USS George Washington conducts flight ops in Philippine Sea

An E-2D Hawkeye, assigned to Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115, readies for take off on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) while underway in the Philippine Sea, July 11, 2026. The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. George Washington is the U.S. Navy’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Estrella Velarde)