US Navy's USS Porter and EOMDU 8 participate in exercise in Portugal.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) and members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 participate in the first Recognized Environmental Picture Augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems REP (MUS) exercise hosted by the Portuguese Navy in Lisbon, Portugal, September 8-20, 2019.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) (Picture source: U.S. Navy - MC3 T. Logan Keown)

"Porter is thrilled at the opportunity to be involved in REP (MUS) 2019,” said Cmdr. Craig Trent, commanding officer of Porter. “We're committed to regional stability and security, which is strengthened when we work with our NATO allies in developing new maritime capabilities like the Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems.”

REP (MUS) 2019 is a multinational unmanned underwater vehicle exercise hosted by the Portuguese Navy. During the exercise, participants will share tactics, techniques, and procedures in order to further technological advances with our partner navies.

“Exercises like this allow us to work hand in hand with our regional partners and increase our interoperability," said Trent.

Hosted this year by Portugal, participants in REP (MUS) 2019 include Belgium, Germany, Poland, Italy, Turkey, U.K., and the U.S. along with participation from NATO. REP (MUS) 2019 highlights the joint and combined capability of U.S. allied and partner forces to ensure that U.S. and partner nations have the modern, competitive capabilities to ensure freedom of navigation and deter malign actors.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests, and promote security and stability in Europe and Africa.

USS Porter (DDG-78) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Porter is the fifth US Navy ship to be named after US Navy officers Commodore David Porter, and his son, Admiral David Dixon Porter. This ship is the 28th destroyer of her class. Porter was the 12th ship of this class to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was laid down on 2 December 1996, launched and christened on 12 November 1997, and commissioned 20 March 1999, in Port Canaveral, Florida.