Destroyer USS Roosevelt returns to port in Rota, Spain

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The USS Roosevelt returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, its homeport, after its second patrol with the Sixth Fleet this year, the U.S. Navy reported.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer departed Rota on March 29 for the second Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe patrol in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, and returned on Tuesday.

While deployed, the ship participated in a variety of exercises with U.S. forces and those of partner nations, starting with the exercise Black Toro in the North Atlantic Ocean, an enhanced anti-submarine warfare operation with U.S. Navy surface vessels and the submarine USS Vermont.

The ship then traveled to the Aegean Sea for maritime and security operations, forming a Surface Action Group with the USS Donald Cook.

It later participated in the NATO-led air and defense exercise At-Sea Demo/Formidable Shield 2021, involving 150 warfare training serials and live-fire events.

The USS Roosevelt then entered the Baltic Sea to participate in the BALTOPS 50 exercise, an interoperability drill involving navies of 15 nations. It then transited north of the Arctic Circle for the anti-submarine exercise Shark Hunt 2021.

"Our sailors have met every challenge to meet mission requirements and successfully complete patrol," said Cmdr. Ryan Kendall, commanding officer of the ship. "They have displayed unparalleled professionalism and expertise while using this valuable time at sea to refine their maritime warfare tactics across the entire spectrum of naval operations."