A look at logistic supply assurance on Ship 20

The delegation has completed activities within the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2023 and is en route to Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia for the fourth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK-4).

Departing Da Nang city on May 14, the ship is planned to return to Naval Region 3 on June 17. The long journey requires careful preparation of logistic supplies to ensure officers and soldiers’ health.

Therefore, one of the important missions of Naval Region 3’s logistics sector is to provide standardized, nutritious meals that meet all requirements on food safety and hygiene.

Below are photos of logistics services on Ship 20.

Ship 20 at Langkawi Bay, Malaysia. Ensuring logistic supplies for a defense diplomacy voyage to two countries, crossing over 5,000 nautical miles, is an important task of the logistics sector of Naval Region 3.

According to Senior Lieutenant Ho Sy Lan (left), a military supply assistant at Brigade 172, food and food stuff are enough for 90 people during the over one month trip.

Foodstuff, provided by reputable suppliers, is regularly checked and properly preserved during the journey.

Captain Nguyen Van Binh (left), Logistics Chief of Naval Region 3, shares that preserving vegetables is always the hardest task. Despite having rich experience in preserving vegetables, Navy Region 3’s logistics sector considers daily inspection of the storage compartment as mandatory.

Together with different kinds of vegetables, a variety of tubers and fruits that are easy to preserve and nutritious are also chosen to diversify dishes for the crew and delegation’s members. In the photo: Non-commissioned Commander Hoang Xuan Hoai is taking bitter melon, pineapple, and green onions from the cold compartment.

Fish is among foods that need to be frozen. It will be defrosted before cooking. Many dishes made of fish include braised, grilled, fried fish, and sour fish soup.

According to Captain Nguyen Van Binh, daily menus are already made before the long journey. Dishes vary to suit the taste of the delegation’s members. In the photo: Non-commissioned Lieutenant Commander Hoang Khanh Hoan, Ship 20’s chef, is marinating the fish to grill.

Vegetables are available in each meal. Cooks said that they could make beansprouts right on the ship.

Non-commissioned Lt. Commander Cao Tien Quang, a kitchen staff, is making gourd soup with little shrimp. On Ship 20, there are two electric cookers like this. Kitchen staff can use them to cook various traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Apart from three meals a day, cooks also make extra meals for officers on night duty or on requested.

Sometimes, grilled fish, grilled pork belly or grilled chicken are served.

Lemon leaves make some dishes, such as grilled chicken and boiled pork leg, tastier.

All dishes are sampled to check food safety and hygiene.

Desserts are different in each meal with watermelon, mango, longan, grapefruit, and more.

The food standards on a defense diplomacy voyage are like those on a business one.

All plans to ensure food are carefully made. Dry rations are used in bad weather situations where cooking is impossible.

By Ngoc Hung from the Strait of Malacca, Malaysia

Translated by Mai Huong