President visits US Navy destroyer in port in Tallinn
US Navy destroyer the USS Arleigh Burke was in port in Tallinn this weekend, with President Kersti Kaljulaid getting the guided tour.
Cdr. Patrick Chapman, commander of the USS Arleigh Burke, a guided-missile destroyer of the class of the same name said of the visit: "It is an honor and a privilege to spend our first port visit in three years in the magnificent city of Tallinn."
"The Baltic Sea has long been of strategic importance to the overall security of the European theater and we are proud to sharpen our competitive edge alongside our strong allies in Estonia," Cdr. Chapman went on, according to a U.S. Embassy press release.
The embassy's Chargé d'Affaires Brian Roraff, said that: "We warmly welcome the visit of the U.S.S. Arleigh Burke to Estonia. It is a tangible demonstration of U.S. security commitment to Estonia and to NATO, and sends a clear message about our shared readiness to meet any global challenge. Defense cooperation is, and will remain, one of the most important pieces of the U.S.-Estonia relationship."
The Arleigh Burke was the first U.S. Navy vessel to visit the Estonian capital in two years.
President Kersti Kaljualaid visited the vessel Sunday.
Kaljulaid noted on her social media page that: "An entire U.S. Navy class is named after this ship, with 68 vessels currently in use. Thank you to the ship family for introducing their platform."
The Arleigh Burke is on her first forward deployed patrol within the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of responsibility.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, the Sixth Fleet conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, together with partners, to enhance U.S. interests and the security and stability of Europe and Africa, and the Arleigh Burke presence in the region is testimony to the U.S. Navy's continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and the strong bond between the U.S. and Estonia, the U.S. Embassy says.
The U.S.S. Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) was launched in 1989 and is named after U.S. Navy Admiral Arleigh Burke (1901-1996). Her armaments include Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Tomahawk land attack missiles.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
