Overview
- USS Delbert D. Black conducted a routine exercise with the Israeli Navy’s INS Eilat in the Red Sea after departing the port city.
- The destroyer left Eilat on Feb. 1 following a scheduled visit that began Friday, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
- During the stop, crew hosted tours for senior staff from U.S. Embassy Jerusalem and the Israeli Navy, and ship leaders met the Eilat Naval Base commander.
- U.S. and Israeli officials said the call was pre-planned and not tied to immediate operations during a period of heightened U.S. naval posture in the region.
- The Mayport-based, Aegis-equipped ship entered 5th Fleet earlier in 2026, and U.S. warship calls to Eilat remain infrequent, with visits in 2022 and 2023.