An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Photos

Snapshots of what’s happening in the Defense Department.

A flight deck crewman instructs the pilot of an F/A-18C Hornet to throttle up his engines prior to a catapult launch from the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) on Dec. 7, 2005. The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group is operating in the South China Sea from its homeport of Yokosuka, Japan.

A flight deck crewman instructs the pilot of an F/A-18C Hornet to throttle up his engines.

A flight deck crewman instructs the pilot of an F/A-18C Hornet to throttle up his engines prior to a catapult launch from the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) on Dec. 7, 2005. The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group is operating in the South China Sea from its homeport of Yokosuka, Japan.

Photo Gallery