The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) arrived in Odesa, Ukraine, June 30, for a scheduled port visit as part of multinational exercise Sea Breeze 2019.
Carney will participate in the U.S.- and Ukrainian-led multinational exercise Sea Breeze 19 to strengthen interoperability operations in the Black Sea with NATO allies and partners and demonstrate collective solutions to Black Sea security under Operation Atlantic Resolve.
“Each visit to the Black Sea enables us the unique opportunity to work with our regional maritime partners and allies,” said Cmdr. Tyson Young, commanding officer of Carney. “Training and operating with our partners from strategic locations in Europe are critical for a more timely and coordinated response during a crisis.”
Carney is the fifth U.S. ship to visit the Black Sea since the beginning of 2019. The last ship to visit the Black Sea was USS Ross (DDG 71) in April. During its time in the Black Sea, Ross participated in three interoperability exercises with the Bulgarian Navy, Georgian Coast Guard, and Turkish Navy. Exercises included maritime interdiction, tactical communications, formation maneuvering, and underway replenishments.
The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, as well as with the Montreux Convention.
Carney, forward deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet are of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.