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Question to those who know.

So I've read about the Montreux Convention this week, what it states exactly and so on. The restriction of military vessels which specifies that not more than a total (one or multiple) of 15.000 tons displacement of none-Black Sea state warships are allowed to transit the Bosphorus at once left me wondering how the USS Mount Whitney is allowed to transit the straits. I know that this limit can be stretched a little, as was the case in 2008, but the Mount Whitney overshoots the upper limit with her 18.400 tons by far. Most of you guys probably know that the Mount Whitney visits the Black Sea on a regular basis and publishments by the USN 6th Fleet always include "The U.S. Navy, on a normal and routine basis, operates ships in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and International Law." when it comes to anything Black Sea related... I'm just wondering what's the deal here. Maybe you guys can point me out some special case here.

Cheers!

Meh. The Turks own the passage and can say who or what goes through, period. NATO backs their play. It's probably not more complicated than that.

ORIGINAL: NakedWeasel

Meh. The Turks own the passage and can say who or what goes through, period. NATO backs their play. It's probably not more complicated than that.

Yes, the Turks are holding authority over the passage. I see your point, but in 2008 it was also Turkey who held back two US ships from entering the Black Sea because of regulations.

The Navy says that the USS Mount Whitney has a displacement of just 15,000 tons:

http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=128

Wikipedia gives higher numbers.

I think the devil's in the details - it says 18,400 under full load, and I suspect the treaty limit is not taken by the full load displacement.

I'm surprised there is no special case for this ship. You guys are probably right. On the paper, she just fits through the Bosphorus.