USS Sioux City Arrives in Bahrain during Historic Deployment

[Boats]

USS Sioux City Arrives in Bahrain during Historic Deployment
By: Ensign Jaima Fogg, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | June 25, 2022
Re: https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/New...ic-deployment/

Photo link: https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jun/2...YK067-1003.JPG
MANAMA, Bahrain (June 25, 2022) - Littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), arrives at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, June 25. Sioux City is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (Photo by Sgt. Terry Vongsouthi)

MANAMA, Bahrain --
USS Sioux City (LCS 11) arrived to Bahrain for a scheduled port visit, June 25, marking the completion of a 10,000-mile journey while becoming the first littoral combat ship to operate in the Middle East.

The ship and crew of 75 personnel departed Mayport, Florida in April. While in the U.S. 5th Fleet region, Sioux City has provided maritime security presence enabling the free flow of commerce in key corridors of trade.

"We’re thrilled to have Sioux City’s crew here helping us understand how to integrate the LCS platform into our operations, and we’re exercising every one of the ship’s support capabilities," said Capt. Robert Francis, commander of Task Force 55. Task Force 55 oversees U.S. surface forces operating in the Middle East.

Littoral combat ships are versatile, enabling them to support a broad spectrum of fleet missions and operate alongside regional navies and coast guards.

After arriving in the Middle East in May, Sioux City operated in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 and focused on maritime security and partner capacity building in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. CTF 153 is one of four multinational task forces organized under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest international naval partnership with 34 nations. Led by the United States, Combined Maritime Forces is headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. 5th Fleet.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Sailors for executing every mission we’ve been tasked with,” said Cmdr. Scott Whitworth, commanding officer of USS Sioux City. “We are ‘forging a new frontier’ for littoral combat ships.”

Sioux City is deployed with two MH-60 Seahawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22.

The U.S. 5th Fleet region includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.
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Personal note: That's alot of sea to be covering - I hope other NATO ships are there
with them as well. Be safe guys and God Speed - you know what you have to do so
keep and eye on the sky and on the horizon - lookouts and satelites should help out!
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