The ship’s arrival in Copenhagen aims to bolster ties with a key Nato allied nation.

The US Navy’s Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship (LSD) USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) is undergoing a mid-deployment voyage repair (MDVR) in Denmark.

The ship, along with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) personnel, reached Copenhagen on 8 July.

The scheduled maintenance availability period, or MDVR, allows the vessels to perform corrective and preventative maintenance that cannot be completed while the ship is at the sea.

Additionally, the MDVR ensures that the ship remains mechanically ready throughout the remainder deployment period.

Gunston Hall commanding officer commander Beth Nelson said: “We are excited for the privilege to visit Denmark and experience the local culture and cuisine while making necessary repairs and upkeep to the ship.

“Additionally, our marines look forward to time on shore conducting necessary training to maintain their proficiency.”

The ship’s deployment to the city also aims to strengthen relations with key Nato allied nations.

Gunston Hall participated in various operations and interoperability exercises with allied and partner countries including Hedgehog, Northern Viking 22, Neptune Shield and BALTOPS 22.

The Whidbey Island-class LSD was also deployed in the US Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations (AOR) for three-and-a-half months.

The embarked 22nd MEU and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) are a part of the command and control (C2) of Task Force (TF) 61/2.

Apart from Gunston Hall, the ARG includes Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and San-Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24).

Source: https://www.naval-technology.com