U.S. Navy Ships to Spain as Part of Missile Shield

http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-dispatches-warship-spain-support-nato-missile-shield/

USS DONALD COOK AN ARLIEGH BURKE CLASS GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER IS HEADED TO ROTA SPAIN AS PART OF THE EUROPEAN ANTI MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD 

THE USS DONALD COOK  (DDG-75) is an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer

  

THE GLOBAL SECURITY NEWS WIRE HAS THE STORY:

"A U.S. warship is readying to depart for Spain on Friday in accordance with NATO plans to strengthen ballistic-missile defenses in Europe.

The USS Donald Cook will travel to its new home port of Rota, Spain, as part of the Obama administration's "phased adaptive approach" for European missile defense. Three other Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are to be deployed to Rota within the next two years, the Pentagon said in a press release.

"The U.S. has a historically strong partnership with Spain, and the strength of that relationship is exemplified today as the first of four U.S. Navy destroyers departs for Rota, Spain," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in provided comments.  "Permanently forward-deploying four ships in Rota will enable us to be in the right place, not just at the right time, but all the time."

"The other three destroyers tasked for fielding in Spain are the USS Ross, USS Porter and USS Carney. All of the ships are to be equipped with Aegis systems and Standard Missile 3 Block 1B interceptors designed to defeat short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats." For the rest of the story click here" : Global Security News Wire