The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) arrived in Odesa, Ukraine, for a scheduled port visit Aug. 31, 2015, in support of exercise Sea Breeze 2015.
Sea Breeze is an annual multinational maritime exercise, with a land and air component, co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine. The exercise seeks to enhance interoperability and capabilities amongst participating forces, and is scheduled to take place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 12.
Participating nations include Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The at-sea phase will focus on maritime interdiction operations as a primary means to enhance maritime security.
Specific skill sets tested in the at-sea phase will include maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarine warfare, and self-defense against small boat attacks. Other warfare areas to be tested include air defense, damage control, search and rescue, and other tactical maneuvers.
U.S. participation in Sea Breeze 2015 includes approximately 400 Sailors, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and a P-3C Orion from Patrol Squadron (VP) 9.
USS Donald Cook (DDG 78), forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is on a routine patrol conducting naval operations with allies and partners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in order to advance security and stability in the Black Sea region.
[mappress mapid=”16812″]
Image: US Navy