US Navy Names Forward Deployed Ships to Spain

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Feb. 16 the four Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers which will be forward deployed to Rota, Spain.

The four include three from Norfolk, Va; USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, and USS Porter, and one from Mayport, Fla., USS Carney. The ships are in support of President Obama’s European Phased Adaptive Approach to enhance the security of the European region.

“We welcome Spain’s partnership in stationing four U.S. Navy Aegis ships at Naval Station Rota,” said Mabus. “We have a long history of cooperation between our two countries and we have developed significant interoperability between our naval forces.”

These multi-mission ships will perform a myriad of tasks, including the full spectrum of maritime security operations, bilateral and multilateral training exercises, NATO operations and deployments, and NATO missile defense.

Ross and Donald Cook will arrive in fiscal 2014 and Carney and Porter in fiscal 2015.

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta initially announced the stationing of four Aegis ships to Rota Oct. 5, 2011, in Brussels, Belgium.

“By hosting these ships, Spain will continue its vital role in enhancing the security of the European region, the Mediterranean Basin, and the Atlantic Ocean,” said Panetta in an Oct. 5, 2011, statement. “The agreement also enables the United States to provide rapid and responsive support to the U.S. Africa and U.S. Central Commands, as needed.”

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Naval Today Staff , February 17, 2012; Image: navy