USS Carney Joins Other FDNF Ships in Rota, Spain

From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) arrived at Naval Station Rota, Spain, joining three other destroyers as part of the Forward-Deployed Naval Force, Sept. 25.

Carney will be forward-deployed in Rota to fulfill the United States' phased commitment to NATO ballistic missile defense (BMD) while also carrying out a wide range of missions to support the security of Europe.

Quotes:

"Carney joins USS Donald Cook, USS Ross, and USS Porter as the fourth, and last, of our forward-deployed destroyers in Rota. With the arrival of Carney, we have reached a milestone in our nation's commitment to station multi-mission capable warships to support the ballistic missile defense of Europe." - Adm. Mark Ferguson, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa

"We're excited to finally be in Rota. We look forward to forming lasting relationships with the people of Spain and with our maritime partners throughout Europe." - Cmdr. Ken Pickard, commanding officer of USS Carney (DDG 64)

Quick Facts:

Carney departed Mayport, Sept. 6 and joins USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), USS Ross (DDG 71) and USS Porter (DDG 78). The four ships provide a mobile missile defense option and are a key component of the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach.

Developing and integrating new forward capabilities - The purpose behind Carney's and the other destroyers' forward stationing in Rota is to enhance the security of the European region. While operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, these ships will perform numerous missions including NATO ballistic missile defense, maritime security operations, bi-lateral and multi-lateral training exercises and NATO operations and deployments.

Phased defense - The U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach is the U.S.'s contribution to NATO ballistic missile defense. The phased approach enables us to deploy capabilities at a pace matched to the threat, and offers Europe an effective defense against short and medium-range ballistic missile attacks originating from the Middle East.

Deterrence - Ballistic missile defense is a key defensive capability for the U.S. It allows our deployed naval forces to directly contribute to extended deterrence by providing protection against the threat of ballistic missile attack to our allies and partners.

Together we are ready to defend - U.S. Navy Aegis ballistic missile defense provides scalability, flexibility and mobility. These systems are equally beneficial to U.S. assets, allies and regional partners in all areas of the world. Stationing four ballistic missile defense ships in Spain provides an umbrella of protection to forward-deployed forces, friends and allies, while contributing to the larger architecture planned for defense of the United States.

Building strong alliances - This deployment supports the commitment made by NATO allies at the 2010 Lisbon Summit to provide full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations, territories and forces against the increasing threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles. Hosting these four ships is the Spanish contribution to NATO ballistic missile defense.

More than just ballistic missile defense - The U.S. 6th Fleet conducts specialized training so we can engage in theater security cooperation at the individual unit level. In the coming years, Porter will support regional maritime security initiatives with numerous maritime partners throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Tasks include: NATO ballistic missile defense, the full spectrum of maritime security operations and bi-lateral and multi-lateral training exercises and operations.

The U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.