At sea aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Feb. 17, 2003 -- An F/A-18C “Hornet”, armed with the AIM-9M Sidewinder missile, stands ready for launch.

At sea aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Feb. 17, 2003 -- An F/A-18C “Hornet”, armed with the AIM-9M Sidewinder missile, stands ready for launch. The Sidewinder missile is a short-range, heat seeking, air-intercept missile, used by 28 different nations including the United States. Kitty Hawk and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) are in the Indian Ocean with coalition forces in that area. Kitty Hawk is the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier and operates out of Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Todd Frantom. (RELEASED)