No possibility of US naval base in Ctg: 7th Fleet commander
Dhaka, Sept 16 (UNB) – United States’ 7th Fleet commander Scott H Swift on Sunday ruled out the possibility of establishing any naval base for the fleet in Chittagong.
“The anticipation of permanent presence of the 7th Fleet in Chittagong ‘doesn’t make sense’,” he said responding to a question at a press conference in the city.
Scott stressed that the 7th Fleet has no plan to establish any naval base, whether permanent or temporary, in Chittagong.
The fleet is more interested in keeping the mobility it has been enjoying across the Pacific since the Second World War, rather than in permanent or temporary bases, he said, adding that the permanent base in Japan along with the permeability of logistics in Singapore was enough for the fleet to function in the region.
Scott said even if the governments of both the countries agree to have a base for the 7th Fleet in Chittagong, it is not viable from the naval perspective as it requires the establishment of huge additional infrastructures there.
“We’re more interested to assist Bangladesh Army and Navy to enhance their ability to protect its maritime resources from pirates, protect country form terrorist attack and co-operate during natural disasters,” he said.
Scott, however, pointed out that the presence of his vessels across the entire Pacific, including the Bay of Bengal, was quite a usual occurrence.
Addressing the press conference, organised by the US Embassy, on his visit to Bangladesh, he said, “The 7th fleet is broadly deployed across the pacific …for transmitting and training.”
“May be in the Bay of Bengal, in the Indian Ocean -- we often have the vessels in the vicinity,” said the commander of the world’s largest and the longest serving US fleet in the Asia Pacific.
Asked whether the US Navy, particularly the 7th Fleet, is refocusing on Asia for any specific strategic purpose, he said: “Although the fleet’s refocus on Asia is in lot of people’s mind, it’s not a big change.”
With the reduction of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the forces which had been deployed there are now going towards the Pacific, he said, “Refocus is very natural to me.”
Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador Dan W Mozena said, “Vice Admiral Swift and Rear Admiral Carney are here as further evidence of the ever deepening military-to-military relationship between America and Bangladesh.”
US 7th Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Escott H Swift along with Rear Admiral Thomas F Carney arrived in Dhaka on Saturday to attend an 8-day “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training” (CARAT) exercise, which is going to be jointly conducted by the US Navy and Bangladesh Navy from tomorrow (Monday).
The inaugural ceremony of the second CARET exercise will be held at the Naval Base Issa Khan in Chittagong.
The inauguration will also be marked by the event of handing over of three vessels to Bangladesh Coast Guards, said Mozena.
Bangladesh is purchasing the vessels with about US$ 1 million from the US, said officials at the press conference.
CARAT exercise aims at enhancing capabilities in areas of maritime security, including maritime interception, information sharing, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, and combined operations at sea.
“The anticipation of permanent presence of the 7th Fleet in Chittagong ‘doesn’t make sense’,” he said responding to a question at a press conference in the city.
Scott stressed that the 7th Fleet has no plan to establish any naval base, whether permanent or temporary, in Chittagong.
The fleet is more interested in keeping the mobility it has been enjoying across the Pacific since the Second World War, rather than in permanent or temporary bases, he said, adding that the permanent base in Japan along with the permeability of logistics in Singapore was enough for the fleet to function in the region.
Scott said even if the governments of both the countries agree to have a base for the 7th Fleet in Chittagong, it is not viable from the naval perspective as it requires the establishment of huge additional infrastructures there.
“We’re more interested to assist Bangladesh Army and Navy to enhance their ability to protect its maritime resources from pirates, protect country form terrorist attack and co-operate during natural disasters,” he said.
Scott, however, pointed out that the presence of his vessels across the entire Pacific, including the Bay of Bengal, was quite a usual occurrence.
Addressing the press conference, organised by the US Embassy, on his visit to Bangladesh, he said, “The 7th fleet is broadly deployed across the pacific …for transmitting and training.”
“May be in the Bay of Bengal, in the Indian Ocean -- we often have the vessels in the vicinity,” said the commander of the world’s largest and the longest serving US fleet in the Asia Pacific.
Asked whether the US Navy, particularly the 7th Fleet, is refocusing on Asia for any specific strategic purpose, he said: “Although the fleet’s refocus on Asia is in lot of people’s mind, it’s not a big change.”
With the reduction of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the forces which had been deployed there are now going towards the Pacific, he said, “Refocus is very natural to me.”
Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador Dan W Mozena said, “Vice Admiral Swift and Rear Admiral Carney are here as further evidence of the ever deepening military-to-military relationship between America and Bangladesh.”
US 7th Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Escott H Swift along with Rear Admiral Thomas F Carney arrived in Dhaka on Saturday to attend an 8-day “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training” (CARAT) exercise, which is going to be jointly conducted by the US Navy and Bangladesh Navy from tomorrow (Monday).
The inaugural ceremony of the second CARET exercise will be held at the Naval Base Issa Khan in Chittagong.
The inauguration will also be marked by the event of handing over of three vessels to Bangladesh Coast Guards, said Mozena.
Bangladesh is purchasing the vessels with about US$ 1 million from the US, said officials at the press conference.
CARAT exercise aims at enhancing capabilities in areas of maritime security, including maritime interception, information sharing, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, and combined operations at sea.
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