The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) entered the Black Sea on a routine patrol, Nov. 25, 2021. While in the Black Sea, the ship will operate alongside NATO allies and partners in the region, working together to ensure security and stability in this vital international waterway. NATO allies and partners routinely operate in the region to ensure a safe, stable and secure maritime environment, and build partner capacity to improve effectiveness and interoperability.
U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and fellow Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) recently completed operations in the Black Sea, working with regional allies and partners, including Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine throughout their time in the area. Arleigh Burke began its current patrol in August, operating in the Baltic and Barents Seas alongside naval allies and partners, including ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1. The ship also conducted port calls in Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland, underscoring the importance of Baltic relationships to the strength of the NATO Alliance.
Arleigh Burke is one of four U.S. Navy destroyers based at Naval Station Rota, Spain, and assigned to Commander Task Force 65 in support of NATO’s Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture. Operating from the High North through the Mediterranean and into the Black Sea highlights the capability and capacity Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) ships bring to the European theater. These inherently mobile, multi-mission capable ships routinely operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle, demonstrating their mastery of the maritime domain.
U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
