MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Aug. 14, 2023) Lt. Christopher Lee, assigned to the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department, scans the flight deck before launching an E-2D Hawkeye, attached to the “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124, Aug. 14, 2023. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy's capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Simon Pike)