US aircraft carrier in Vietnam among most memorable images

By Nguyen Quy   January 2, 2019 | 08:39 pm PT
A satellite image capturing the historic visit of a U.S. aircraft carrier to Da Nang was among the most memorable photos of 2018.
A satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows the USS Carl Vinson docked in the central city of Da Nang on March 5, 2018.

A satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe to AP shows the USS Carl Vinson docked in the central city of Da Nang on March 5, 2018.

The U.S.-based Associated Press (AP) has included the picture among eight most striking news images captured by satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe in 2018.

The photo, titled "Back to Danang," which captures the USS Carl Vinson docking at Da Nang City on Vietnam’s central coast for a historic five-day visit last March, has made it into the list.

The visit marked a monumental milestone in the diplomatic relationship between the two former enemies. It was also the first time a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier docked in Vietnam, four decades after the end of the Vietnam War.

Professor Carlyle Thayer from the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defense Force Academy told VnExpress International the USS Carl Vinson has sent a message that the U.S. will maintain its naval presence in the South China Sea. Vietnam calls the waterway the East Sea.

"Vietnam has been reassured by the Trump administration that it will enhance their comprehensive partnership," he said. "This visit signals that the United States intends to remain engaged in Southeast Asia."

"From space, the message was clear in the dozens of fighter jets on deck," the AP reported.

U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson docks in Da Nang City on Vietnams central coast for a historic five-day port call on March 3, 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson docks in Da Nang City on Vietnam’s central coast for a historic five-day port call on March 3, 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

Besides the U.S. aircraft carrier visit, satellite images depicting the eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii on May 3, the Vostok military exercises in Russia last September and the massive earthquake in Indonesia’s Palau City were among AP’s selections.

 
 
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