230313-N-HG846-1283

Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Carson Fogg, from Sacramento, California, salutes the pilots of an Indian Navy HAL Chetak Alouette III after take-off from the flight deck aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) during joint training exercise La Pérouse 2023 in the Bay of Bengal, March 13. La Pérouse is a multilateral exercise designed to enhance cooperation in the field of maritime surveillance, interdiction operations and air operations by progressive training and information sharing. Charleston, part of Destroyer Squadron 7, is on a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with Allies and partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region