U.S. navy flagship to visit Singapore

U.S. navy flagship to visit Singapore

SINGAPORE (DPA): The USS Blue Ridge, flagship of the U.S. Navy's 7th fleet, is due to stop in Singapore from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, officials said on Wednesday.

The 7th Fleet patrols more than 135 million square kilometers of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the international dateline to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands to the Antarctic, the United States embassy in Singapore said in a news release.

The ship's crew will "have the opportunity for sightseeing and cultural exchanges" while in Singapore, one of more than 40 countries it routinely visits, the embassy said.

The USS Blue Ridge, an amphibious command and control ship, is 206 meters long and carries 750 crew and officers, along with more than 200 staff of 7th Fleet Commander Walter Doran.