NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY NAPLES, Italy –
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) is conducting operations in U.S. 6th Fleet in support of maritime security operations.
Roosevelt, named after 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, is the first Flight IIA Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) destroyer and, following a regional patrol, will complete her homeport shift to Rota, Spain.
“Roosevelt is trained and ready to execute the FDNF-E mission set and shift homeports to Rota,” said Cmdr. Matthew Molmer, Roosevelt’s Commanding Officer. “Our professional crew will continue the legacy of ships assigned to 6th Fleet.”
Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM 48) Det 7 ‘Mayport Mules’ embarked on Roosevelt, which is the first FDNF-E destroyer capable of deploying with organic Lamps MK III MH-60 helicopters.
Roosevelt will replace USS Carney (DDG 64) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers.
“The arrival of Roosevelt is a tangible demonstration of our continued commitment to operate forward in support of our national security interests,” said Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “Our forward-deployed destroyers out of Rota, Spain, conduct the full range of maritime operations and provide unwavering support to our allies and partners across the region.”
Prior to transiting the Atlantic, Roosevelt took a variety of coronavirus-related precautions to ensure the crew arrived in the European theater safe and healthy.
With a newly configured baseline 9 Aegis weapon system, Roosevelt brings the U.S. Navy’s top-of-the-line capabilities to the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach and NATO’s robust integrated air missile defense (IAMD) architecture. Roosevelt will support these missions, while patrolling the waters surrounding Europe and Africa, ensuring freedom of navigation in critical waterways.
Roosevelt will seamlessly integrate into the U.S. 6th Fleet mission, as the ship and crew are already familiar with our regional partners and allies. In 2019, Roosevelt participated in Exercise Formidable Shield, conducting an SM-3 engagement with a simulated ballistic missile target, while concurrently engaging ‘Firejet’ test targets with SM-2 missiles.
Last June, the ship also visited Chebourg, France to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. The success of D-Day demonstrated the impact a strong unified alliance can have; Roosevelt is forward deployed to reinforce that strong alliance, supporting maritime security and stability.
CTF 65 and DESRON 60, headquartered in Rota, Spain, oversee the forward-deployed ships in U.S. 6th Fleet’s area of operation in support of regional allies and partners, as well as U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.
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.