The USS Bonhomme Richard, homeported in San Diego, arrived in Sasebo, Japan this week for a hull swap with the USS Essex.
According to the Navy:
Hull swap, or ship rotation, is part of the Navy’s long-range plan to routinely replace older ships assigned to the Navy’s Forward Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) with newer or more capable ships.
The Stars and Stripes reported back in February that the 21-year-old USS Essex had been scheduled to participate in an annual exercise with Thailand, but could not because of equipment failure.
The Navy put together this video on the USS Bohhomme Richard's arrival and mission in Sasebo:
USS Bonhomme Richard arrives in Sasebo
