Vietnam, US Coast Guards Hold Joint Rescue Drill
The joint search-and-rescue exercise at sea followed a five-day goodwill visit by USCGC Bertholf to Ho Chi Minh City.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Emergency Response
Vietnam Coast Guard Ship CSB 8001 and the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Bertholf conducted a joint search-and-rescue exercise at sea on November 5. The drill concluded a five-day goodwill visit by the Bertholf to Ho Chi Minh City.
Why it matters
The exercise was designed to enhance coordination in incident response and strengthen cooperation between the two countries' maritime law enforcement agencies. US Ambassador Jennifer Wicks described the Bertholf's visit as the first by a US military vessel to Ho Chi Minh City in over 20 years.
The Bertholf's crew of 175 officers and crew members carried out the drill alongside Vietnamese forces. Details on the exercise's measured performance were not reported.
The players
USCGC Bertholf
A US Coast Guard cutter commanded by Captain Andrew Pate that has been deployed in the Pacific region for maritime security operations.
Jennifer Wicks
The United States Ambassador to Vietnam who publicly characterized the Bertholf's visit as a milestone in bilateral relations.
The details
The two vessels maneuvered to designated sea areas and established direct communication links before approaching a simulated distressed vessel together. The drill included firefighting operations, with crews transferring simulated casualties between ships for first aid and medical treatment.
Timeline
November 1: USCGC Bertholf begins a five-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City.
November 2: Coast guard personnel hold cultural exchanges and a friendly football match.
November 3: Both sides hold discussions on unmanned aerial vehicle operation and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
November 5: The joint search-and-rescue exercise is conducted at sea.
Seasonal Patterns
The Bertholf's call at Ho Chi Minh City is the first US military port visit there in over 20 years, a gap that places the drill within a renewed phase of US-Vietnam maritime engagement. The exercise follows that resumption by pairing a port call with joint search-and-rescue training at sea.
Mariners and coastal residents in the South China Sea region should be aware of ongoing coordination between the two coast guards during search-and-rescue operations. The source does not specify any specific advisories, routes, or action steps for the public.
The takeaway
Joint training between coast guards builds the communication links and shared procedures that matter when a real vessel is in distress. The drill shows that such coordination can be practiced even between navies with a long and complicated history.
Further reading
For broader context on how coast guards coordinate rescues, see Emergency Response.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Vietnamnews.
