Rota Naval Base welcomes the USS ‘Donald Cook’ the first of four U.S. Navy destroyers

Rota Naval Base has welcomed during a formal ceremony the U.S. Navy destroyer ‘Donald Cook’, the first of four units which will deploy as part of NATO’ anti-missile defense system.

The ceremony was presided over by the Spanish Navy Chief of Staff (AJEMA) Admiral Jaime Muñoz-Delgado, the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Ray Mabus, the U.S. Ambassador to Spain, James Costos, the Spanish Fleet Commander, Admiral Santiago Bolibar, the Lady Mayor of Rota, Eva Corrales and the President of the County Council, José Loaiza.

The USS ‘Donald Cook’, an ‘Arleigh Burke’-class destroyer, is part of the United States contribution to NATO’s anti-missile defense system, which the Alliance agreed to develop during the 2010 Lisbon Summit to protect NATO’s European nations against possible threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles.

The agreement between Spain and the United States to deploy four U.S. Navy destroyers contributing to the ballistic missile defense system was implemented last June, and includes all necessary support for the stationing of four warships and their crews in Rota Naval Base.

In his speech, AJEMA underlined that the deployment of these modern destroyers is an important milestone for the Spanish Navy, not only for the deployment itself in that Naval Base, but for the opportunities for joint training.