PORT KLANG: The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the US Seventh Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan, called at Westport here for a routine port visit yesterday.

The command-and-control ship, which is attached to the largest of the US Navy’s forward deployed fleets, docked at Wharf 5 at 10am.

The 33-year-old ship supports a variety of missions with a communications suite allowing Seventh Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Robert F. Willard and his embarked staff to direct US naval forces in the region.

The warship last visited here in 2001 but the situation was different now. Tight security was imposed in and around the vessel by police, marine police and port security, with access to the ship highly restricted to authorised individuals only.

The ship is 192m long, has a displacement of 19,200 tonnes and has on board two SH-3G Sikorsky Sea King helicopters.

USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) is commanded by Captain J. Stephen Maynard and has a crew of 950.

Capt Maynard, who welcomed a Malaysian media group during a tour of the warship, said Port Klang was its first port of call for its voyage this year.

“We sailed from Japan a week ago and reached Port Klang about 9am today (yesterday). Our officers and crew are looking forward to visiting Malaysia as this is the first visit for most of them, including myself,” Capt Maynard said.

He added that during their three-day stopover here, the sailors would be involved in a couple of community service work such as visits to orphanages and an old folks home.

The ship’s in-house 18-piece band called the Blue Ridge Band would be performing free-of-charge for the public tomorrow at 6pm at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre esplanade.

USS Blue Ridge had been involved in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Middle East from August 1990 to May 1991, and it earned a Navy Unit Commendation.