The USS Wichita conducted a live fire exercise with the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel HMJS Cornwall in the Caribbean Sea last week.

According to a Navy press release, gunners from both ships shot hundreds of rounds at a floating training target nicknamed the "killer tomato."

"We enjoyed shooting at the killer tomato," Chief Gunner's Mate Daniel Gibbs, Wichita's gunnery liaison officer for the exercise, said in the release. "Conducting live-fire exercises is what keeps us sharp and ready."

The Wichita launched the embarked helicopter from the "Sea Knights" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 Detachment 8 before the gunnery exercise to conduct firing range clearance and act as a safety observer as Wichita and Cornwall rendezvoused.

This was Cornwall's first live-fire exercise but its second interoperability exercise with a U.S. Navy warship this year, according to the Navy.

In February, Cornwall participated in a passing exercise with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams.

"Conducting multi-national gunnery exercises requires precision communication and teamwork," Cmdr. Daniel Reiher, USS Wichita Commanding Officer, said in the Navy's release. "Cornwall's team are superb mariners and we look forward to continued operations and more complex exercises with the Jamaican Coast Guard in the future."

The USS Wichita, the branch's 13th littoral combat ship, was commissioned in 2019 to operate in near-shore and open-ocean situations.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Divers from Tunisian, U.S. navies conduct first joint exercise in a decade
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 6, 2021
Divers from the U.S. and Tunisian navies recently completed the first bilateral dive engagement between the two countries in nearly a decade, the U.S. Navy announced Tuesday. The engagement featured supplied diving, underwater welding, recompression chamber operations, hydrographic survey techniques and maritime infrastructure assessments, according to the Navy. "These types of exercises are instrumental for improving maritime security along the North African coastline," LTJG William Pel ... read more