USS Paul Ignatius Makes Stockholm Port Visit

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 1, 2026.

While in Stockholm, Paul Ignatius sailors will have the opportunity to explore the local area, visit cultural heritage sites, and deepen relationships with the Swedish people and the Swedish Navy.

"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," said Cmdr. William Burke, commanding officer of Paul Ignatius. "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."

The ship's presence in the Baltic Sea is a demonstration of the U.S. Navy's continued commitment to the security and freedom of navigation in key waterways and reinforces the strong bond between the United States, Sweden and other Baltic nations.

As NATO Allies, the U.S. and Swedish navies routinely operate together to enhance combined military interoperability, including during Baltic Operations in June 2026.

Paul Ignatius recently participated in Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026, a multi-domain sinking exercise between the United States and United Kingdom that further developed combined proficiency in tactics, targeting, and live firing against a surface target at sea. During the exercise, Paul Ignatius successfully demonstrated maximum damage and range capability of an anti-surface variant of the Standard Missile 6.

The U.S. destroyer is scheduled to conduct trilateral operations alongside the Swedish and Finnish Navy in the coming week, further showcasing the three nations' collective ability to train together in innovative ways. Before transiting, members of the Swedish and Finnish navies will embark Paul Ignatius to share invaluable regional expertise as the ship executes complex navigational maneuvers.

"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 Burke. "Paul Ignatius is excited to be a part of that mission."

The ship, which commissioned July 27, 2019, is named for former Secretary of the Navy Paul Ignatius. The ship is homeported in Rota, Spain, as one of U.S. 6th Fleet's Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe ships.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. 6th Fleet conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with Allied, interagency and partner forces, to advance U.S. national interests and promote security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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