The dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) of the United States Navy, was sent to the Black Sea for participation in multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze 2016.

This year’s exercise will cost $4.5 million, not including cost of U.S. ship participation, and is primarily funded by the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI).

U.S. participation includes approximately 400 Sailors, dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), a P-3C Orion (antisubmarine and maritime surveillance) aircraft, members of the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) and embarked Marines aboard USS Whidbey Island among others.

Extra security measures aboard USS Whidbey Island LPD during Bosphorus strait transit following Turkey coup attempt