ARABIAN SEA (March 19, 2021) The Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73), left, the French navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91), center, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Ariake (DD 109), right, and the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) transit the Arabian Sea in support of Gulf Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise (GASWEX) 21. GASWEX 21 is a multilateral maritime exercise in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, with France, Belgium, Japan, and U.S., which provides a unique opportunity for participating forces to enhance mutual interoperability and capabilities in maritime security, anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare operations, allowing participating naval forces to effectively develop the necessary skills to address threats to regional security, freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ethan Jaymes Morrow)