The trilateral training exercise Mavi Balina 2012 (MB12) kicked off in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Turkey, Nov. 5.
Mavi Balina is an invitational maritime exercise, hosted by Turkey, which focuses on providing realistic operational training in surface and submarine warfare for units and staffs of Turkish, Pakistani and U.S. Naval Forces, as well as promotes friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Training with other military forces enhances mutual awareness and the maritime capability of international partners. Mavi Balina helps create an environment that promotes maritime safety and security, and interoperability between the participating nations.
Participating U.S. Naval Forces are guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and an aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 9.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full range of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation missions in concert with coalition, joint, interagency and other parties in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, November 6, 2012; Image: US Navy