US SUBMARINE IS AN ATTRACTION WHILE DOCKED IN SUBIC BAY
SUBIC BAY – LOCALS and out of town visitors have a rare, bonus sight to see in this former US Naval Base turned Freeport Zone, nowadays.
The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724), which arrived in Subic Bay on Valentine’s Day for a brief port call, has become a major attraction, at least for the duration of its stay.
A US Embassy statement said the submarine’s visit “highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States.”
As it has become customary to visiting US ships, “the Louisville crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events during the crew’s visit to the Philippines.”
The ship will also use the stop to conduct some minor maintenance with the assistance of Filipino companies, which is expected to infuse millions of pesos worth of transactions to the local economy.
The Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally of the United States with a history of partnership of more than 70 years.
According to the US Embassy statement, “the American and Philippine militaries have worked closely together on areas of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter terrorism, cybersecurity and maritime security.
Louisville is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (VVV)
