US military vessel Donald Cook docks in Georgian city of Batumi for joint drills
USS Donald Cook is the second Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to visit Batumi over the last six months. Photo: Government of Adjara.
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US military vessel Donald Cook has docked in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi in western Georgia today to participate in joint drills with the staff of the Georgian Coastal Guard Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, commissioned in 1998 and "homeported" in Rota, Spain, entered the Black Sea coastal city port as a show of support for regional security and stability, Government of Georgia's Adjara Autonomous Republic said.
Led by Commander Matthew J. Powel and manned by a crew of 306, the ship was welcomed in the city by members of the Adjara Government on Monday.
The 6th Fleet ship is equipped with four tactical missile launchers as well as guns, cannons and torpedo launchers.
It was upgraded in 2012 to be compatible with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, a US programme against short to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Adjara local government members welcome Donald Cook commanders in Batumi sea port on Monday. Photo: Government of Adjara.
Also featuring a landing pad accommodating an SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter, Donald Cook sailed into the Black Sea through the Dardanelles Strait on Saturday.
Our arrival into the Black Sea will showcase the Navy's interoperability in pursuit of common security objectives, enabling us to respond effectively to future crises or deterring aggression," Commander Powel said in a US Navy release.
Donald Cook is one of four US Navy vessels homeported in Rota along with USS Carney, another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that visited Batumi last year.
Based on the Montreux Convention, which regulates transit of vessels in the region, the ship can stay in the Sea for up to 21 days.
The US 6th Fleet, in which the vessels serve, is headquartered in Naples, Italy.
Georgia's Black Sea port city of Batumi welcomed USS Donald Cook, a destroyer from the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa, on Friday in the latest visit of the miltary visit in Georgian waters.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered into the Black Sea today in support of NATO Allies and partners, announces the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet.
The Georgian Border Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is hosting Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) in the territorial waters of Georgia in the Black Sea port town of Poti. Within the visit SNMG2 will conduct combined maritime exercise training with Georgian Coast Guard vessels Ochamchire and Dioskuria.
Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti is hosting a group of military vessels of NATO member states, as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is set to hold sea manoeuvres with their Georgian counterparts this week.
HNLMS Evertsen of the Royal Netherlands Navy, TCG Yildirim of the Turkish Navy, BGS Drazki of the Bulgarian Navy and ROS Regele Ferdinand of the Romanian Naval Forces are part of the group led by Commodore Boudewijn Boots.
The Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) has entered Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi earlier today to participate in three-day drills with Georgia’s coast guard personnel. The SNMCMG2 is represented by two ships the ITS VESUVIO (Italy) and TCG AMASRA (Turkey).
The US ship Porter (DDG 78) has arrived in Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi for a port visit earlier today, the US Embassy to Georgia reports.
US Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft made a historic first visit for that type of aircraft to Georgia, the US Embassy to Georgia posted on its official Facebook page today. The US Embassy reported the aircraft conducted training with the Georgian Coast Guard in the eastern Black Sea.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria has viewed the US guided-missile destroyer USS Ross in Batumi earlier today and stated that Georgia-US relations have never been so close.
The United States Ship Ross entered Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi to mark “continued cooperation” between US and Georgia “by promoting regional peace and stability”. This is the ship’s first visit to the country.
The American vessel USS Oak Hill has docked in Georgia’s eastern coastal city of Batumi for the first time. According to the United States Embassy to Georgia, Oak Hill entered the Black Sea to demonstrate US commitment to the collective defense of its NATO allies and partners.
"Oak Hill entered the Black Sea to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the collective defense of our NATO allies and partners,” the US Embassy to Georgia has stated.
The Batumi port in western Adjara region of Georgia has hosted five vessels of NATO.
An American military ship is visiting Batumi this week to reaffirm the United States’ support for Georgia and the wider region.