VALLETTA, Malta – A senior military officer from the Maltese Armed Forces visited the USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) at Palumbo Malta Shipyards in Valletta, Malta, Mar. 7.

Col. David Attard, deputy commander, Armed Forces of Malta, met with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Arnold H. Campbell; Rear Adm. Kenneth “K.J.” Norton, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Resources and Plans; and Capt. Ted Williams, USS Mount Whitney’s commanding officer.

“The [USS] Mount Whitney is an impressive representative of our United States Navy, embodying the very latest in high technology command and control systems,” said Mr. Campbell.  “It has remained a vital part of the [U.S.] 6th Fleet due in large part to the careful maintenance and high quality work performed by shipyards such as found here in Malta.”

USS Mount Whitney is in the Palumbo Malta Shipyard for a regularly scheduled maintenance period intended to maintain material readiness.

While on board, the visiting dignitaries toured the joint operations center, network operations center and the bridge, and met with Sailors who provided briefs of Mount Whitney’s command and control capabilities.

 “In keeping with the vision of engagement and enhancing interoperability, it was an honor and pleasure hosting the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires and the Armed Forces of Malta Deputy Chief of Defense for a tour aboard USS Mount Whitney,” said Capt. Williams.

Mount Whitney is a Blue Ridge-class command ship and is the flagship for the U.S. 6th Fleet. Mount Whitney is homeported in Gaeta, Italy, and operates with a hybrid crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners.