OTARU, Japan — Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) departed Otaru, Japan, Feb. 10, following a successful multi-day port visit that strengthened the enduring alliance between the United States and Japan.
The previous two U.S. Navy ships to visit Otaru include Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Howard (DDG 83) in February 2025 and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) in February 2024.
"To the esteemed city of Otaru and its gracious people, we extend our deepest gratitude for the warm and generous hospitality you have shown my crew," said Cmdr. Ivan Dobrev, Dewey's commanding officer. "Our time in this beautiful port has not only allowed for essential resupply and upkeep but has also forged invaluable bonds of friendship and understanding. These interactions are the very heart of the formidable U.S.-Japan alliance, a partnership that stands as a pillar of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
Crewed by approximately 300 Sailors, the 9,500-ton Dewey is one of many Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers comprising the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet. At 155 meters long, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission warships that can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. It is capable of fighting air, surface, and subsurface threats simultaneously.
Dewey is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed DESRON and the principal surface force for the U.S. 7th Fleet. The U.S. 7th Fleet, the largest of the Navy's forward-deployed numbered fleets, routinely interacts with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.