190827-N-MM912-1007 ARABIAN SEA (Aug. 27, 2019) An F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the "Jolly Rogers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. 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). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Singley/Released)