US Guided-Missile Destroyer Leaves Black Sea For Port Visit In Istanbul

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2021) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Porter arrived in Istanbul for a port visit following a two-week deployment in the Black Sea, the US navy said on Tuesday.

"This visit is a great opportunity to reinforce the strength of our naval partnership with our NATO ally," Cmdr. Christopher Petro, commanding officer, USS Porter, said. "We look forward to being ambassadors for the United States and appreciating the culture, history and hospitality of the Turkish people."

Porter entered the Black Sea on October 30 to operate with NATO allies and partners in the region. Porter participated in ship maneuvering exercises with the US Blue Ridge-class command and control ship Mount Whitney, flagship of US Sixth Fleet, and the Henry J.

Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler John Lenthall, as well as ships from the Bulgarian, Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian navies, the release said.

Porter was also escorted to and from the port of Batumi, Georgia by ships from the Georgian Coast Guard, the release added.

Porter is currently on her 10th patrol in the Sixth Fleet area of operations, demonstrating the US Navy's commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters for all nations within the Black Sea, according to the release.