US 7th Fleet Amphibious Command Ship 'Blue Ridge' Arrives at Busan Base

US 7th Fleet Command Ship Arrives in Busan (Busan=Yonhap News) Reporter Cha Geun-ho = The US 7th Fleet's Blue Ridge has docked at the Naval Operations Base in Nam-gu, Busan, on the morning of the 5th. The Blue Ridge is known to have visited the Busan Naval Base to promote exchange and cooperation between the navies of both countries. 2020.2.5 ready@yna.co.kr

 The Blue Ridge (19,600 tons), an amphibious command ship of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, entered the Busan Naval Operations Base on the 25th for supplies and crew rest, the Navy announced.

A Navy official said, "We plan to enhance exchange and cooperation between the South Korean and US navies on the occasion of the Blue Ridge's arrival."

The Blue Ridge serves as the command ship for the US 7th Fleet, which oversees the Western Pacific region and parts of the Indian Ocean, including waters around the Korean Peninsula. Its homeport is Yokosuka, Japan. It has previously called at the Busan base in 2020 and 2019.

Commissioned in 1970, the Blue Ridge measures 194 meters in length and 33 meters in width, with a top speed of 23 knots (approximately 43 km/h). It can accommodate about 1,000 personnel, including the 7th Fleet command staff and crew. It operates four command centers: the Tactical Flag Command Center, Joint Operations Center, Joint Intelligence Center, and Amphibious Task Force Command Post.

The Blue Ridge also participated in the US-ROK-Japan multinational exercise '2025 Freedom Edge', which took place near the Korean Peninsula from the 15th to the 19th. Yonhap News