The U.S. Navy is participating in Exercise Reliant Mermaid in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 12-15. Reliant Mermaid, now in its 12th iteration, is a maritime search and rescue exercise designed to increase interoperability by developing individual and collective maritime proficiencies, as well as promoting friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation.
The exercise is also designed to promote maritime safety and security in the region.
U.S. 6th Fleet units scheduled to participate in the exercise are guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) and the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195), along with maritime forces from Israel.
This regularly scheduled exercise is not related to any real-world events.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts maritime security operations and theater security cooperation missions in concert with coalition, joint, interagency, and other parties in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.
[mappress] Press Release, August 13, 2013; Image: Navy