US Warships Enter Black Sea ahead of Olympic Games

February 5, 2014

The US Navy warship, USS Mount Whitney sailed into the Black Sea today, the Voice of Russia reports.

USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet, will be joined by another US Navy ship, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, USS Taylor, later in the day, a spokesman for the Russian Navy HQ said.

USS Mount Whitney departed from Gaeta, Italy on Friday, January 31, and USS Taylor followed on Saturday, February 1. Both warships have an embarked H-60 helicopter onboard, according to the Foxnews.

The ship is currently sailing in the Black Sea, but she will not enter the Russian territorial waters, the spokesman added.

US officials earlier confirmed that the ships will head to the Black Sea in advance of the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

SPECIFICATIONS
USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC-20)		USS TAYLOR (FFG – 50)
Length	189 m	Length	138 m
Beam	33 m	Beam	14 m
Draft	9.06 m	Draft	6.7 m
Displacement	18.400 tons full load	Displacement	4.200 tons full load
Speed	23 knots	Speed	over 29 knots
Complement	170 officers and enlisted men; and 155 Military Sealift Command civilian sailors	Complement	15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Status	In active service	Status	In active service