On the 13th of January, U.S. Navy’s San Antonio Class amphibious transport dock, USS Arlington visited Malta’s Grand Harbour for the very first time. It is currently in deployment and assigned to the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group. It is also interesting to note that USS Arlington is named for the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
What was spectacular about its visit was the presence of three UH-1Y Venoms and four AH-1W Super Cobras of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked on its deck. The helicopters are assigned to the VMM-264 Black Knights squadron. This was the first time I have seen either a venom or a cobra so it was quite an event for all aviation enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and neither did the sailors aboard, as at most times they stood in front of the helicopters and parked the helicopters in a way that was difficult to photograph each helicopter.
Nonetheless, it was a truly spectacular event and will definitely be considered as one of the top highlights of 2019!
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