USS Carney reaches the naval base Rota, in the South of Spain

TRANSCRIPT 

Station Rota, in the south of Spain,
is the new home for the USS Carney, the fourth

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US destroyer to be stationed in Europe. The
naval group makes an important contribution

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to NATO missile defence in Europe but will
also perform a variety of other tasks including

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security operations, search & rescue, multinational
training and exercises, and NATO operations

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and deployments.

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The USS Carney joins the Ross, the Donald
Cook and the USS Porter as part of the US

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ballistic missile commitment to Europe.
They will primarily perform ballistic missile

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defence, linked with our stations in Deveselu,
Romania, and soon to be stationed in Romania.

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In addition, they will be able to do exercises
in air defence, anti-submarine warfare and

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other missions like humanitarian missions
with our NATO allies and partners across the

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region.

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After a long voyage, USS Carney’s 340 sailors
were welcomed by Spanish and US naval authorities,

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along with families which await them in what
will be their new home in Europe.

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This collaboration between allied countries
goes further than just military cooperation

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and generates other mutual benefits.
The arrival of the destroyers here, the four

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destroyers here in Rota, make an enormous
impact on the local economy here. Rota and

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Morón, the two bases where US forces are
tenants on Spanish soil, produce some 3,500

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permanent full-time positions in Spain so
some 3,500 Spaniards have positions as a result

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of the troops being here in Spain
The important part for the United States is

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that these four ships here are equivalent
to twelve ships in the United States that

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would deploy, operate, go home, train, deploy
again. I would need twelve to make up for

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these four, so their presence is a force multiplier
for us because they’re here.

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When asked if this deployment in Europe is
prompted by the Russian crisis the answer

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is a clear No
The plans for ballistic missile defence in

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Europe, the positioning of the ships and all
the investments were made before Crimea, before

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this period of increased tensions with Russia.
They are focused on a missile defence threat

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from the south, they are not targeting Russia
and they in no way affect the Russian nation’s

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strategic deterrence that they deploy.

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The four destroyers will mostly patrol the
Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Black

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Sea.
I think these four ships are multi mission

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ships and therefore they can address a full
range of security challenges. They can perform

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humanitarian assistance. They can project
power ashore with their missiles or their

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guns as you can see, and they can provide
a defensive umbrella of ballistic missile

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defence for Europe.