USS John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) ships commenced an undersea warfare exercise (USWEX) in the Hawaiian operating area on Monday as part of the strike group's final test and evaluation before arriving in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) and western Pacific Ocean. Exercises like this are conducted several times throughout the year in the waters near Hawaii for maritime commanders to asses the undersea warfare capabilities of deploying strike groups. "We're taking part in an undersea warfare exercise as directed by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet," said Master Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Lucas Stiles, an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) analyst assigned to the Commander Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21.