PORT KLANG: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) seeks to enhance interoperability with its Malaysian counterparts to build a more stable, free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
This cooperation is manifested through a port call made by the Legend-class maritime national security cutter USCGC Bertholf, here.
The ship's commanding officer Captain William L. Mees said the USCG endeavours to strengthen relationships with partner nations to build a more stable, free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific with unrestricted, lawful access to the maritime commons.
"So what we do is we demonstrate our interoperability by working together, by showing how we do things, learning how like-minded partners do things.
"It enhances our capability and it's a force multiplier for the region when we all can work and cooperate together.
"That's what we've been doing the past week with the the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Police Coast Guard of Singapore and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)."
Mees said such cooperation goes together with advancing existing rules-based, international order and solidifying the US a reliable strategic partner for maritime safety, security, and prosperity in the region.
"As a trusted partner, the USCG is proud to operate with the MMEA and conduct professional exchanges to improve the maritime capabilities of both countries."
As such, said Mees, by partnering with MMEA, the USCG seeks to strengthen global maritime governance to preserve sovereignty, share information to facilitate force-multiplying partnerships, and demonstrate professional standards of behaviour to reinforce the rules of law at sea.
During the port call, members of the media were given a tour of USCGC Bertholf to witness the ship's capabilities and equipment.
Commissioned into active service in 2008, the Bertholf is the first of the nine ships of its class in the USCG fleet.
Its primary missions include national and foreign defence operations, counter-drug operations, law enforcement, search and rescue, fisheries enforcement and international outreach.
Its port call in the country was the second time a ship of its class had done so, with the first being the USCGC Munro in August, last year.
