F/A-18E/F Super Hornets attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137 release MK12/BLU-111 aircraft bombs on simulated targets during an air power demonstration over the Gulf of America, launched from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), June 11, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of Department of War-directed operations, and the president's priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, deter malign actors and protect the homeland through continuous presence. Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are the pinnacle of mobile naval air power projection and forward operational presence. No other weapons system possesses the responsiveness,...
