| Hakim Hayat |
SENIOR defence and military officials from Brunei Darussalam yesterday had firsthand view of the US Navy aircraft carrier, USS John C Stennis (CVN-74) which is currently passing through international waters close to the Sultanate on a routine operation.
The delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Defence, First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, arrived from the Rimba Air Force Base via a US Navy C-2 transport aircraft, along with United States (US) Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Craig Allen.
The visit on board the supercarrier was hosted by Rear Admiral Marcus A Hitchcock, the Commander of Carrier Strike Group 3.
While at sea, the group saw a demonstration of an aircraft launching and recovery operations as well as air fire-power demonstration by the assets of the Carrier Strike Group.
Deputy Minister of Defence, First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit; United States Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Craig Allen; and Rear Admiral Marcus A Hitchcock, the Commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, onboard USS John C Stennis. – DEAN KASSIM
According to the Ministry of Defence, the invitation signified the warm state of bilateral relations and the mutual desire to enhance defence cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the US.
The visit, coordinated by the US Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, also aimed to increase the understanding of naval aviation and carrier strike group operations.
The deputy minister was accompanied by Datin Paduka Hajah Suriyah binti Haji Umar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence; First Admiral Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Norazmi bin Pengiran Haji Muhammad, Commander of the Royal Brunei Navy; Colonel (U) Shahril Anwar bin Haji Ma’awiah, Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force and Director of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence.
Also part of the delegation were senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and members of the local media.
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