180504-N-RM689-0125 TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (May 4,

180504-N-RM689-0125
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (May 4, 2018) Surgical staff assigned to Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) for Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18) and the Sri Lankan surgical team from Base Hospital Mutur connect the probes of the Da Vinci XI Robot Surgical System to a patient during the first robot-assisted surgery while aboard the Mercy. PP18’s mission is to work collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific Region. Pacific Partnership, now in its 13th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelsey L. Adams/Released)