190405-N-RI884-1806 SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 5, 2019) An F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) in international airspace in support of Exercise Balikatan 2019. In its 35th iteration, Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and other combined military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Barker/Released)