USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Da Nang

The U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 5, arrived in Da Nang City, central Vietnam on Sunday morning, beginning a five-day port call.

The Carrier Strike Group is headed by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam, followed by the USS Ronald Reagan with a dozen fighter aircraft parked on its deck.

At around 10:00 am the same day, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls was the last one in the CSG 5 to head toward Da Nang Bay.

A welcome ceremony for the U.S. strike group was held by the local authorities at Tien Sa Port on the afternoon of the same day.

During the five-day visit, the U.S. naval delegation will take part in multiple friendly exchange activities in Da Nang, a popular beach destination in central Vietnam.

This is the third time that a U.S. aircraft carrier has visited Vietnam since 2018.

The visit marks a special occasion as the two countries celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Partnership.

A U.S. aircraft carrier first visited Vietnam in March 2018 following the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The 2018 visit was made by the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer.

The second visit from a U.S. aircraft carrier to Vietnam was the USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020, along with the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, as part of the activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic ties.​

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!