Atlantic Council

From Brock Vergakis, AP:  The USS Barry left its home port on Thursday to load weapons for its journey to Europe as part of a NATO defense plan to provide a ballistic-missile shield for U.S. allies.

The guided-missile destroyer will relieve the USS Laboon in its patrols around the continent to guard against a potential Iranian nuclear threat.

After a storm passes, the ship will start making its way across the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. The deployment takes place just weeks before a set of automatic, massive budget cuts known as sequestration takes effect March 1.

If sequestration happens, the Navy has said it would stop all deployments to Central and South America. It would also limit deployments to Europe to those participating in ballistic missile defense. However, ballistic-missile defense patrols in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea would also be reduced.  (photo: U.S. Navy)