Fleet Activities Sasebo News

The U.S. Navy announced Feb. 5 that newer, more capable mine countermeasure ships will forward deploy to Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, to become part of the U.S. Navy's Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF). The Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships USS Pioneer (MCM 9) and USS Chief (MCM 14) will report to the U.S. 7th Fleet as part of the FDNF in Sasebo in May 2014. They will respectively replace the mine countermeasure ships USS Avenger (MCM 1) and USS Defender (MCM 2), which have both faithfully served in the FDNF since 2009.

The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) met with several key leaders within the government of Japan and its Ministry of Defense Aug. 26. Adm. Mark Ferguson is at the beginning of a series of engagements in Tokyo, at several U.S. Navy installations in Region Japan, and with neighboring local government officials this week. During this first day of the trip, Ferguson met with the Japan Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Vice Chief of Staff, Vice Adm. Eiichi Funada.