231111-N-GR586-1333

231111-N-GR586-1333 PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 11, 2023) Vice Adm. Akira Saito, right, Commander-in-Chief, Self-Defense Fleet, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, U.S. Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, conduct a multilateral press conference aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as part of Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX) 2023. ANNUALEX is a multilateral exercise conducted by naval elements of the Royal Australian, Royal Canadian, JMSDF, and U.S. navies to demonstrate naval interoperability and a joint commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Vinson, flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) ONE, is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Benjamin Ringers)