The ship’s presence in the Baltic Sea is a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and reinforces the strong bond between the United States and Denmark.
Mid-deployment voyage repair (MDVR) evolutions allow U.S. Navy ships to accomplish necessary and preventative repairs to continue their missions in the region while simultaneously strengthening relationships with host nations.
“We’re grateful for the chance to see Denmark and to enhance our relationship with a key NATO ally,” said Cmdr. Joe Hamilton, Porter’s commanding officer. “Our time in Denmark is a chance for us to conduct vital maintenance and repairs as well as a great opportunity for the crew to meet the people of Kalundborg.”
Porter has conducted previous port stops in Funchal, Portugal; Rostock, Germany; and Tallinn, Estonia while on its current deployment. This deployment follows Porter’s homeport shift to Naval Station Norfolk in October 2022, after seven years forward-deployed to Europe as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe force, based at Naval Station Rota, Spain.
“Porter’s crew has performed superbly since our return to the region for this deployment,” said Hamilton. “We’ve learned and enjoyed our training with our allied and partner Navies. We are looking forward to our time in Kalundborg.”
The U.S. and Denmark are committed to working together and improving interoperability through port visits, operations, and exercises like Defender Europe and Baltic Operations (BALTOPS).
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with our allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.
