PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom –
The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) arrived at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport (HMNB Devonport) for a maintenance and logistics stop, April 18, 2021.
The ship made its stop after several weeks at sea. In Devonport the ship is conducting maintenance.
“Support and cooperation with our partner nations is essential to our mission and operations at sea,” said Cmdr. James Irrgang, San Antonio’s executive officer. “Sometimes maintenance is discovered once the ship gets underway and this gives us an early opportunity to maintain mission readiness and continue on the right track.”
San Antonio is operating in the Atlantic Ocean in support of naval operations to maintain maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression, and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.
The Iwo Jima ARG consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50). Embarked detachments for the Iwo Jima ARG include Amphibious Squadron Four, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) Six, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 21, Naval Beach Group (NBG) Two, Beach Master Unit (BMU) Two, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) Two and Four, and Sailors from Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) Two.
The 24th MEU consists of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/8, a logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 24, and an aviation combat element, Medium Tilt-Rotor Squadron (VMM) 162 Reinforced.
Iwo Jima ARG-MEU team is manned, trained and equipped to fulfill amphibious requirements in support of maritime security and stability. Amphibious ready groups and larger amphibious task forces provide military commanders a wide range of flexible capabilities including maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, strike operations, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter proliferation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
U.S. Sixth 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.
For the latest details about USS San Antonio follow: USS San Antonio LPD 17 on Facebook