ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 2, 2020) An F/A-18F Super Hornet, from the �Fighting Redcocks� of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz, the flagship of Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Joseph Calabrese)