US guided-missile destroyer is en route to Odessa, Ukraine
On February 19, the U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered the Black Sea. On February 25, it is planned to arrive at the port of Odessa.
The U.S. Sixth Fleet Command reports that the U.S. Navy’s missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DD G75) arrived to "conduct maritime security operations and enhance stability in the region."
According to Dumskaya, this ship will take part in joint exercises with the NATO allies’ ships. Ukrainian ships will also take part in these exercises.
USS Donald Cook last visited the Black Sea in January this year. Odessa welcomed the missile-destroyer ship in September 2015 during the international exercise "Sea Breeze".
USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) is an early type of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that started operating in August 1998. The vessel length is 154 meters, width - 20 meters, and the draft is nine meters. Total displacement is about 9000 tons. On board, it has 90 launchers for the Tomahawk, ASROC and Standard-2 missiles, as well as the Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The guided-missile destroyer ship carries a variety of artillery and anti-aircraft weapons.