BAY OF BENGAL (Oct. 16, 2021) A Sailor directs an F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, as it prepares to launch off the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as part of Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) 2021, Oct. 16, 2021. MPX 2021 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)