USS Roosevelt heads to Black Sea for security operations

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The USS Roosevelt guided-missile destroyer headed to the Black Sea Tuesday.

The Roosevelt will conduct maritime security operations with NATO allies and partners while it is in the region, according to the Navy.

This marks the sixth time a Navy ship has visited the Black Sea this year, with the most recent being the USS Porter, which traveled to the region in July.

"Roosevelt has eagerly awaited the opportunity to sail the Black Sea alongside our NATO Allies and partners," Cmdr. Ryan R. Kendall, commanding officer of Roosevelt, said in a press release.

"Roosevelt's inaugural voyage proved to be a safe and scenic transit: an excellent beginning to a new chapter as U.S. 6th Fleet's most recent addition to the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces," Kendall said.

The Roosevelt's departure for the Black Sea immediately follows test flights conducted by B-52s in the region.

On Monday, three B-52s integrated with Ukrainian Su-27s and Romanian F-16s fighter aircraft in support of Bomber Task Force Europe, a series of missions developed to allow aircrews to train and familiarize themselves with different geographic locations and allies.

In August, the Navy and Air Force completed a joint training drill over the Black Sea that wasn't announced until after the fact.

Later that month, Britain's military announced that the country would lead a multinational training initiative to boost the Ukrainian navy's ability to combat threats in the Black Sea.

The B-52s are currently deployed to Fairford, England, and the Roosevelt is forward-deployed at Naval Station Rota, Spain.