SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 31, 2023) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducts flight operations in the South China Sea. Nimitz is conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Hannah Kantner)