US Guided-Missile Destroyer Named After Winston Churchill Joins 6th Fleet - Navy

20:54 GMT, 13 April 2018

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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A US warship named after British World War II leader Winston Churchill has joined the buildup of US naval power threatening Syria with air and missile strikes, the 6th Fleet said in a statement on Friday.

Sputnik

"The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations April 10, 2018, to conduct a routine deployment in support of US maritime security interests, increased regional stability… in the US 6th fleet area of operations," the statement said.

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The Winston S. Churchill carried out training exercises in February 2017 with the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, the statement noted. President Donald Trump has ordered the nuclear aircraft carrier Truman to sail toward Syria after threatening missile strikes against the country.

"While deployed, Winston S. Churchill will operate in the US 5th and US 6th Fleet areas of operations conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts alongside allies and partners," the warship’s captain Commander Tom Van Scoten said in the statement.

In 2017, the Winston S. Churchill participated in the exercises Formidable Shield and Joint Warrior in the 6th Fleet area of operations, according to published reports.

The ship is armed with Tomahawk, Standard and Anti-Submarine Rocket missiles (ASROC).