INDIAN OCEAN (Jan. 6, 2021) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) transits the Indian Ocean, Jan. 6, 2020. The 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 and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Drace Wilson)