Sailors from the ordnance department of the USS Independence (CV 62) prepare to load an AIM-54C Phoenix missile onto the wing of an F-14 Tomcat on the flight deck of the USS Independence (CV 62) while the ship operates in the Persian Gulf on March 4, 1998. Independence and its embarked Carrier Air Wing 5 are on station in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch which is the and coalition enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Southern Iraq. The Tomcat is attached to Fighter Squadron 154, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.

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Size: 1583px × 1263px
Photo credit: © Vital Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: archive, armed, defence, forces, military, reportage, servicemen, usa