USS Chafee (DDG-90)
The US has started building a “maritime operations center’ on the Ochakov Naval Base in Ukraine, the US Navy said in a statement.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 25.
“The Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, have been in Ochakiv since April to establish contracts, obtain construction permits, and perform other logistical necessities needed for long term sustainment of the maritime operations center project.
The maritime operations center is one of three projects that are currently planned to be executed by the Seabeesin Ochakiv and will serve as a major planning and operational hub during future military exercises hosted by Ukraine,” the statement reads. “Maritime operations centers are the operational-level warfare command and control organizations designed to deliver flexible maritime capabilities throughout the full range of military operations. Maritime operations centers support fleet management and the execution of operational responsibilities by providing commanders with flexible, tailored, and scalable staff and processes to make mission-critical decisions and enhance maritime capabilities.
Other future Seabee projects in Ochakiv include a boat maintenance facility and entry control points with perimeter fencing.“
In July, US missile warships and a Navy SEALs team took part in the 12-day Sea Breeze 2017 joint NATO naval exercise off Ukraine. The exercise took place in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, near Odessa.
In August, documents appeared confirming that the US had already supplied lethal weapons to the Ukrainian regime.
