USS Nimitz conducts flight operations in South China Sea

An E-2D Hawkeye, assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the South China Sea, May 14, 2025. The Nimitz is underway in the 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 Edward Jacome)