The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in the Black Sea in early February to train with the Ukrainian and Romanian navies. As part of a strategic focus to the south and east, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE/C6F) have increased engagement in the Black Sea in an effort to increase cooperation with regional partners. “This is my second time in the Black Sea in the past nine months and the third time we have had ships operating here,” said Capt. Tom Rowden, commander of Task Force 65 and the senior embarked officer aboard Porter. “The Ukrainian and Romanian navies are both emerging partners in the U.S. European Command theater and I have seen significant progress in our ability to operate with them.