The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, following the completion of its first Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet (C6F) area of operations, Oct. 21.
Roosevelt arrived in Sixth Fleet, April 14, as the newest FDNF-E ship under Destroyer Squadron 60 to conduct naval operations in the Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.
“Roosevelt and crew successfully completed all tasking during this inaugural patrol,” said Cmdr. Ryan Kendall, commanding officer. “Roosevelt executed three named operations, high-end Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training with five other nations and submarines, and travelled from the 76th Parallel in the High North to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.”
As its first task in Sixth Fleet, Roosevelt joined a U.S.-U.K. five-ship Surface Action Group for week-long operations in the Barents Sea. Then, following Roosevelt’s homeport shift to Naval Station Rota, Spain and a short maintenance period prior, Roosevelt began its first patrol, June 23.
Roosevelt began the patrol, returning to the North Atlantic, with Exercise Dynamic Mongoose off the coast of Iceland with naval surface and sub-surface assets from Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The exercise honed joint ASW skills among the multi-national group.
Following Dynamic Mongoose, Roosevelt continued joint operations in the Arctic with Norwegian naval counterparts. The ship also participated in ASW missions which validated the advanced capabilities and crew proficiency.
At its conclusion, the ship travelled through the Mediterranean Sea and into the Black Sea to conduct interoperability with U.S Air Forces Europe and security patrols in NATO exercises with Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Turkey. Following its mission in the Black Sea, Roosevelt sailed in the eastern Mediterranean with France and Great Britain.
The ship concluded its first FDNF-E Patrol with a brief stop-for-fuel in Algiers, Algeria. A group of 25 military officers and dignitaries toured the ship to learn about Roosevelt’s capabilities and daily life onboard. The interactions between the guests and crew strengthened the relationship between the U.S. and Algeria.
“After 207 days at sea in 2020, the ship and her crew should reflect on the professional growth and accomplishments of this patrol with a great sense of pride,” said Kendall. “Roosevelt performed successful operations throughout the Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of security and prosperity of Europe and Africa.
Roosevelt, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, operates in support of U.S. national security interests in the C6F area of operations.
C6F, 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.