American warship begins patrol of European waters

A United States Navy destroyer has begun a fresh patrol of European waters after departing the Spanish port of Las Palmas as part of a scheduled deployment with U.S. Sixth Fleet.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) sailed on 19 January while operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, which covers much of Europe and Africa’s surrounding seas, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and eastern Atlantic. According to the U.S. Navy, the deployment is intended to support the “warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa,” while helping to defend American, allied and partner interests across the region.

Sixth Fleet is the U.S. Navy formation responsible for naval operations in Europe and Africa. It works closely with NATO allies, routinely supporting maritime security patrols, ballistic missile defence, freedom of navigation operations and exercises designed to reinforce deterrence along the alliance’s southern and eastern flanks. USS Delbert D. Black, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is one of the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, having been commissioned in 2020. The ship is named after Admiral Delbert D. Black, the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

The destroyer is equipped with the Aegis combat system and a 96-cell Mk 41 vertical launching system capable of firing a wide range of missiles, including Standard surface-to-air weapons, Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and anti-submarine rockets. The ship also operates two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and maritime strike missions.

Deployments such as this are a routine feature of U.S. naval activity in Europe, but they have taken on increased significance amid heightened tensions with Russia, instability in the Middle East, and growing concern over the security of key maritime routes linking Europe, Africa and the Atlantic. The U.S. Navy says operations in the Sixth Fleet area are aimed at maintaining stability, strengthening alliances and ensuring that allied forces remain ready to respond rapidly to crises across the wider Euro-Atlantic region.