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SINGAPORE – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) departed Changi Naval Base in Singapore following a routine port visit, April 30, 2023.
This was the first visit to Singapore by a U.S. submarine in over three years. The last submarine to visit was the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) in August 2019.
“The crew really enjoyed their time in Singapore,” said Cmdr. Corey Barksdale, Columbia’s commanding officer. “It was an honor to be the first boat to come here in almost four years. Singapore is a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific and we enjoyed interacting and engaging with our Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) friends during our visit.”
While in port Singapore, Columbia provided tours to multiple senior distinguished visitors from the Republic of Singapore government, the Ministry of Defence and Republic of Singapore Navy officials.
While on liberty, Columbia’s crew enjoyed visiting multiple sites in and around Boat Quay and Clark Quay, and appreciated the amazing views of the city from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Resort.
“We have a dedicated crew onboard Columbia and our Sailors have been extensively training and working to become a disciplined and efficient team,” said Master Chief Information Systems Technician Brian Priess, Columbia’s chief of the boat. “Visiting Singapore was a well-deserved and enjoyable liberty port for the crew. It was a fantastic opportunity for Sailors to take in the local culture, enjoy a wide variety of restaurants and relax while also serving as ambassadors for our Navy and country.”
The Republic of Singapore and the U.S. Navy work together on a number of initiatives at sea such as ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise, Exercise Pacific Griffin, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training, Exercise Rim of the Pacific, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise, as well as combined operations such as multi-national counter-piracy.
Commissioned in 1995, Columbia was the last Los Angeles-class submarine to be built at Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. Columbia is one of the most versatile weapons platforms ever placed in the world's oceans, capable of long-range Tomahawk strike operations, anti-submarine and surface shipping operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering, and Special Forces insertions.
With a crew of approximately 150 Sailors, Los Angeles-class fast-attacks submarines make of the majority of the submarine force, with 40 still in service.
Singapore has facilitated port calls and transits by U.S. vessels and aircraft under the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore ('1990 MOU').
Columbia is homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Navy Base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
For more information on Columbia, please visit https://www.csp.navy.mil/columbia.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2023 18:39 |
| Story ID: | 446716 |
| Location: | CHANGI, SG |
| Web Views: | 143 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Columbia Visits Republic of Singapore During Western Pacific Deployment, by LCDR Robert Reinheimer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
