Foi durante o Exercício "Baltic Operations 2003" (Baltops 2003).
Baltic Sea (Jun. 12, 2003) -- A chock and chain crew, part of the flight deck team aboard the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) remains in a ready position while a Russian Helix KA-27 helicopter lands aboard ship during the annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations 2003 (Baltops 2003). The United States and 12 other nations are participating in this year's exercise. BALTOPS 2003 is intended to improve interoperability between allies and Partnership for Peace countries by conducting a peace support operation at sea including exercises in gunnery, replenishment-at-sea, undersea warfare, radar tracking, mine countermeasures, seamanship, search and rescue, maritime interdiction operations, and scenarios dealing with potentially real world crises. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg. (RELEASED)