POTD: Ships in Formation
Today’s Photo of the Day is rather impressive and recalls me of the old “Peace Through Superior Firepower”.
We have the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier leading a formation of ships assigned to Carrier Strike Group 5 as an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft and Navy F/A-18 Hornets pass overhead.
This was during a photo exercise in the Philippine Sea, Sept. 17, 2018, as part of Valiant Shield 2018.
Exercise Valiant Shield
The exercise Valiant Shield is one of the largest United States military war games held in the Pacific Ocean. Until 2018, there have been seven Valiant Shield exercises since 2006. According to the Navy, Valiant Shield focuses on cooperation between military branches and on the detection, tracking, and engagement of units at sea, in the air, and on land in response to a wide range of missions.
The first exercise in 2006 involved 22,000 personnel, 280 aircraft, and 30 ships, including the supercarriers USS Kitty Hawk, USS Abraham Lincoln, and USS Ronald Reagan.This gives you the scale of the operations.
It was the largest military exercise to be conducted by the United States in Pacific waters since the Vietnam War, and it was also the first time observers from the People’s Republic of China were allowed to view U.S. wargames.
It wouldn’t surprise me if there are a few submarines hidden in the waters.
Sources: The Navy photo is taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erwin Miciano. Wikipedia.