By Lt. Cassandra Thompson
YOKOSUKA, Japan -- The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) had the rare opportunity to train with French crew this month, when she conducted a series of at-sea submarine exercises with the Rubis-class nuclear powered submarine (SSN) FS Émeraude.
Émeraude and the Loire-class support and assistance vessel (BSAM type) FS Seine are on a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific. Asheville and Émeraude used the opportunity to practice high-end maritime skills over the course of several days in a multitude of disciplines designed to enhance interoperability between maritime forces.
"The opportunity to tactically employ the boat in a multilateral exercise was beneficial to our overall training for forward deployed operations in the Indo-Pacific AOR," said Cmdr. Thomas Bullock, commanding officer of Asheville. "Exercises of this nature emphasize the importance of interoperability and improve our warfighting skills."