PHILIPPINE SEA – The Ronald Reagan and John C. Stennis Strike Groups began coordinated, routine surface and air operations in international waters of the Philippine Sea this week.
Squadron pilots attached to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) made the first successful landings aboard Ronald Reagan as part of the exercise Nov. 13.
"All Navy pilots use the same standardized procedures and the same manuals so we as a Navy can operate anywhere in the world that we need to," said Lt. Cmdr. Reid Smith while aboard Reagan. Smith is an Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 pilot normally embarked on Stennis.
U.S. Navy aircraft carriers have conducted dual and triple carrier strike group operations in the Western Pacific, including waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula, Sea of Japan, South China Sea, East China Seaand Philippine Sea, for nearly two decades.
"The processes are the same across the board, and that makes interoperability between an air wing and an aircraft carrier seamless," said Lt. Chris Miller, a Naval Flight Officer for the "Wizards" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133.
These operations typically occur when San Diego-based strike groups deploy from 3 rd Fleet and enter7th Fleet area of operations. Last year, Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducted similar combined operations in the Philippine Sea.
The Ronald Reagan Strike Group and John C. Stennis Strike Group are underway and conducting operations, in international waters as part of a dual carrier strike force exercise. The U.S. Navy has patrolled the Indo-Pacific region routinely for more than 70 years promoting regional security, stabilityand prosperity.