US missile cruiser enters the Black Sea

A US missile cruiser, the Vella Gulf, has entered the Black Sea in what is being described as ’a move to promote peace and stability in the region’ by the American Navy.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser entered the Black Sea yesterday with a gold of “strengthening the collective security of NATO's allies and partners in the region,” according to a statement by the US 6th Fleet.

“The US Navy's forward presence in Europe allows us to work with our allies and partners to develop and improve ready maritime forces capable of maintaining regional security,” the statement reads.

It is not the first time this year that the Vera Gulf has been sent to the Black Sea on patrol. In May and June it was moored at Constanta in Romania.

The multi-mission cruiser is 173 meters long and carries up to 400 crewmembers, travelling at over 30 knots. The vessel has an entire chache of weaponry including SM-2 surface to air missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, Haropoon anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and self defence Phalanx Close-in Weapons Systems.

The US naval ship spent an entire week in the Black Sea in July where it joined six other NATO vessels for naval drills.

According to the Montreux Convention, which is a US authourised treaty, countries from outside the region cannot keep warships in the Black Sea for more than 21 days at a time.

Despite this treaty, NATO has managed to increase its presence in the region in the wake of the Ukranian crisis by rotating its naval vessels in the region.

Moscow however, has not approved the what it is calling the 'military alliance's muscle flexing in its backyard.'

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia will respond to this expansion towards its borders by NATO.

“No matter what our Western counterparts tell us, we can see what’s going on," he said during a meeting of the UN Security Council in July.

"As it stands, NATO is blatantly building up its forces in Eastern Europe, including the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea areas. Its operational and combat training activities are gaining in scale.”

The Russian President went on to say that the military build up by NATO near Russia's borders is an offensive weapon and an element of the US offensicve system and not just for defence by NATO.

Russia launched its own war games in the same region at the time, in response to the military drills being held by NATO at the time.

NATO warships have also intensified their presence in the Baltic Sea as part of their build up near the Russian border.

Thousands of NATO troops held exercises in Latvia in June.

#USSVellaGulf enters #BlackSea to promote peace and stability in the region. http://t.co/yWzwaxk7C1 #PresenceMatters

— U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) August 6, 2014