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| KDB Darussalam (File Photo) |
US NAVAL BASE, PEARL HARBOUR, HAWAII, Wednesday 25 June 2014 - KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARULAMAN arrived in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
This is a historic milestone for the Royal Brunei Navy, as this not only marks the first time a Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) ship to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands, but also to cross the Pacific Ocean and international dateline.
En route from Guam to Hawaii, RBN Ships also participated in a Multinational Task Force (MNTF) Group Sail, other navies participating in MNTF Group Sail were the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the US Navy (USN).
Throughout the 11 day transit, a number of naval warfare serials were conducted and among them were gunnery firings, tactical manoeuvres and cross-deck helicopter operations. Despite challenging weather conditions, all serials and evolutions were executed safely proving an underlying commitment by all warships to a successful task force transit which goes toward progressing and enhancing interoperability.
MNTF Group Sail was a fitting end to a successful transit to Hawaii as it also served as a good platform and opportunity to interact and work together prior to the US-hosted multinatinal maritime exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 off the coast of Hawaii scheduled from 26 June to 1 August 2014.
KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARULAMAN are yet to undertake a more intensive subsequent harbour and sea phases of RIMPAC 2014 Exercise. The launching ceremony of RIMPAC 2014 Exercise, is scheduled to be held onboard the historical battleship USS MISSOURI on Tuesday, 1 July 2014.