U.S. destroyers join NATO exercise in Baltic, Black seas

The USS Donald Cook entered the Baltic Sea on Saturday to conduct maritime operations with European allies, NATO said in a press release.

It was joined Monday by the USS Porter, which transited to the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations with NATO allies and partners, including the Romanian navy frigate Regina Maria.

The Navy also announced this week that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Roosevelt -- not to be confused with the aircraft carrier of the same name, currently docked in Guam -- is now cooperating with the 6th Fleet in Europe.

"NATO remains ready, vigilant, and prepared to respond to any threat," said NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu. "While we continue to take all necessary measures to protect our forces, our operational readiness remains undiminished. These deployments show that NATO Allies are working closely together, determined to ensure that potential adversaries do not exploit the situation to further their interests."

The commanding officer of the Porter, which Navy officials intend to keep at sea during the COVID-19 pandemic, also spoke in support of the cooperative exercise.

"Porter has routinely operated in the Black Sea over the past few years, demonstrating our continued commitment to security and stability in the region," said Cmdr. Craig Trent, commanding officer of the Porter. "We're excited to be back in early 2020. The crew and I have been looking forward to strengthening our relationship with our regional maritime partners."