U.S., Japan, Republic of Korea Conduct Trilateral Ballistic Missile Defense Exercise
Operations Specialist 3rd Class Savannah Valdez, from San Diego, stands watch in the Combat Information Center aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) during a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force guided-missile destroyer JS Atago (DDG 177) and Republic of Korea Navy Sejong the Great-class destroyer ROKS YulGok Yi I (DDG 992). Benfold is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations as part of Destroyer Squadron 15. U.S. 7th Fleet is 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 Seaman Alexis Pelletier)