Naval News points out the apparent strong interest of many nations in West Pacific island nations, “Pacific Port Visits Show Regions Growing Importance: Expert.”
Certainly the Coast Guard has been calling on a these small island nations with significant regularity.
- “Coast Guard Cutter Munro visits Suva, Fiji, hosts shipriders during Operation Blue Pacific” –D14, Apr. 2022
- “Coast Guard Cutter Stratton visits Fiji during Operation Blue Pacific patrol” –D14 News Release, Feb. 2022
- “U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter visits Fiji” –News Release, June 2019
We are not the only ones visiting.
Type 071 LSD Wuzhishan of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) alongside in Nuku’alofa, Tonga with an Australian Canberra class LHD visible in the background. (Xinhua)
The post points to visits by USS Jackson (LCS-6), the UK’s HMS Spey (P-234), Japan’s JS Kirisame (DD-104) and India’s INS Satpura (F-48).
Somehow, I suspect of all these, the Webber class WPCs, like USCGC Oliver Henry’s recent deployment, are the most welcome, non-threatening, the right scale, not showing off, just trying to help.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 