260504-N-ER894-1160

An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 hovers over the flight deck of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) while the ship is underway in the Indian Ocean, May 4, 2026. Mustin is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. 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 2nd Class Timothy Dimal)