Ship is one of the newest in the U.S. Navy fleet
The latest generation amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) will arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, weeks after its visit to Cartagena, Colombia. Rio will be one of the stops of the ship on its way to the western United States. Other stops during this transit include Chile and Peru. The visit by the USS America highlights the importance of military cooperation in the region through promoting and strengthening partnerships and integrated operations between the Navies of the United States and Brazil. This cooperation is based on shared interests such as maritime security and humanitarian aid.
One of the U.S. Navy’s newest ships, USS America is 257 meters long, 57 meters wide and is capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey, which combines the advantages of a helicopter – vertical take-off and landing – and stationary flight, with those of an airplane, which are velocity and flight autonomy. The vessel carries a complement of more than 1,400 Sailors and Marines.
The inaugural trip, called “America Visits the Americas,” started in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and will end in San Diego, California, its homeport.
The U.S. Navy will open the ship for a press tour on August 6 at 10 AM. Media outlets interested in visiting the vessel must submit the full names of the journalists, name of the outlet, and ID info no later than August 4 at imprensario@state.gov. Only requests received by the due date will be considered for accreditation.
While in Rio, the USS America crew will participate on joint activities with the Brazilian navy and will also do community relations work.
U.S. Consulate General Press Section: (21) 3821-2169/2103
