The USS Nitze is capable of reaching Crimea, the Donbas war zone, as well as southern Russian regions, including Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast, with missiles.
The U.S. destroyer USS Nitze, equipped with Tomahawks, approached the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait and dropped anchor off the coast of Istanbul before a scheduled port call at Geldzhik Naval Base, the US 6th Fleet’s Twitter account said.
The last US warship left the Black Sea in December 2021 – on the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, USNI News recalls. After that, in connection with the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, Turkey blocked the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits for warships not assigned to Black Sea ports.
USS Nitze escorted the George W. Bush aircraft carrier strike group, which stopped near Istanbul near the Dolmbahçe Palace.
In a statement, the US military said that Nitze’s visit is “an opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing and important US ties with Turkey” as a NATO member.
Nitze’s planned port call at Geldzhik Naval Base is the destroyer’s third call to the 6th Fleet area of operations since its deployment in July 2022.
“Turkey’s joint operations with the U.S. Navy in the Mediterranean strengthen the Alliance’s capabilities and enhance interoperability. The Mediterranean Sea is an important waterway for maritime commerce and stability throughout Europe. The U.S. Navy regularly operates in the region in close coordination with our regional allies and partners.” , – the mass media quotes the message of the fleet.
Armed with nearly a hundred cruise missiles, the USS Nitze became the first US warship to enter the Black Sea region since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The USS Nitze is capable of reaching Crimea, the Donbas war zone, as well as southern Russian regions, including Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast, with missiles.
USS Nitze – characteristics
The destroyer belongs to Arlie Burke. Ships use this to protect US naval groups from massive enemy attacks with the launch of anti-ship missiles.
In addition, such destroyers are used as anti-aircraft defense, fight enemy surface ships, provide a naval blockade, support the landing force with artillery during landing, and so on.
Destroyers carry, in particular, from 8 to 50 Tomahawk missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, and Harpoon missiles.
