The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310) arrived in Trieste, Italy, while the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) arrived in Porto di Marghera, for scheduled port visits, April 23, 2022.
Since arriving to the Mediterranean Sea in December, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), including Truman, Fridtjof Nansen and San Jacinto, have routinely operated alongside the Italian Armed Forces.
“Prior to our visit, we sailed alongside our Italian partners at sea during multiple operations with the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (C 550) and several Italian surface ships,” said Rear Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander, Carrier Strike Group 8. “All involved demonstrated our ability to integrate seamlessly.”
Key maritime integration events have included tri-carrier operations among HSTCSG, the ITS Cavour carrier strike group and the FS Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group, as well as Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1’s combined operations with the Italian Air Force. Truman has continued supporting NATO’s defensive capabilities by participating in enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission on the Alliance’s Eastern flank.
Though bolstering US commitment to the NATO Alliance is key to Truman’s presence in the region, routine port visits provide the opportunity to reinforce our enduring connection with Italy. Capt. Gavin Duff, Truman’s commanding officer, emphasized the importance of multinational cooperation demonstrated by routine port visits.
“A significant aspect of this deployment is centered on our longstanding relationships with European Allies and Partners, to include Italy,” said Duff. “In the same way we have benefited from our training with the extraordinary professionals of the Italian Navy and Air Force, we are grateful for the opportunity to experience the culture, history and generosity of the Italian people.”
Echoing Capt. Duff’s comments on the importance of port visits to overall cultural exchanges and interpersonal relations among Allies and Partners, Cmdr. Glen Atherton, San Jacinto’s executive officer, spoke to the benefits of port visits to all involved.
“The Sailors in this strike group have been doing a phenomenal job in contributing to the NATO mission,” said Atherton. “This port visit is a great way for our crew to relax from the daily demands of being out to sea.”
Truman is the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG); additional elements of the carrier strike group include the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, commanded by Capt. Patrick Hourigan; the staff and guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28, commanded by Capt. Todd Zenner, which include: USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Cole (DDG 67), USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109); the Royal Norwegian Navy’s Fridtjof-Nansen class frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310), deployed as part of the Cooperative Deployment Program; and San Jacinto, commanded by Capt. Christopher Marvin.
The strike group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to maintain and generate maritime stability and security, for the U.S., and Allied and Partner interests in Europe and Africa.
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