USN Sends First Forward-Deployed Destroyer for Maintenance in Spain

destroyer in dry dock — Arleigh Burke became the first to go dry dock at a commercial shipyard in Spain (USN)

The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, namesake for her class, entered dry dock in Spain on Wednesday, October 7. The U.S. 6th Fleet is highlighting that it is the first time it has sent a forward-deployed vessel to a shipyard in Europe for maintenance.

The U.S. Navy set up its Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center as part of a program that calls for more vessels to remain overseas in the deployed region while receiving maintenance. It has already carried out maintenance in the Pacific region and also sent several support ships to dry dock and to undergo overhauls at yards in South Korea and even India.

“The dry docking of Arleigh Burke is a major milestone in expanding U.S. Navy forward-deployed maintenance capabilities in Europe,” said Vice Adm. J.T. Anderson, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “By integrating dry docking into planned maintenance periods overseas, the Navy is increasing material readiness for our forward-deployed warships.”

(USN)

The 9,000-ton displacement destroyer was commissioned in 1991 and, of late, is based in Rota, Spain. She arrived at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz and entered dry dock this week for her maintenance. Previously, in 2022, she had completed the largest maintenance availability ever conducted at the base in Rota.

According to the Navy, facilitating this current work locally maximizes operational readiness and availability, and expands forward-deployed maintenance capability.

Throughout the project, Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center U.S. military and civilian maintenance personnel and ship’s crew are working alongside Navantia to execute planned maintenance and modernization.

Arleigh Burke is currently one of five destroyers stationed at Naval Station Rota and working in support of NATO and conducting patrols in the Mediterranean. The United States and Spain agreed in 2023 on increasing the number of vessels at the base. It went from the historic four destroyers to five, and recently the Navy said USS John Basilone will also be moved to the base in Spain.