SOUTH CHINA SEA (May 1, 2024) The forward close-in weapons system fires during a live-fire exercise aboard the amphibious dock landing ship, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) as part of Exercise Balikatan 24 in the South China Sea, May 1, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sang Kim)