Canadian supply ship MV Asterix extends its fuel boom to Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156) in front of Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) and U.S. Navy Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) 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: | 04.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2026 23:38 |
| Photo ID: | 9624655 |
| VIRIN: | 260416-N-DC740-1054 |
| Resolution: | 1852x1482 |
| Size: | 1.09 MB |
| Location: | SOUTH CHINA SEA |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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