An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the "Stingers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 113 flys above the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan prior to its final approach to make an arrested landing. While in its fighter mode the Hornet is used primarily as an escort and for fleet air defense. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is on a routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility. Operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, the 7th Fleet is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets covering 52 million square miles, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 Sailors and Marines assigned at any given time.