Pacific partnership to operate from Hambanthota this year

US Pacific Fleet joins Sri Lanka Navy for Pacific Partnership Goodwill Mission in Sri Lanka

The Pacific Partnership 2017 will be kicked off with the arrival of US Navy Ship Fall River (EPF- Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship) at the Port of Hambantota on Tuesday. The ship is expected to make ports of call in Myanmar, Malaysia and making the end of the programme after reaching Vietnam on in June this year. 

The Pacific Partnership, which was launched after 2004 Tsunami has been implemented in regional countries aimed at the underprivileged communities with focusing on Engineering / Medical Civil Action, Community Relation Projects and cultural programmes. Further the Pacific Partnership also conducts Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response engagements with the Navies of host nations and interoperability exercises with the US Navy, as part of this programme. 

Based in the Port of Hambantota, this year’s programme is expected to carry out 48 projects covering the entire Southern Province. These programmes will also be undertaken by 104 US, Australian and Japanese Marines aboard US Naval Ship Fall River. Further, 08 medical officers, medical staff and a group of Naval personnel from the Indian Naval Ship Gharial are also scheduled contribute to the outreach activities while 60 US Marine and Naval personnel are expected to join the activities later. 

The inauguration programme centred upon the US Navy Ship Fall River at the Port of Hambantota, will be held on Tuesday with the patronage of the Governor, Chief Minister and District Secretaries in the Southern Province. The Chief of PACFLT, Rear Admiral Gabrielson will also be present at the event. 

The final training programme, an exercise to render assistance from the seas in a tsunami situation, is scheduled to be conducted on 16th March at Hambantota Harbour followed by the closing ceremony on 17th March, with SLNS Samudura (Ex-USCGS Courageous) taking the centre stage in the proceedings. 

The Sri Lankan schedule will come to an end as soon as the US Navy Ship Fall River leaves for Myanmar on 18th March 2017.  

Number of Sri Lankan Naval officers are also to join get on board of  Ship Fall River  joining the journey at various stages. 

The significance of this program, is that this would mark the first occasion where a serial of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises are being conducted in South Asia. In addition, the focus in a US perspective is also on the role undertaken by USNS Fall River (EPF) for the first time as a sole ship. The Pacific Partnership initiative is a demonstration of the state of interoperability of Sri Lanka Navy with other navies in responding to crisis situations.

In Pacific Partnership 2017; Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam play key roles as the host nations where as Japan, Australia, India, Canada and United States function as the partner countries.