BAY OF BENGAL (Oct. 17, 2021) Ships and aircraft from the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Royal Navy, led by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) and the JMSDF Izumo-class helicopter destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 184) transit in formation during Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) 2021, Oct. 17, 2021. MPX is a multilateral maritime exercise between the Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, U.K. Royal Navy, and U.S. maritime forces focused on naval cooperation, interoperability and regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and is an example of the enduring partnership between Australian, Japanese, U.K. and U.S. maritime forces, who routinely operate together in the Indo-Pacific, fostering a cooperative approach toward regional security and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Haydn N. Smith)