the first quarter as new service calls added in 2015 began to impact volumes. The container volume has surged by 130% to 277,303 TEUs for the first three months of 2016, as compared with the same period a year ago. This growth follows an 80% expansion in container traffic at CMIT in 2015 over the year prior, to 724,768 TEUs. CMIT, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, is a deep-water facility located in the Ba Ria‐Vung Tau Province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, and is capable of accommodating larger deep draft vessels of up to 15,000 TEU capacity, now cascading into Vietnamese trade routes.