NAPLES, Italy –
The U.S. 6th Fleet Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Naples, Italy in support of NATO’s 75th anniversary festivities, April 7, 2024.
Mount Whitney is scheduled to host the NATO 75th anniversary celebration and will provide tours for local groups from Naples. This port visit also provides Sailors the opportunity to experience the rich history of Naples while gaining an understanding of and strengthening relationships with a key NATO Ally.
Mount Whitney is in Naples, Italy for a scheduled port visit to participate in the 75th anniversary of the NATO Alliance and enhance U.S.-Italian relations.
Since NATO's founding in 1949, Naples, Italy, has played a pivotal role in the alliance's success. The arrival of the USS Mount Olympus in 1951 in the Bay of Naples marked the start of a continuous presence that has endured for 75 years.
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners 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. USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, homeported in Gaeta, and operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners.
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with our Allies and Partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.