The U.S. Navy has sent four ships into the Barents Sea off of Russia’s Arctic coast for the first time since the Cold War, the Navy said Monday.
Three U.S. destroyers -- the USS Donald Cook, USS Porter and USS Roosevelt -- and one U.S. support ship, the USNS Supply, entered the Barents Sea on Monday with a British Royal Navy frigate for the first time since the mid-1980s “to assert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies,” the Navy said in a news release.
"In these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we maintain our steady drumbeat of operations across the European theater, while taking prudent measures to protect the health of our force,” Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, said in a statement. “We remain committed to promoting regional security and stability, while building trust and reinforcing a foundation of Arctic readiness.”
