US missile destroyer USS Bainbridge arrives in Finland

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – The US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge arrived in Helsinki on Sunday, a stop the Finnish Navy said underscores allied cooperation at a time of heightened regional security concerns.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, based in Norfolk, Virginia, will be moored at Hernesaari port during its visit, but will not be open to the public.

“Finland is honored to receive an ally for a visit,” the navy said in a statement.

Measuring 155 meters in length and 18 meters in width, the USS Bainbridge carries a crew of about 330 sailors. It is equipped with the Aegis combat system, giving it advanced air defense, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

The visit will be hosted by Capt. Marko Laaksonen, deputy chief of staff in the Finnish Navy Command.

Although Finnish officials described the stop as routine, the warship’s arrival coincides with NATO’s ongoing Eastern Sentry exercise, aimed at bolstering the alliance’s eastern border in response to recent Russian drone incursions.