Military warships, sailing vessels begin arriving in NYC for America 250 flotilla

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Magnificent military ships have begun sailing into Big Apple ports this week in preparation for America’s blockbuster 250th birthday celebration.

The USS Arlington was ceremoniously sprayed with water as it glided Tuesday into the New York Harbor, where it will participate in Saturday’s International Naval Review 250.

The Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship arrived as part of the annual Fleet Week, which was rescheduled from its traditional Memorial Day stronghold to July 4 for the momentous flotilla.

The USS Arlington — which was one of three US Navy ships named to commemorate the September 11th attacks — is among the first of the warships, tall ships and international ships to arrive in the Big Apple in the days before the event.

The nearly 30 gray hull vessels that will anchor in the Hudson River are set to voyage into the area on Wednesday.

The US is sending ten from its fleet. In addition to the Arlington, the flotilla will include the iconic aircraft carrier USS Nimitz — which will arrive carrying an MQ-25 Stingray and four F/A-18E Super Hornets, the Aviationist reported.

Nimitz is the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the US fleet and the lead ship of her class, and is set to be retired in 2027.

Several other ships have already sailed into the harbor, according to a live map tracking the vessels.

The US’s Elissa is docked at Brooklyn’s Pier 2 — and at 149 years old, the Class A Tall Ship is the oldest ship in the parade

America 2.0 — a Class B vessel — is docked at the Chelsea Piers.

So far, only a handful of countries have had vessels arrive in the general New York Harbor area. Monaco’s Class B ship, the Tuiga, and the British Virgin Islands’ STV Vela are stationed in their respective Jersey City and Sandy Hook spots.

The Netherlands’ Oosterschelde sailed through the harbor on Tuesday, but is currently docked in the Hudson River off Westchester.

By Saturday, about 80 vessels will have arrived in the New York Harbor for the largest parade of sails in history.

More than 20 nations will be represented in the flotilla, including Argentina, France and Peru — though Mexico is noticeably missing from the line-up.

Organizers said “logistics and timing” prevented the Cuauhtémoc from returning to the Big Apple more than a year after it smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in a disaster that killed two of its Naval cadets.

Roughly 15,000 sailors from 20 other countries will come ashore this week for the massive event.