CONSTANTA, Romania (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel got a tour Thursday of the U.S. Navy cruiser Vella Gulf, the deadliest U.S. vessel deployed to the Black Sea since the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Hagel had lunch with sailors and reviewed the ship’s high-tech ballistic missile defense systems.
“The Vella Gulf is a clear representation of America’s commitment to security in the region,” Hagel told reporters after coming off the ship.
The Pentagon chief also met with Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa, who agreed that the ongoing U.S. ship presence increases the area’s sense of security in the wake of Russia’s actions.
The guided missile cruiser is on a port call off the Romanian city of Constanta. It is the fourth U.S. ship to sail into the Black Sea recently as part of a series of U.S. military moves designed to reassure European allies.
The ship has been in the Black Sea for nearly two weeks and arrived in Romania Tuesday. International law limits the time any U.S. warship can stay in the Black Sea to 21 days.
