The US Navy Ship ‘Hopper’ arrived at the Port of Colombo yesterday (19) on a goodwill visit. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions on her arrival. Subsequently, the Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander John D. Gainey paid a courtesy call on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Jayantha De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.

They held cordial discussions and exchanged mementoes to mark the significance of the occasion.

The US Navy Ship which is on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka, is scheduled to participate in an array of programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Accordingly, the ship’s crew is expected to take part in training programmes and range of sporting events such as Cricket, Baseball, Volleyball and Basketball with their Sri Lankan counterparts. The ship is scheduled to depart from the country on 23rd of this month.

Hopper is a multi-mission warship equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system and anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare capabilities, the release explained. It is designed to operate independently or with a surface action group or strike group.

Hopper is currently underway on an independent deployment in the Navy's 7th Fleet area of operations which covers 48 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

The 7th Fleet patrols a region with 36 maritime countries and seven of the world’s 10 largest military powers. (SI)