The San Diego-based USS Savannah on Monday became the first American warship in eight years to visit Cambodia as part of a U.S. effort to beef up military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to help keep China in check.
The lightly armed Savannah docked at Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, a coastal city on the Gulf of Thailand. The littoral combat ship will spend four days there, during which time of the U.S. and Cambodian navies will participate in a sports competition.
“Cambodia is a key partner for us in the region, and this port visit provides us an important opportunity to meet with local leaders,” Dan Sledz, the Savannah’s commanding officer, said in a prepared statement.
Cambodia has a 4,000-member navy whose fleet is mostly composed of small patrol boats.
