LOOK: US Navy conducts flight operations in Philippine Sea

An AV-8B Harrier, assigned to the “Tomcats” of Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311, takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), March 2. US Navy photo

The United States Navy with its forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) has conducted flight operations in Philippine Sea, March 2.

The Philippine Sea is bordered by the Philippine archipelago (Luzon, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao) on the southwest; Halmahera, Morotai, Palau, Yap, and Ulithi (of the Carolines) on the southeast; the Marianas, including Guam, Saipan, and Tinian, on the east; the Bonin and Iwo Jima on the northeast; the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyūshū on the north; the Ryukyu Islands on the northwest; and Taiwan in the west.

USS Bonhomme Richard departed Sasebo, Japan for a regularly-scheduled patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) on February 27.

It arrived at White Beach, Okinawa in Japan March 4 to embark Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), along with their vehicles and cargo prior to departing for a routine patrol.

“Since departing Sasebo, Japan, the Bonhomme Richard crew has ran numerous drills preparing for an engineering certification and conducted a night-time replenishment at sea, while deck department embarked landing craft air cushions (LCACs) of Naval Beach Unit Seven and air department embarked aircraft from three squadrons,” USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs said.