Increasing Firepower:Advanced Technology USN Warship Deployed to Rota,Spain

On 17 June 2022,the newest Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) member,USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117),arrived at its new homeport of Rota,Spain.It had recently been operating with NATO Allies Canada,France,Germany and Norway in Exercises Cable Car and Green Light.In the Baltic Sea,the high tech vessel had also integrated with the 2nd Marine Division and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group with the embarked Amphibious Squadron Six and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).What is more,the guided-missile destroyer interoperated with the new Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11) during the inaugural deployment of the Sioux City.Paul Ignatius commanding officer Commander Aaron Arky said that:I couldn't be more proud of the team as they superbly conducted undersea,air-defence and expeditionary operations during this patrol.* The Paul Ignatius was commissioned in 2019 as the second of eight Flight IIA:Technology Insertion ships,bringing enhanced capability and technology advancements to U.S. Navy Europe and Destroyer Squadron 60 (DESRON 60),according to NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY ROTA.The heavily armed Arleigh Burke-class warship is able to conduct missions ranging from sea control and power projection to disaster reflief.Alongside the Paul Ignatius,Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79 arrived in Rota as well,providing rotary-wing aircraft mission capabilities to the four FDNF-E destroyers deployed there.* Flight IIA:Technology Insertion destroyers are equipped with Aegis Baseline 9,which provides improved Integrated Air and Missile Defence capabilities.Their increased computing power and radar capabilities can quickly detect and react to modern air warfare and Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) threats.The multi-mission ships provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in the multi-threat air,surface and submarine warfare domains.Each of the destroyers is armed with 96 Standard,Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rockets (ASROC) and Tomahawk Air-to-Surface/Loitering Attack Missiles;a 5-inch Mark-45 gun;2 Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS);and two Mark-32 triple 324 mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedoes.