BAY OF BENGAL (Oct. 15, 2021) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) prepares to conduct a replenishment-at-sea with the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) during Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX), Oct. 15, 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 Ensign Sarah Weinstein)