An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Royal Maces of Strike Fighter Squadron 27 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington. George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.