bobdina
08-21-2009, 07:56 PM
Destroyer Stout drills with Turkey, Israel
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Aug 21, 2009 16:07:31 EDT
A Navy destroyer wrapped up an annual exercise with the Israeli and Turkish navies on Wednesday.
The destroyer Stout joined in the two-day drill in the politically volatile eastern Mediterranean, focusing primarily on search-and-rescue capabilities.
“The Turkish navy and the Israeli navy were extremely professional and the three of us together, we operated seamlessly,” said Capt. John Moore, the commodore of Task Force 67. Moore is tactical commander for maritime air patrol operations in the Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of responsibility and U.S. Navy assets in the Black Sea.
Moore said sailors and officers from both countries spoke fluent English.
“The communications were clear and unencumbered through out the entire exercise,” Moore said in a telephone interview from Turkey after the sea-based phase of the exercise was completed.
Although the Stout is one of the Navy’s 18 ships equipped with ballistic missile defense capabilities, Moore said “that was not an emphasis at all during this exercise. We strictly focused on our ability to conduct search and rescue.”
Also participating in the drill were a Turkish frigate and H-1 helicopter, two Israeli patrol boats, an Israeli helicopter and C-130 plane, and a U.S. Navy EP-3 Orion, Moore said.
The exercise, known as operation Resilient Mermaid, has been conducted annually for 10 years.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/08/navy_destroyer_exercise_082109w/
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Aug 21, 2009 16:07:31 EDT
A Navy destroyer wrapped up an annual exercise with the Israeli and Turkish navies on Wednesday.
The destroyer Stout joined in the two-day drill in the politically volatile eastern Mediterranean, focusing primarily on search-and-rescue capabilities.
“The Turkish navy and the Israeli navy were extremely professional and the three of us together, we operated seamlessly,” said Capt. John Moore, the commodore of Task Force 67. Moore is tactical commander for maritime air patrol operations in the Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of responsibility and U.S. Navy assets in the Black Sea.
Moore said sailors and officers from both countries spoke fluent English.
“The communications were clear and unencumbered through out the entire exercise,” Moore said in a telephone interview from Turkey after the sea-based phase of the exercise was completed.
Although the Stout is one of the Navy’s 18 ships equipped with ballistic missile defense capabilities, Moore said “that was not an emphasis at all during this exercise. We strictly focused on our ability to conduct search and rescue.”
Also participating in the drill were a Turkish frigate and H-1 helicopter, two Israeli patrol boats, an Israeli helicopter and C-130 plane, and a U.S. Navy EP-3 Orion, Moore said.
The exercise, known as operation Resilient Mermaid, has been conducted annually for 10 years.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/08/navy_destroyer_exercise_082109w/