San Antonio class LPD USS Arlington makes port visit in Sweden.

According to information published by the U.S. DoD on August 9, 2022, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), attached to the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), arrived in Stockholm, Sweden for a scheduled port visit.
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San Antonio class amphibious transport dock USS Arlington (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

Arlington, with embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is operating in the Baltic Sea to strengthen relationships with NATO allies and partners while conducting combined training and theater-security cooperation engagements.

This marks Arlington’s first time operating in the Baltic Sea since departing on deployment earlier this year, as well as the first time the ARG-MEU has fully aggregated in the Baltic.

Arlington entered the Baltic Sea after months of operations throughout European and African waters, including one bilateral exercise and three multinational exercises, as well as four scheduled port visits in Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Croatia.

These exercises included Alexander the Great with Greece, EFES with Turkey, and African Lion on the northern coast of Africa. The ship completed a mid-deployment voyage repair in July in Rijeka, Croatia.

While in Sweden, Arlington Sailors and Marines will explore the historically and culturally significant city of Stockholm, learning its culture through Stockholm Old Town Walk and Stockholm’s Must Sees tours. The crew will also be able to participate in a Stockholm Craft Beer and Swedish Pop Wonders tour.

The Kearsarge ARG and embarked 22nd MEU are under the command and control of Task Force 61/2. In addition to Arlington, the ARG consists of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44).

As Arlington docks in Stockholm, Kearsarge is conducting a visit to Helsinki, Finland, and Gunston Hall calls on Tallinn, Estonia. These port visits demonstrate the United States’ commitment to working with key NATO allied and partner nations to preserve security and stability in the Baltic Sea region.

Embarked commands with the Kearsarge ARG include Amphibious Squadron SIX, 22nd MEU, Fleet Surgical Team 2, Fleet Surgical Team 4, Tactical Air Control Squadron 22, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28, Assault Craft Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 4, Naval Beach Group 2, and Beach Master Unit 2.

USS Arlington (LPD-24), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Arlington, Virginia. Officially, she was commissioned on 8 February 2013.