ESG 3 LATEST NEWS

260126-N-DB724-1027 Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) and NASA engineers prepare to release a crew module test article from the ship’s well deck, Jan. 26, 2026. John P. Murtha is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations performing a just-in-time training in support of U.S. Space Command's human space flight recovery mission to retrieve NASA’s Artemis II crew and spacecraft following their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. U.S. 3rd Fleet, an integral part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster response. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jomark A. Almazan) Share

PACIFIC OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN (March 31, 2026) –An F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, assigned to VFA-122, lands on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), March 31, 2026. Theodore Roosevelt, flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, is underway conducting exercises to bolster strike group readiness and capability in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Holloway) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) [right], speaks to Philippine Navy Rear Adm. Juario C. Marayag, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, about ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) during a visit to the ship in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John B. Hetherington) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) [right], speaks to Philippine Navy Rear Adm. Juario C. Marayag, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, about well deck operations during a visit to the ship, as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John B. Hetherington) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Philippine Navy Rear Adm. Juario C. Marayag, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, boards Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John B. Hetherington) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) [left], walks with Philippine Navy Rear Adm. Juario C. Marayag, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command [center], during a visit as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John B. Hetherington) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Christian Deang, assigned to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, grinds a fan unit bracket aboard Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Maliq J. Martin) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Engineman 2nd Class Walid Ventayen, left, and Engineman 1st Class Michael Carantes, assigned to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, replace an engine component in the main engine room while Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) is in port in Cebu, Philippines, as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX), March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Maliq J. Martin) Share

CEBU, Philippines

A Philippine Navy contractor works with Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Chase Bohan, left, assigned to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, and Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Wyatt Rimmer, assigned to Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), as they perform maintenance on valves as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Maliq J. Martin) Share

CEBU, Philippines

Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Christian Deang, assigned to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, welds a fan unit bracket aboard Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) as part of ship wartime repair and maintenance exercise (SWARMEX) in Cebu, Philippines, March 25, 2026. SWARMEX is designed to rehearse coordination and execution of ship damage repair from forward locations within the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening ties with the skilled workforce within allied and partner countries. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Maliq J. Martin) Share

SOUTH CHINA SEA

U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) steams in the South China Sea, March 31, 2026. Blue Ridge and embarked U.S. 7th Fleet staff conduct regular Indo-Pacific patrols to deter aggression, strengthen alliances and partnerships, and advance future warfighting capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damian Cook) Share

PACIFIC OCEAN

A U.S. Marine, with Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts weapons maintenance on an M240B machine gun aboard Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) in the Pacific Ocean, March 27, 2026. The 11th MEU is currently underway aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations demonstrating the United States’ long-term commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Trent A. Henry) Share