SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 24, 2021) The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Fuyuzuki (DD 118) steams alongside the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U. S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Eric Stanton)