U.S. 6TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (June 18, 2021) A U.S. Marine assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 21, prepares to launch an F-35B Lightning II from the flight deck of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on June 18, 2021. Alongside the United Kingdom�s 617 Squadron, VMFA-211 is conducting combat sorties in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the first combat operations launched from Queen Elizabeth. OIR is the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria and the wider international community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Zachary Bodner)