USS Donald Cook, Royal Moroccan Navy Complete Atlas Handshake

Exercise Atlas Handshake

191104-N-BM428-0100 AGADIR, Morocco (Nov. 4, 2019) Cmdr. Kelley T. Jones, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), center left, and Royal Moroccan Navy Commandant la Plau d’arme Col. Maj. Mohammed Adnani, center right, and other U.S. Navy and Royal Moroccan officers pose for a photo during an office call in preparation for exercise Atlas Handshake while in Agadir, Morocco, Nov. 4, 2019. Donald Cook, forward deployed to Rota, Spain, is on its ninth patrol in the U.S. 6th fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

Exercise Atlas Handshake

191104-N-BM428-0193 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 4, 2019) Sailors watch the Royal Moroccan Navy multi-mission frigate Sultan Moulay Ismail (614) maneuver from the starboard bridge wing of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) during exercise Atlas Handshake while in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 4, 2019. Donald Cook, forward deployed to Rota, Spain, is on its ninth patrol in the U.S. 6th fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

Exercise Atlas Handshake

191104-N-BM428-0230 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 4, 2019) Sailors watch as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) maneuvers with the Royal Moroccan Navy multi-mission frigate Sultan Moulay Ismail (614) during exercise Atlas Handshake while in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 4, 2019. Donald Cook, forward deployed to Rota, Spain, is on its ninth patrol in the U.S. 6th fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) participated in exercise Atlas Handshake with the Royal Moroccan Navy, Nov. 4-5, 2019.

The training was a bilateral naval surface fire support training evolution between Donald Cook and Moroccan multi-mission frigate Sultan Moulay Ismail (FF 614) on the Aourioura Ordnance Range near Tan Tan, off the coast of Morocco.

"We conducted some great training today with the Royal Moroccan Navy,” said Cmdr. Kelley T. Jones, the commanding officer of the ship. “We definitely learned from one another and strengthened our partnership.  I look forward to future opportunities to evolve our interoperability with the Royal Moroccan Navy."

The U.S. routinely practices interoperability and high-end warfare with partners and allies. Multinational training enhances interoperability with partners and allies, allowing us to maintain vigilance to the degree necessary to promote a secure and peaceful region.

“This was a great opportunity to test our combat systems team’s ability to work with other nations,” said Jones. “The Sultan Moulay Ismail’s team was great to work with. Our bridge team and combat systems team were challenged, and really showed the best of their abilities.”

Donald Cook is currently on patrol in support of U.S. national security interests in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.