LUZON STRAIT (Feb. 29, 2024) An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Flying Checkmates" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211 launches off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Feb. 29, 2024. Forces assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command perform operations in and around critical sea passages and trade thoroughfares to deter threats that create regional instability and impinge on the free flow of goods, people, and ideas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Aaron Haro Gonzalez)