210415-N-WS494-1036

210415-N-WS494-1036 YOKOSUKA, Japan (April 15, 2021) Vice Adm. SAITO Akira, commander of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Fleet Escort Force, salutes sideboys on the ceremonial quarterdeck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Leadership from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 met with the commander of JMSDF Fleet Escort Force aboard Ronald Reagan for a ship tour and staff discussions. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.