IAINAV

On 5 January sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) man the rails as the ship departs her homeport of San Diego. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is departing on a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific where it will conduct bilateral exercises in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. – US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Jackson Norgart/Released©

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, and embarked Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 1 have been deployed with Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108).

While deployed, the Carl Vinson CSG will remain under US 3rd Fleet command and control, including beyond the International Date Line which previously divided operational areas of responsibility for the 3rd and the 7th Fleets. Third Fleet operating forward offers additional options to the Pacific Fleet commander by leveraging the capabilities of the 3rd and the 7th Fleets. This operational concept allows both numbered fleets to complement one another and provide the foundation of stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.