Captain of US command ship says S. Korea-US alliance has 'never been stronger'
Captain Louis Catalina, commanding officer of the USS Blue Ridge, responds to reporters' questions during a press tour aboard a U.S. command ship, Monday, in this photo provided by Kookbangilbo. Yonhap
The captain of the command ship of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said Monday the decadeslong alliance between South Korea and the United States has "never been stronger," as the warship has made its first port call in nearly six years in the South.
Captain Louis Catalina, commanding officer of the USS Blue Ridge, made the remarks in a press tour aboard the command ship at a major naval base in the southeastern city of Busan.
The 19,600-ton USS Blue Ridge made a port visit at the naval base on Thursday to replenish supplies and provide rest for crew members. It marked the first port call of the U.S. warship in Busan since February 2020.
Catalina said the warship's visit was a demonstration of the U.S.' "ironclad" commitment to the Seoul-Washingon alliance.
"Being the commanding officer of USS Blue Ridge, the strength between the Republic of Korean Navy and the Republic of Korea and the U.S. has never been stronger," Catalina said.
"We continue to execute joint exercises, exchanges and collaborative responses between our nations and it was on display during Freedom Edge," he added, referring to the trilateral exercise jointly conducted by South Korea, the United States and Japan earlier this month.
The warship most recently took part in the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise in international waters off South Korea's southern island of Jeju from Sept. 15-19, in the absence of a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Captain Kang Hyung-gu, warfighting development director of the Republic of Korea Fleet, said the South Korean and U.S. navies have enhanced their maritime operational capabilities and have strengthened their "ironclad" extended deterrence through the continued deployment of the U.S. Navy's warships.
Asked whether the latest trilateral exercise was focused more on deterring North Korean threats or regional threats beyond the Korean Peninsula, Catalina declined to comment on specific matters.
But he noted any joint exercise provides an opportunity to "have a shared understanding of our capabilities in war fighting" and "connect us to ensure an open and free Indo Pacific."
The U.S. captain also did not provide any details regarding whether there were any role changes in the USS Blue Ridge during this year's trilateral military drills.
On future areas of cooperation between the two allies in the shipbuilding sector, Catalina noted that the USS Blue Ridge requires much maintenance and upkeep to ensure its operational readiness as its oldest naval vessel, without elaborating on details.
"... What I can tell you is that we both share an understanding that readiness for both of our fleets is important to our mission of deterrence," he said.
Commissioned in 1970 and based in Yokosuka, Japan, the USS Blue Ridge is the flagship of the 7th Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the western Pacific and Indian oceans.
It is the oldest operational and deployable ship in the U.S. Navy, according to its captain, as symbolized by the First Navy Jack flying on its front deck — a flag reserved for the Navy's oldest active warship.
The USS Blue Ridge plans to leave the Busan naval base soon.