190425-N-FB291-1053 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (April 25, 2019)

190425-N-FB291-1053
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (April 25, 2019) Two F/A-18E Super Hornets from the "Pukin' Dogs" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143 launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) to conduct a long-range strike exercise together with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, U.S. Air Force 603rd Air Control Squadron and the Romanian Air Force. Abraham Lincoln is deployed as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) in support of maritime security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th, U.S. 6th and U.S. 7th Fleet areas of operation. With Abraham Lincoln as the flagship, deployed strike group assets include staffs, ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG 12), Destroyer Squadron 2 (DESRON 2), USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW 7); as well as Àlvaro de Bazàn-class frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez (F 104). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matt Herbst/Released)