In June 1996, "Grayling" took part in Exercise TAPON 96, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise held in the Alboran Sea, Gulf of Cadiz, and eastern Atlantic Ocean, along with the U.S. Navy destroyer , the Spanish carrier "Príncipe de Asturias", the Spanish frigates "Baleares" (F71), "Santa María" (F81), and , the Spanish submarine , and the Greek destroyer "Formion" (D220).