BATUMI, Georgia –
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Batumi, Georgia, for a scheduled port visit as part of the United States' continued Black Sea presence and support to regional partners, June 23, 2020.
The visit serves to highlight the continued cooperation between the U.S. and Georgia by promoting regional peace and stability. On June 22, Porter and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) executed maneuvering exercises and signal flag drills with their Georgian counterparts.
“It's been a pleasure operating alongside our Georgian partners in the Black Sea while demonstrating our commitment to stability and security in the region,” said Cmdr. Craig Trent, commanding officer of Porter. “Valuable training opportunities [with partners and allies] are vital in building our interoperability and operational readiness.”
Porter recently conducted operations with partner nations throughout various European Seas, including at-sea training with the Romanian Navy in the Black Sea in April; joint interoperability exercises with the Italian and French navies in the Mediterranean Sea in April; operating as part of a Surface Action Group with the Royal Navy in the High North and Barents Sea in May; conducting passing exercises with the Tunisian Navy in June; operational exercises with Romanian, Turkish, and Bulgarian Navies in June.
The U.S. Navy routinely operates ships in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and International Law.
Porter, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of 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.