US destroyer USS Paul Ignatius visits Helsinki and joins Finnish-Swedish naval drills
The US Navy destroyer USS Paul Ignatius docked in Helsinki’s Hernesaari district on Thursday, after a recent stop in Stockholm and joint exercises with Finnish and Swedish forces in the Gulf of Bothnia.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Paul Ignatius arrived at Helsinki’s Hernesaari waterfront on Thursday, following a weekend visit to Stockholm. Earlier this week the ship took part in trilateral drills with the Finnish Defence Forces and the Swedish Armed Forces in the Gulf of Bothnia, with personnel from all three navies aboard. Finnish Navy commander Tuomas Tiilikainen said the exercises strengthen Baltic defence arrangements and boost regional security, adding that the United States remains welcome in the area. The vessel will not be open for public tours while in Helsinki.
Why it matters
The visit underscores growing US-Finnish-Swedish naval cooperation to reinforce security in the Baltic Sea.
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