The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) arrived in Gdynia, Poland, for a scheduled port visit, June 4.

Jason Dunham's second visit to Gdynia serves to finalize plans for the annual multi-national exercise #BALTOPS2015 to take place in the Baltic Sea with the naval forces of 17 NATO allied and partner nations.

Quote:

"I am extremely excited for our second visit to Gdynia. The opportunity to work alongside our counterparts from 17 other navies, planning an exercise as large as BALTOPS, will be a phenomenal learning experience for my crew and me. It is through this type of engagement and tactical exchange with our allies and partners that we grow even more capable as a collective fighting force."
- Cmdr. Darren Dugan, USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) commanding officer

Quick Facts:

Crew members of the Jason Dunham are to attend a planning conference for BALTOPS 2015.

BALTOPS is an annually reoccurring multinational exercise designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrate resolve of allied and partner forces to defend the Baltic region.

Seventeen NATO and partner nations will participate in the 43rd iteration of BALTOPS in Poland, Sweden, Germany, and throughout the Baltic Sea, June 5-20.
Approximately 5,600 ground, maritime and air forces from participating nations will conduct air defense, maritime interdiction, anti-subsurface warfare, and amphibious operations, in a joint environment.

A total of 49 ships, 61 aircraft, one submarine, and a combined landing force of 700 Swedish, Finnish and U.S. troops, are scheduled to participate.

Participants in #BALTOPS2015 include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The port visit to Gdynia demonstrates the commitment the U.S. has toward promoting safety and stability within the region, while seeking opportunities to enhance interoperability with its NATO allies and partners.

This is Jason Dunham's second visit to Gdynia, Poland. The ship's previous visit in May included a visit from former President of the Republic of Poland Stanislaw Komorowski, and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull.

U.S. Sailors are scheduled to play a soccer match with service members of other allied and partner nations.

Jason Dunham, homeported in Norfolk, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. The ship deployed from Naval Station Norfolk, Jan. 27.

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

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.