Refueling Down Under

The conventionally powered aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) receives fuel during a replenishment at sea from the Royal Australian Navy auxiliary oiler replenishment ship HMAS Success (AOR 304). The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) and the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) trail astern. Kitty Hawk is currently operating in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia's Queensland region as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2005. Talisman Sabre is an exercise jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command, and designed to train the U.S. Seventh Fleet commander's staff and Australian Joint Operations staff as a designated Combined Task Force (CTF) headquarters. The exercise focuses on crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations. U.S. Pacific Command units and Australian forces will conduct land, sea and air training throughout the training area. More than 11,000 U.S. and 6,000 Australian personnel will participate. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class William H. Ramsey.