The flagship's presence in the Black Sea will serve to reaffirm the United States' dedication and commitment towards strengthening the partnerships and joint operational capabilities amongst U.S., NATO and regional Black Sea partners.
The ship is scheduled to conduct routine operations which include, combined training, maritime security operations (MSO) and theater security cooperation (TSC). These interactions among allies and partner nations will reaffirm the maritime relationships and commitment to the security and stability within the Black Sea region.
"Working with allies and partners is the cornerstone to ensuring security and stability within the region," said Capt. Mark Colombo, commanding officer of Mount Whitney. "We will continue to train and operate as often as possible to reach that common goal."
The U.S. Navy routinely operates ships in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and under the domain of International Law.
Mount Whitney's mission is to reassure NATO allies of the U.S. Navy's commitment to strengthen and improve interoperability while working toward mutual goals in the region. Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
Photo: SeaNews Turkey