[2] The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in 2011 is that it "conducts the full range of Maritime Operations and Theater Security Cooperation missions, in concert with coalition, joint, interagency, and other parties, in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa."

Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean in London, and had as its flagship a destroyer tender, anchored at Naples, Italy.

In 1946, President Truman dispatched the battleship Missouri to the Eastern Mediterranean, ostensibly to return the body of Münir Ertegün, former Turkish Ambassador to Washington, back to Istanbul.

In June 1946 Fargo, flying the flag of Vice Admiral Bernhard Bieri, Commander, Naval Forces Mediterranean, was despatched to Trieste.

In 1957, a naval exercise, Operation Deep Water, took place within the Allied Forces Southern Europe area of responsibility.

[12] These operations took the form of Nimbus Star (mine and ordnance clearance), Nimbus Moon (land and sub-surface naval ordnance clearance), and Nimrod Spar, in which a private salvage contractor would clear the canal of the ten sunken ships under the supervision of the Sixth Fleet's Task Force 65.

A total of ten ships blocked the canal; 200 civilian specialists worked from May to December 1974 to complete the operation.

Though Liberty was severely damaged, with a 39-by-24-foot (11.9 m × 7.3 m) hole amidships and a twisted keel, her crew kept her afloat, and she was able to leave the area under her own power.

[2] USS Mount Whitney is the Sixth Fleet flagship with its homeport Gaeta, Italy and operating in the Mediterranean.

Naval forces entering the Mediterranean Sea have their operational control changed to being under Sixth Fleet.

Since the submarine tender Emory S. Land, based in La Maddalena in Sardinia, changed homeports to Bremerton, Washington, the fleet has just one permanently assigned ship, Mount Whitney.

The fleet typically has a number of frigates and destroyers assigned, as well as those vessels transiting between the East Coast and the Suez.

During the 1986 confrontation with Libya, that led to Operation El Dorado Canyon, the Sixth Fleet's battle force was under the command of Rear Admiral David E.

In November 2007, Task Group 60.4 held the Africa Partnership Station role, embarked aboard the amphibious ship Fort McHenry.

[21] Any naval unit within the USEUCOM or USAFRICOM AOR may be assigned to TF 60 as required upon signal from the Commander of the Sixth Fleet.

Should a military or humanitarian crisis arise in theater, the squadron can deliver its cargo ashore, enabling a faster U.S. response.

The first incarnation of Task Force 64 consisted of nuclear-powered submarines armed with long-range strategic missiles (SSBN).

[23] April 1967 saw the threat of civil war in Greece commencing with the military coup that ended parliamentary rule there.

Although King Constantine II of Greece held his throne, the possibility of violence in the streets of Athens loomed as a potential threat to the American citizens suddenly caught up in the turmoil.

It seemed that evacuation by ship might be necessary and the Sixth Fleet commander ordered the formation of a special operations task force.

Under the command of Rear Admiral Dick H. Guinn, Task Force 65, with America as flagship, sailed eastward to stand by for evacuation, should that step be necessary.

During three days of general visiting in Taranto, America hosted 1,675 visitors who came aboard to tour the hangar and flight decks.

America departed Taranto on 8 May for routine task group operations in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, she followed these with a port visit to Livorno.

[24] Rear Admiral Brian McCauley served as Commander Task Force 65 during the Suez Canal clearance operations, from April 1974 to June 1975.

[26][27] Established in 2024, Task Force 66 headquartered in Naples, Italy, leverages collaboration between the government, industry and academia – including pairing operational tacticians with international experts to accelerate development and fielding of new systems at scale: The Task Force works closely with the Navy Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO) on rapid experimentation and prototyping.

In the past, Task Force 67's has been provided by Commander, Fleet Air Mediterranean (COMFLTAIRMED), but it is unclear whether FLTAIRMED still exists.

Task Force organization 2022: CTF-67 commands all Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) in the European and African theaters.

Naval Forces, Africa and Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (CNE-CNA-C6F), NATO and Unified Commanders to conduct effective Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), maintain Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), enhance regional stability, promote cooperative maritime safety and security, and be decisive while conducting overseas contingency operations.

On order, conduct Point and Area Defense to protect and defend critical infrastructure and High Value Assets against terrorist attack.

Task Force 69 is responsible for planning and coordinating area submarine and anti-submarine warfare operations in the Mediterranean.