Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Melvin Dominguez from Tujunga directs an E-2D Hawkeye, assigned to the “Wallbangers” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117, on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a U.S.-Japan bilateral exercise.
During bilateral exercises between Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) the two navies strengthen all-domain awareness and maneuvers across a distributed maritime environment. Bilateral operations like this one reassure allies of the United States and partners of the U.S. commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.