S ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence R Silverman

KUWAIT: US ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence R Silverman has said that Kuwait is a US critical ally, reiterating Washington's commitment to security and stability of the Gulf region, as well as the fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS/Daesh). During a visit by a host of Kuwaiti military commanders and government officials to the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69), Silverman told KUNA that the experience on the aircraft carrier was "outstanding" and "an opportunity to show our Kuwaiti guests America's finest on the sea and in the air, and demonstrate our commitment to security stability in the region and the global fight against Daesh".

"Kuwait is a critical ally of the United States in this fight and visits like this give us a better understanding of each other,' he stressed. During a comprehensive tour of the Eisenhower, the Kuwaiti delegation was briefed on how the carrier is operated. Initially, the Nimitz-class carrier was named after the US 34th President on Oct 11, 1975, and in 1980 it started its maiden deployment to the Mediterranean. In 1990, it was deployed in the Red Sea in the wake of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Eisenhower weighs 95,000 tons, with a runway of 1,092 feet long and 252 feet wide. It provides a wide range of flexible mission capabilities, to include maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter-proliferation.

The aircraft carrier is presently on a tour in the Gulf region, stopping in at harbors at intervals to obtain supplies. Crewmembers, about 5,000 sailors of all ranks and specializations, find it a good opportunity to go on land, where they mostly enjoy shopping and see the locals after months on deck. - KUNA