The US Navy’s forward-deployed command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) pulled into Valletta, Malta, on January 19, 2018, for a scheduled port visit.
During her time in Valletta, Mount Whitney is providing ship tours and enhancing relationships between the two countries.
“The sailors and civilian mariners of Mount Whitney are thrilled to renew our long standing relationship with Malta,” said Captain Kavon Hakimzadeh, commanding officer of Mount Whitney.
The last ship to conduct a port visit to Malta was the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) in December 2017. Mount Whitney last visited Malta in 2011.
Mount Whitney is currently conducting routine training in the region in support of US national security interests in Europe and Asia. The ship recently completed a 10-month maintenance overhaul and upgrade to the shipboard computer network and command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence (C4I) systems.