The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk strike group pulled in Hong Kong port Monday to get replenishment on its final port call to the city.
"We're delighted to be back," said Rear Adm. Richard Wren, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, at a news briefing held on Kitty Hawk Monday.
He said the 47-year-old ship was to return to the United States later this year for decommissioning and would be replaced by the nuclear-powered USS George Washington.
He added that it was great to be able to choose this significant city for its last port call and Hong Kong remained one of the favorite ports for the crew members because of its shopping and cultural attractions.
The Kitty Hawk, with about 5,000 crew members on board, was joined by one cruiser and three destroyers to make the five-day port call in Hong Kong.
The USS Kitty Hawk is America's oldest active warship and is the first of the modern "super carriers" commissioned on April 29, 1961. The warship arrived at her new operating location of Yokosuka, Japan in August, 1998.
The USS Blue Ridge made a port call in Hong Kong in January and the USS Nimitz strike group in early April.
