This U.S. Carrier Just Arrived In Malaysia
For the second time in just over a month, a United States Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has made a port-of-call visit to Port Klang Cruise Terminal, Malaysia. The Nimitz-class USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) arrived on Sunday. The visit follows that of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), which arrived at the same terminal on November 23.
“Malaysia is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific. Our visit reinforces the importance of this partnership to the United States,” said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander of Carrier Strike Group ONE (CSG-1). “Visiting Port Klang provides us with an important and unique opportunity to collaborate with our Royal Malaysian Navy counterparts, continuing to build upon our strategic and mutually beneficial partnership, while also providing our Sailors well-deserved downtime to explore the area and build connections within the community.”
“The back-to-back visits of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and the USS Abraham Lincoln to Malaysia underscore the depth and strength of our security tiesan enduring cornerstone of the U.S.-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership,” added U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan. “Building on decades of close collaboration, we continue to bolster our security partnership and remain committed to working with Malaysia to advance our shared vision of a free, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
Moving Past The “Fat Leonard” Scandal
The back-to-back carrier visits could be a sign that the United States Navy is moving past the unfortunate scandal involving Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis, whose company Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), previously operated the Malaysian Port Klang facility when it was known as the Glenn Cruise Terminal.
The corruption scandal—described as the largest in U.S. Navy history—involved nine members of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, who were indicted in 2017 on charges of conspiracy and bribery. GDMA consistently overcharged the U.S. Navy for goods and services. Francis had been due for sentencing in 2022 after acknowledging that he masterminded a decade-long bribery scheme in which officials were given millions of dollars in bribes and other luxury gifts.
As previously reported, in November, Francis was sentenced to fifteen years for overcharging the U.S. Navy $35 million for his company’s services. However, he skipped that sentencing and fled the country. U.S. officials lured him to Venezuela last year, and he was brought back to the country. In addition to the fifteen-year prison sentence, his company was sentenced to five years of probation and was fined $36 million.
“Mr. Francis’ sentencing brings closure to an expansive fraud scheme that he perpetrated against the U.S. Navy with assistance from various Navy officials. This fraud conspiracy ultimately cost the American taxpayer millions of dollars and weakened the public’s trust in some of our Navy's senior leaders. Mr. Francis’ actions not only degraded the 7th Fleet’s readiness but shook the Fleet's trust in its leadership who furthered his corrupt practices,” said Kelly P. Mayo, director of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the overarching fraud and bribery case had resulted in federal criminal charges against thirty-four U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors, and Francis’ company, GDMA. The felony convictions of four former U.S. Navy officers were vacated, however, following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
More Visits To Come
Prior to the visit of CVN-72 in November, the last U.S. carrier to visit Port Klang was USS George Washington (CVN-73) in October 2012. It would seem that with Francis sentenced and heading to prison, the U.S. Navy is again looking to forge closer ties with Malaysia.
“On behalf of America’s Favorite Aircraft Carrier, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the people of Port Klang and Kuala Lumpur for welcoming the Sailors of USS Carl Vinson with such enthusiasm and warm hospitality,” said Capt. Matthew Thomas, commanding officer, USS Carl Vinson. “We are delighted to welcome Malaysian Navy and government officials aboard Vinson, and we are grateful for the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich history and culture of Malaysia.”
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
Image: Shutterstock.com.