Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Leading Seaman Dominic Turkalj and Leading Seaman Brayden Kennedy, both assigned to RAN Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156), disembarks RAN MH-60R Sea Hawk on the flight deck of Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) for a crew exchange during a multilateral exercise with RAN and Royal Canadian Armed Forces in the South China Sea, April 14, 2026. Ashland and embarked Sailors and Marines from Task Force Ashland are a flexible crisis response force, purpose-built to integrate with allies and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. This forward deployment demonstrates the unwavering U.S. commitment to regional security and stability. U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John B. Hetherington)
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2026 23:32 |
| Photo ID: | 9624650 |
| VIRIN: | 260414-N-DC740-2030 |
| Resolution: | 4636x3090 |
| Size: | 3.1 MB |
| Location: | SOUTH CHINA SEA |
| Web Views: | 5 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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