Deputy Defense Secretary of Defense Bob Work and British Defense Procurement Minister Philip Dunne yesterday wrapped up two days of visits to military installations in the southeastern United States.
They visited Beaufort, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; and Kings Bay, Georgia, to see U.S. and British capabilities firsthand, discuss current interoperability initiatives, and personally thank service members stationed in the region, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson, Work’s spokeswoman, said in a statement summarizing the trip.
“Throughout the visit, the two leaders discussed global security issues and opportunities for further bilateral defense cooperation,” Hillson said.
More specifically, she added, Work and Dunne spoke with U.S. and British service members stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort assigned to an F-35B joint strike fighter training squadron. During the visit, they discussed the aircraft's capabilities and interoperability, as well as the training pipeline for both U.S. and United Kingdom personnel, she said.
P-8A Familiarization Flight
During their visit to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Hillson said, they participated in a familiarization flight aboard a P-8A aircraft, which demonstrated maritime patrol and reconnaissance mission capabilities.
On the last leg of the trip, she said, they visited Submarine Group 10 headquarters at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, where they received updates about the nuclear enterprise and toured weapons facilities.
“The deputy secretary conveyed appreciation for the UK's decisions to invest in advanced capabilities that position the UK to play a leading role in meeting global security challenges,” Hillson said. Work noted how these capabilities facilitate the uniquely close partnership between the United Kingdom and the United States, she added.
Additionally, she said, the deputy secretary updated Dunne about efforts supporting the Third Offset Strategy, a conventional deterrence posture based on having competitive advantages.