BAY OF BENGAL (Oct. 17, 2021) The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) steams in formation with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Izumo-class helicopter destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 184), Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and U.K. Royal Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) as part of Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX), Oct. 17, 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 Alex Kraft)