US Navy’s USS Porter en route to Black Sea
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter began its northbound international strait transit en route to the Black Sea on June 17, to conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness, and naval capability with US Nato allies and partners in the region, the US Navy said.
This is the third time a US Navy ship has conducted operations in the Black Sea in 2020 and the second time for the Porter, which visited the Black Sea in April.
While in the Black Sea, and with the support of partners and allies, Porter will remain safely at sea, focusing on operational requirements and executing national tasking during the Covid-19 response, the Navy statement said.
“Porter’s presence in the Black Sea is crucial to building a secure maritime environment and ensuring freedom of navigation,” the statement quoted Porter’s commander officer Commander Craig Trent as saying.
“Porter and her crew look forward to operating in the Black Sea alongside our allies and partners in support of mutual maritime interests in the region.”
The ship’s operations in the Black Sea will strengthen interoperability with Nato allies and partners and demonstrate the collective resolve to Black Sea security, the statement said.
Porter recently completed operations in the Barents Sea alongside USS Donald Cook, USS Roosevelt, the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), and Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent “to assert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies”.
Porter, forward-deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the US. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of US national security interests in Europe, the statement said.
“The US Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention,” it said.
