ARABIAN GULF (April 19, 2021) The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) fires its Mark 45 5-inch gun during a live-fire exercise in the Arabian Gulf. Monterey is supporting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and conducting naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Chelsea Palmer)