Stennis, Essex perform joint exercises in Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy's Stennis and Essex groups were also supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel, meant to support ground operations and help provide the basis of a political solution in Afghanistan.

"Carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups are inherently flexible maneuver forces, and these high-end integrated operations illustrate our commitment to the Central Region and demonstrate our ability to deliver naval combat power at a time and place of our choosing," Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet, said in a statement.

The John C. Stennis and the Essex also plan to conduct an in-flight refueling of an F-35 Lightning II from an F/A-18F Super Hornet, alongside other training.

Stennis has the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Mobile Bay and two destroyers, along with it's normal air

complement.

The Nimitz-class Stennis is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier designed for surface warfare and has a complement of over 70 aircraft, as well as an escort of several destroyers, cruisers and, usually, submarines.

The Essex is a Wasp-class light carrier designed for amphibious invasion, with aircraft and other tools meant for shorebound strike missions. It can carry Marines, other ground elements, aircraft and amphibious assault vehicles.