The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) executed a tracking exercise with Tunisian naval counterparts off the coast of Tunisia, Oct. 14-17, 2020.

Roosevelt’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Ryan Kendall, said that the alliance and interoperability among the nations of North Africa and the United States are paramount and that opportunities to work together enhance professional relationships and improve overall coordination between nations.

“USS Roosevelt was thrilled to participate alongside Tunisia in their tracking exercise,” said Kendall. “As maritime and military partners, each opportunity to work together enhances our interoperability and strengthens our nations’ ability to grow closer through mutual cooperation.”

Roosevelt is the third U.S. destroyer to partner with Tunisia in the last four months. USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) and USS Porter (DDG 78) conducted passing exercises with the Tunisian Navy in September and June, respectively.

Tunisia is a valued partner in northern Africa and has been a key participant in exercise Phoenix Express, one of three multinational “Express” series exercises that occur annually sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa.

This continued partnership between Tunisia and the U.S. increases the ability of both nations to work together to provide regional security in the complex maritime domain in the central Mediterranean.

Roosevelt, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.