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SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 6, 2025) — An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the “Blue Diamonds” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the South China Sea, June 6, 2025. Nimitz is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew C. Wolf)