USS Vandegrift departs San Diego Naval Station

SAN DIEGO - The guided-missile frigate USS Vandegrift departed Naval Station San Diego today on a deployment to the Pacific, where the Pentagon is increasing its focus, but the USNS Mercy failed to leave as scheduled.

The Navy announced on its Pacific Partnership Twitter account that Mercy had mechanical problems that will delay the vessel's departure for 48 hours.

The USS Vandegrift, meanwhile, is headed to the western Pacific and Indian Ocean for training exercises over the next six months with forces from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thai...