USS Curtis Wilbur conducts flight ops in South China Sea

Sailors wait for the signal to remove chocks and chains from an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 on the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) during flight operations in the South China Sea, May 12, 2025. The Curtis Wilbur, assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Mark Bergado)