Spain to host USN Aegis ships as part of EPAA

摘要

The US Navy (USN) is to forward deploy four Aegis surface combatants to Rota naval base in Spain as part of the Obama administration's European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) for ballistic missile defence (BMD), US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced on 5 October, writes Sam LaGrone."With four Aegis ships at Rota, the [NATO] alliance is significantly boosting combined naval capabilities in the Mediterranean and enhancing our ability to ensure the security of this vital region," Panetta said.The decision was announced at a meeting with Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. It was Pa-netta's first NATO meeting since becoming defence secretary.