American destroyer USS Bulkeley leaves Portsmouth in glorious autumn sunshine after finishing crucial Nato op

USS Bulkeley departed from HMNB Portsmouth at roughly 12.30pm on October 6. Clusters of naval enthusiasts set up with cameras and filming equipment on The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth to watch her depart.

The warship is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, measuring 509ft long and having a 9,200 tonne displacement. Named after Medal of Honor recipient Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley, USS Bulkeley is considered a multi-mission vessel that offers various functions.

She can be used in anti-aircraft missions using her Aegis and surface-to-air missiles, complete tactical land strikes with Tomahawk missiles, and be used to scope out and destroy submarines using her towed array sonar, and anti-submarine rockets. Her flexibility, alongside the multiple others in her class, makes them ideal for being tasked with various operations.

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USS Bulkeley stopped off in Portsmouth following a critical Nato mission, where she was the first American warship to take part. She was deployed on the Baltic Sentry mission, an international effort to patrol the Baltic Sea and deter adversaries from attacking undersea cables - something which Russian ships have been caught doing on several occasions. The US previously used to deploy Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft to assist in the operation, but extended it this year.

Commander Arlo Abrahamson, a spokesperson for NATO's Allied Maritime Command, told Business Insider that “enhanced vigilance activity” is highlighted by the deployment, with more aims than just protecting undersea cables. “The presence of FGS Hamburg operating near Denmark for Baltic Sentry enhanced vigilance activities sends a message of assurance and cohesion within the alliance,” he added.

USS Bulkeley primarily patrolled the Danish straits alongside Scandinavian maritime units. US Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe spokesperson, said: “The USS Bulkeley represents a fraction of U.S. involvement in Baltic Sentry as Europeans continue to shoulder more of the burden for their own security. More than 95 percent of the ships that have supported Baltic Sentry since it began in January are European."