GULF OF OMAN (Feb. 17, 2022) The guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) fires a Phalanx close-in-weapon-system (CIWS) at an inflatable target during a live-fire exercise in the Gulf of Oman. Gridley is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Colby A. Mothershead)