MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Oct. 11, 2023) F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the "Ragin' Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37, front, and an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the "Blacklions" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 conduct flight operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 11, 2023. VFA-213 and VFA-37 are deployed aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) as a part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8. 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 currently operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo)