THE US Navy has completed its planned expansion at Spain’s Rota naval base with the arrival of a sixth guided-missile destroyer.
The USS John Basilone arrived at the naval base in Cadiz province on Wednesday, October 14 – a day earlier than was initially expected.
The ship’s arrival completes an agreement between Spain and the United States to increase the number of permanently deployed US Navy destroyers at Rota from four to six, strengthening NATO’s missile defence capabilities in southern Europe.
The ship, which has a crew of around 300 sailors, has moved its home port from Naval Station Mayport in Florida to the Spanish base.
It will become the most advanced vessel assigned to the US Sixth Fleet at Rota, according to Spain’s Defence Ministry.
The USS John Basilone is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer commissioned in late 2024. It can carry out air defence, anti-submarine warfare and surface combat operations.
Its arrival follows an agreement reached by then US President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the NATO summit in Madrid in June 2022.
The deal provided for two additional destroyers to be stationed at Rota, joining the four ships already deployed there.
The expansion comes amid tensions between US President Donald Trump and Spain, with Trump repeatedly criticising the country over its defence spending and international positions on hot topics such as Israel and immigration.
He has also pushed European NATO allies to take greater responsibility for their own security, raising questions over the future of US military commitments to Europe.
It comes as the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) threatens to impose a $200,000 fee on Spanish ships docking at US ports following Spain’s refusal to allow US vessels reportedly carrying cargo linked to Israel’s war in Gaza to dock in Algeciras.
The move, should it come into force, would deal a blow to Spanish exports to the US, such as olive oil – hitting Andalucia especially hard.
Despite all these tensions, the USS John Basilone has arrived in Spanish waters, following on from USS Oscar Austin, which arrived in October 2024.
The expanded deployment strengthens Rota’s role as a strategic hub for US naval forces operating in Europe and alongside NATO allies.
The base, which is jointly used by Spanish and US forces, is also home to an American military community of around 6,000 service members, civilian employees and family members.
Spanish authorities say the additional warship will also bring economic benefits to the area through maintenance, logistics and related employment.
The USS John Basilone is named after US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. He was later awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
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