(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) US and French aircraft carriers recently concluded a week-long operations in the Sea of Oman. The operations saw cross-deck personnel exchanges between the two navies in addition to a number of joint flight operations.
Ships participating in the combined operations included USS Harry S Truman, the guided-missile cruisers USS Gettysburg and USS San Jacinto, and the guided-missile destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Mason. French ships included aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle, destroyers FS Forbin and FS Jean de Vienne and replenishment oiler FS Meuse. ''We executed a wide array of operations with the Charles de Gaulle strike group,'' said Rear Admiral Kevin Sweeney, commander of the US Task force. ''We conducted combined flight operations from both Harry S Truman and Charles de Gaulle as well as carrier landing qualifications on both aircraft carriers.''
Admiral Sweeney added that operations weren't limited to just the aircraft carriers. ''We conducted helicopter deck landing qualifications on our smaller ships, boarding exercises, live-fire gunnery exercises, air defence exercises and combat search and rescue training, all types of missions we could be called upon to do at any moment.
''These operations were designed to enhance our levels of cooperation and interoperability,'' Sweeney said. ''Just as importantly though, it helps promote long-term regional stability.''
Lt Cmdr Rob Littman, an F/A-18 pilot of Strike Fighter Squadron 37, was one of the US Navy pilots who had the opportunity to land on Charles de Gaulle. ''Landing on Charles de Gaulle was a terrific experience and it was remarkable how similar it was to landing on Truman. The French were extremely professional,'' h
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