INDIAN OCEAN -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) completed a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Anzac (III) (FFH 150) in the Indian Ocean, March 10.

This exercise is the first time that USS Bunker Hill operated with the Royal Australian Navy during its deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

“It was a pleasure and my good fortune to operate with the Royal Australian Navy again,” said Capt. Shea Thompson, commanding officer of Bunker Hill. “Their professionalism and discipline has been on display every time I have deployed to this region. I am thankful for the opportunity to build on our historically strong and enduring relationship.”

The U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy frequently operate together, demonstrating their interoperability and the strength of the relationship between the two countries. This exercise allowed both navies to practice their communication, navigation, and ship handling proficiency.

Bunker Hill, part of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to build partnerships that foster maritime security and to conduct a wide range of operations that support humanitarian efforts and freedom of the seas.

As the U.S. Navy's largest forward deployed fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet routinely operates between 50-70 ships and submarines and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 Sailors. 7th Fleet's area of operation spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South Pacific, providing security and stability to the region. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security while conducting a wide-range of missions to support humanitarian efforts and uphold international laws and freedoms of the sea.

Bunker Hill departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific December 23.