260416-N-SF508-1075

U.S. 7th Fleet Deputy Commander Rear Adm. Kyle Gantt, right, greets Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Surface Warfare Squadron 6 Commodore Capt. Jo Takemasa on the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) flight deck during a bilateral exercise with the JMSDF in the South China Sea, April 16, 2026. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles Oki)