Destroyer USS Donald Cook Arrives in Florida After 7 Years in Europe

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Interior Communication Electrician 2nd Class Genaro Ortiz, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guidance-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), picked up his son following the arrival of the ships at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. , July 18, 2021. US Navy photo

The guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) returned to the U.S. after seven years as one of four forwarded ballistic missile defense ships based in Rota, Spain.

Cook entered Naval Station Mayport, Fla., On Sunday after operating the 6th fleet as part of the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defense beginning in 2014. In conjunction with the two Aegis Ashore installations, the four Arleigh Burke destroyers will create a missile defense capability to protect Europe against rouge missiles targeted at the continent.

The USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) arrived at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., On July 18, 2021. Donald Cook was a Forward Depaced Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) that was wrecked at Naval Station Rota, Spain in seven years before a homeport move to Naval Station Mayport. Photo of the US Navy

After the invasion of Crimea by Russian forces in 2014, Cook and the other three ships made regular patrols of the Black Sea as part of an ongoing presence mission from U.S. and NATO ships.

Cook was lightened in April by the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) Forward Deploy Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E).

With an Aegis weapon system, the USSArleigh Burkebrings are the leading U.S. Navys capabilities in the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach and robustly integrated air missile defense architecture, the news release service said. Arleigh Burkewill supports these missions, while patrolling the waters surrounding Europe and Africa, ensuring freedom of navigation on critical waterways.

Last year, the USSRoosevelt (DDG-80) replaced the FDNF-E destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) based in Spain since 2015.

On Monday, the USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) arrived in Mayport as part of a homeport change from Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

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