WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following news release:
The transit marked a milestone in regional defense integration, featuring the joint embarkation of Swedish and Finnish ship riders operating alongside U.S. Navy Sailors. Embarking in Stockholm Oct. 5, the Swedish and Finnish ship riders integrated directly into the ship's navigation department. Operating as specialized navigators, the embarked ship riders provided critical local knowledge and hydrographic expertise required to navigate the complex, shallow channels within the area of the Northern Baltic Sea before the destroyer safely arrived in Helsinki.
The transit follows several bilateral and multilateral operations conducted across Northern Europe. Recent activiti...