A helicopter operates near the flight deck of the Ingalls-built, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) during a joint exercise in the Gulf of Bothnia, Oct. 6, 2026.
Paul Ignatius is a forward-deployed naval asset assigned to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region.