PANO - The French naval ship Tonnerre docked at Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa province, on May 2nd for a five-day visit.

In 2013, the Tonnerre, an amphibious command vessel, arrived in Cam Ranh seaport while the Georges Leygues, an anti-submarine warfare ship, visited Ho Chi Minh City. The occasion was the 40th anniversary of Vietnamese-French diplomatic ties.

The French naval ship Tonnerre

The ship’s visit is part of activities implementing agreements between both countries’ State leaders and their Defense Ministries, strengthening bilateral friendship and cooperation between their armies.

During the visit, the French crew will participate in various activities and meet with Vietnamese authorities of the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee and Military Command, Naval Region 4, and Vietnam’s Naval Academy.

After leaving port, the two navies will conduct a joint military exercise, covering search and rescue operations, as well as implementation of a code of conduct for unexpected meetings at sea (CUES).

The 21,500-ton vessel, one of the largest vessels of the French Navy, is a multifunctional command and landing ship. The ship measures 200 m in length, 32 m in width, and about 48 m in height. It carries five helicopters, one speedboat L-CAT (30m long, 12,6m wide), and two cargo barges (23,8m long, 6,35m wide, stretch of water 59 tons).

Translated by Thuy Dung