Image of the Day: Ready, Set, Take Off!

An E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the “Black Eagles of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, takes off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

The image was taken during Ronald Reagan’s deployment in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Southern California, on July 17.

Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier. It is the ninth ship of her class. She is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Upon her christening in 2001, she was the first ship to be named for a still living former president.

Image: US Navy