170610-N-ZW825-907 SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 10, 2017)

170610-N-ZW825-907 SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 10, 2017) A Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) CH-124 Sea King helicopter assigned to RCN ship HMCS Winnipeg (338) approaches Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104). Sterett, Winnipeg, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships JS Izumo (DDH 183) and JS Sazanami (DD 113), and Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) conducted a series of maritime operations together in the South China Sea. Sterett is part of the Sterett-Dewey Surface Action Group and is the third deploying group operating under the command and control construct called 3rd Fleet Forward. U.S. 3rd Fleet operating forward offers additional options to the Pacific Fleet commander by leveraging the capabilities of 3rd and 7th Fleets. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Byron C. Linder/Released)