USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. conducts live-fire in South China Sea

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Todd Whalen, commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, fires a .50 caliber machine gun aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) in the South China Sea, Dec. 22, 2025. Frank E. Petersen Jr., assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christian Kibler)