NORTH ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 9, 2021) An E/A-18G Growler, from the �Cougars� of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139, approaches the flight deck of the aircraft 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 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 Joseph Calabrese)