TCG Salihreis Will Escort M/V Cape Ray

Turkish Navy announced that the MEKO 200 T/IIB class frigate F-246 TCG Salihreis will be escorting M/V Cape Ray, that will destroy the chemical weapons from Syria.

TCG Salihreis, will be among US, German and Italian warships and Greek submarine under the command of Combined Task Force 64 of US 6th Fleet.

The task force CTF-64 will escort the US flagged M/V Cape Ray which carries  two Field Deployable Hydrolysis Systems designed to neutralize chemical weapons.

The U.S. motor vessel Cape Ray departed Rota, Spain, this morning en route to the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy, where the ship will receive declared Syrian chemical weapons transferred from the Danish vessel Ark Futura.

In a statement announcing the departure, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the transit to Italy is expected to take several days.

After the transfer is complete, the Cape Ray will depart Gioia Tauro for international waters to begin neutralization of the chemical agents using the embarked field deployable hydrolysis system, Kirby said. “Neutralization will be conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner,” he added. “Nothing from this operation will be released into the environment.”

The Cape Ray and the field-deployable hydrolysis system are part of the U.S. contribution to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons — U.N. Joint Mission to eliminate Syria’s declared chemical materials stockpile. The vessel is part of the Transportation Department Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force program.

During this deployment a SH-70B Seahawk helicopter one CBRN defense team and one naval special forces team will be on board.