OCTOBER 3, 2025 — U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) arrived in Busan, South Korea for a port visit, Sept. 25, 2025, after completing the trilateral exercise Freedom Edge followed by a visit to Pyeongtaek and Republic of Korea 2nd Fleet. This arrival in Busan marks the first time since 2020 that Blue Ridge has visited Busan.
During this port visit, leadership from the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship is scheduled to meet with their Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy counterparts and local leaders to discuss ways of improving operational readiness, advancing future military capabilities, and enhancing the U.S.-ROK bilateral relationship overall. The U.S. and ROK navies routinely conduct multi-domain military exercises, such as Freedom Edge and Ulchi Freedom Shield.
In addition, Sailors from Blue Ridge and U.S. 7th Fleet are scheduled to participate in a series of in-port activities to include band performances, community relation events, and ship tours.
“The great city of Busan awaits the Sailors and staff on USS Blue Ridge – it is another powerful reminder of our ironclad commitment to the ROK-U.S. alliance and the strength of our combined maritime presence,” said Rear Adm. Sharif H. Calfee, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea. “As our Sailors explore and learn about this beautiful city, they demonstrate the shared commitment of the United States and the Republic of Korea to regional security, stability, and prosperity.”
U.S. 7th Fleet staff, embarked aboard Blue Ridge, commands the world’s largest forward-deployed fleet with the primary mission of providing operational control and planning for its forces in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, while promoting regional stability and maritime security through engagements with allies and partners.
The Blue Ridge and embarked U.S. 7th Fleet staff conduct regular Indo-Pacific patrols to deter aggression, strengthen alliances and partnerships, and advance future warfighting capabilities.
For more news from USS Blue Ridge, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/lcc19/.
For more news from U.S. 7th Fleet, visit https://www.c7f.navy.mil/.
From Commander
U.S. 7th Fleet