Singapore on Saturday deployed a naval vessel to the Gulf region as part of its efforts to support the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
According to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry, Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Chew Men Leong officiated at a send-off ceremony for the landing ship tank (LST) RSS Persistence and its crew of 180 earlier Saturday at the Changi Naval Base.
During its three-month long deployment, the Singapore naval vessel will carry out tasks such as providing logistics support for coalition vessels and helicopters, protecting the waters around key oil terminals, and conducting patrols and boarding operations, the ministry said.
As a close U.S. ally in Southeast Asia, Singapore has since 2003 deployed three tank landing ships, a C-130 transport aircraft and four KC-135 tanker aircraft to the Gulf in support of Iraq's reconstruction efforts.
Source: Xinhua
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