Practice ammunition are armed on an F/A-18 Super Hornet as an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the "Royal Maces" of Strike Fighter Squadron 27 launches from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington during a war-at-sea exercise as part of Valiant Shield. Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 5 embarked aboard George Washington, CVW 17 embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson and P-3C Orion patrol aircraft participated in this Valiant Shield WASEX to enhance their operational proficiencies while successfully engaging surface combatants in a dynamic environment. Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only exercise integrating 18,000 U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps personnel more than 200 aircraft and 19 surface ships, offering real-world joint operational experience to develop capabilities that provide a full range of options to defend U.S. interests and those of its allies and partners.