Dogu Akdeniz, an annual Turkish-led naval training exercise, began Nov. 4.
USS Stout (DDG 55) was invited to participate in this year’s exercise, hosted by Commander, Turkish Fleet, with forces from the Turkish coast guard, Turkish air force and ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).
Led by the Turkish navy Dogu Akdeniz is designed to focus on maritime interdiction operations, military interoperability efforts and regional security and stability.
“I am very excited that my crew has been given the opportunity to participate in Exercise Dogu Akdeniz with the Turkish navy and our NATO allies.” said Cmdr. Robert W. Alpigini, commanding officer of Stout.
The exercise is scheduled to take place in the Eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Turkey and was developed to improve operability between the U.S. and Turkish navies, and enhanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. The exercise demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to strengthen regional maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities.
[mappress] Press Release, November 06, 2013; Image: US Navy