LCS-4 trains alongside Chinese navy

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado worked alongside Chinese ships and naval crews during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 international training exercise while developing an understanding with their counterparts ahead of LCS-4’s first deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet, which would certainly include patrol time in the South China Sea. The Chinese navy was professional and helpful during the biennial exercise, according to USS Coronado commanding officer, Cmdr. Scott Larson, who also attended a reception aboard one of the Chinese ship in Pearl Harbor. “The level of partnership (has) actually exceeded my expectations,” he said. “We’ve gotten to learn a little bit about how they operate and develop some of those useful insights that I’m sure will pay dividends” in the deployment. (Source: U.S. Naval Institute News 07/21/16) Gulf Coast Note: USS Coronado was built at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala.