US missile destroyer makes port call in Manila
The USS Curtis Wilbur, a US missile destroyer, has arrived in Manila for a routine port call.
The visit “highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the Philippines and the United States,” the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Friday.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. which arrived in Manila on Wednesday, is on patrol with Carrier Strike Group 5 in the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, it added.
The visit comes a week after the international Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, saying China’s massive claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis.
READ: US superforce patrolling PH Sea
Service members from Curtis Wilbur will participate in a series of community relations projects and events, while experiencing Filipino culture.
Article continues after this advertisementWilbur was named after Curtis Wilbur, the 43rd Secretary of the Navy, who served under President Calvin Coolidge. CDG/rga
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