The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is expected to conduct trilateral operations in the coming week. Swedish and Finnish naval personnel will embark before transit to provide regional expertise during complex navigational maneuvers.
The U.S. Navy said the ship’s presence supports maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Baltic Sea. U.S. and Swedish naval forces routinely train together as NATO allies, including during Baltic Operations in June 2026.
“The U.S., Sweden, and the other Baltic nations share a commitment to maritime security and freedom of navigation, which means every interaction, whether ashore or at sea, is an investment into the stability of the region,” said Cmdr. William Burke, Paul Ignatius’s commanding officer. “Paul Ignatius is excited to be a part of that mission.”
The Stockholm visit also gives the crew time ashore after several weeks of work at sea. Sailors will have opportunities to visit cultural sites and strengthen relationships with Swedish people and naval personnel.
“Our visit to Stockholm is a wonderful chance to reinforce our strong bond with Sweden while also enjoying some well-deserved liberty for the crew after many weeks hard at work,” Burke said. “We are incredibly grateful for the warm welcome here and look forward to the opportunity to experience Sweden’s culture firsthand and learn from their rich history during our visit.”
Paul Ignatius recently took part in Atlantic Thunder 2026, a multidomain sinking exercise involving U.S. and UK forces. The activity developed combined proficiency in tactics, targeting and live firing against a surface target at sea.
During the exercise, the destroyer demonstrated the anti-surface SM-6 variant’s maximum damage and range capabilities, according to the Navy. The service did not provide numerical performance figures in its account of the Stockholm visit.
Paul Ignatius, designated DDG 117, was commissioned on July 27, 2019, and is named for the former secretary of the Navy. It is homeported in Rota, Spain, as one of U.S. 6th Fleet’s Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe ships.
U.S. 6th Fleet is headquartered in Naples, Italy, and conducts joint and naval operations in Europe and Africa. Its missions frequently involve allied, interagency and partner forces supporting U.S. interests and regional security.
