USS La Jolla joins exercise

The USS La Jolla, with rescue vehicle Mystic attached to its hull, participated in Pacific Reach 2002 in Japan. U.S. Navy photo

Advertiser Staff

The USS La Jolla, a Pearl Harbor-based fast attack submarine, joined three others from Japan, Australia and the Republic of Korea at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan last week for Pacific Reach 2002. Ships from five nations participated and seven other nations observed the exercise.

Pacific Reach is intended not only to improve rescue capabilities, but also to foster familiarization between different navies.

Since there are only eight U.S. submarines capable of attaching a (deep submergence rescue vehicle) and their operations could place them days away from a potential rescue location, the possibility exists that the United States would request the assistance of another country," said Capt. Dale Nees, commander of Submarine Group Development Squadron Five, and the U.S. Navy commander for the exercise.