Source: UDN

17 October, 2018 

 

Defense Minister Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) confirmed yesterday that a research vessel belonging to the US Navy, the USS Thomas G. Thompson, docked in Kaohsiung. Yen emphasized that the vessel “is here for academic purposes, as a result of a collaboration between the University of Washington and National Taiwan University, and is unrelated to any US plans for demonstrating its military presence in the South China Sea. The vessel would be conducting oceanographic research in the Pacific region.” 

 

The USS Thomas G. Thompson is one of the vessels involved in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System project, which is a joint effort between the US government and various universities. The vessel belongs to the US Navy, but has been on loan to the Seattle-based University of Washington since 1991.