U.S. Marines, Romanian troops participate in Black Sea exercises

Europe, News, US March 22, 2017 , by IRIA No Comments

Around 450 Marines and 750 Romanian troops are participating in exercises on Black Sea coast.

U.S. Marines and Romanian troops are taking part in joint exercises on the Black Sea coast.

A group of Romanian troops and U.S. Marines launched a Stinger missile at a surface-to-air firing range as part of joint exercises.

Around 450 U.S. Marines and 750 Romanian troops are participating in the exercises aimed at simulating defense of the Black Sea coastline and urban areas.

The exercises titled ‘Spring Storm 17’ aim to increase interoperability of Romanian and U.S. troops in a region where NATO members are uneasy after Russia’s interventions in Ukraine.

The USS Carter Hall, LCAC Landing Craft Air Cushion and Assault Amphibious Vehicles are in Romania as part of the training.

The USS Carter Hall, an amphibious dock landing ship, exited the Black Sea on March 22 after taking part in the exercises, Spring Storm 2017. This is reportedly Carter Hall’s first time in the Black Sea, but the second time the U.S. has practiced this sort of amphibious landing in the Black Sea.

The Spring Storm 17 exercises aim to increase interoperability of Romanian and U.S. troops in a region where NATO members are uneasy after Russia’s interventions in Ukraine.

Spring Storm’s drills are described as “a bilateral amphibious operations exercise to increase the interoperability between the Romanian and American forces and to enhance our enduring relationship through a series of exercises.”

Commander Timothy Carter, the USS Carter Hall’s commanding officer said, “The Spring Storm exercise provides Carter Hall a valuable opportunity to operate forward with our NATO ally in the Black Sea region. We are looking forward to increasing our mutual cooperation to enhance security throughout 6th Fleet,” according to the Naval Forces Europe-Africa’s website.

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.