USS George Washington steams in formation with JMSDF, ROK-N during Freedom Edge 2024

Rear Adm. Gregory Newkirk, middle, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Takashi Natsui, left, Commander, Escort Flotilla 4, and Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. Sungjae Hur, Commander, Maritime Task Flotilla (MTF) 7, observe flight operations during a ship tour aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during Freedom Edge 24-2 in the East China Sea, Nov. 13, 2024. Freedom Edge demonstrates a new era of trilateral cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific. George Washington is 7th Fleet’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside Allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class August Clawson)