PowerPoint Show by Andrew

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Pilots and crew on board the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower arrived in the Persian Gulf three months ago to lead the fight against ISIS. 

The mission is to kill ISIS fighters and support Iraqi and Syrian ground forces.

The Eisenhower is equipped with Hornets and Super Hornets to blast the enemy, flying eyes in the sky to monitor their movements, and support aircraft - and more than 7,000 men and women.

Ground crew carry out final checks as a pilot and co-pilot on an F-18D, part of the Swordsmen squadron, wait for their mission to begin.

Ground crew get ready for another F/A-18E Super Hornet to take to the air. It is from the Gunslingers, a strike fighter squadron which is one of the nine squadrons embarked on the 'Ike'.

A Super Hornet is placed in take-off position with the steam catapult attached to its front undercarriage. It will propel the combat jet to 200mph in two seconds.

The Super Hornet is given the signal to take off, which means the steam catapult attached to it will propel it to the end of the carrier.

The Superhornet  - one of VFA 22 squadron's complement - is at the end of the steam catapult and about to use its own power to become airborne.

The next stage of the journey for the Super Hornet, whose pilot has just experienced going from zero to 200mph in two seconds.

As one combat aircraft takes off, just some of the awesome air power on board can be seen on deck.

The crew of an F-18D are about to be cleared to take to the air by ground crew.

An F-18D Hornet (right) is in the foreground as just part of the air power is lined up on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The supercarrier can steam at 30 knots, with pilots taking off an landing as it moves at full speed.

The 'island' is the six-story command center which oversees the carrier's own voyage and the movement of aircraft on and off deck.

The standard armament for most missions is 1,000lb JDAM GPS-guided gravity bombs, which are fixed to weapons hard points on the underside of the Hornets and Super Hornets.

Planes are stowed in the hangar between missions, where basic preparations are carried out before they are lifted onto deck.

The Eisenhower is blasting ISIS fighters like these from the sky with the aim of ending their control of territory in Iraq and Syria.

The 'island' is where the ship's commanders can see everything happening on deck. Dozens of crew can be on deck at any one time as planes are prepared for take-off and landing.

Commander Jeremy Rifas serves as 'Air Boss' for the Eisenhower and is in charge of all operations involving aircraft.

Crew walk the deck looking for FOD (Foreign Objects or Debris) in a gap between take-offs and landing.

An F/A-18E and an F-18D (right) are waiting for their crew to arrive and take-off to begin. The jet on the right is carrying extra fuel tanks under its left wing.

An F-18 Hornet is fully-armed ahead of a mission, with four bombs, two under each wing, an extra fuel tank on its undercarriage, and an air-to-air missile on its left wing-tip.

The planes are brought down by an aircraft elevator into the hangar, then prepared for the next mission, with GPS-guided bombs among the armament attached as payload.

In the hangar an F-18D twin-seater fighter is attended to by technicians.

Moving planes between the deck and the hangar is done on four lifts, each capable of moving two planes at once.

Two Seahawks on the Eisenhower. The helicopters are multi-role, landing with supplies or personnel from land, and can also move people and supplies between the Ike and other Navy ships in the Gulf.

An F-18 Hornet is less than a second from landing as it comes down towards deck with its tail hook extended. It is flying at more than 200mph as it needs to be able to take off again if the landing goes wrong.

Just feet from the deck, the pilot must move his F-18 so that the tail hook connects with the cable, as thick as an arm, which will help bring the combat aircraft to a halt.

Just feet from the deck, the pilot must move his F-18 so that the tail hook connects with the cable, as thick as an arm, which will help bring the combat aircraft to a halt.

Even with the cutting-edge technology on board, physical strength is needed to keep operations going, including moving the chains used to secure planes to the runway.

Due to noise on board the ship, not a word is spoken between the various ground crew who can be distinguished only by the color of their jerseys when preparing for takeoff.

Different squads of crew carry out different roles, with their uniforms color-coded to make clear who is who.

Temperature on the flight deck can reach 145F. Crew have to be almost completely covered against the heat.

The carrier has a dedicated jet engine shop which carries out maintenance on the Hornet and Super Hornet's engines, allowing them to stay at sea for months.

Crew in the jet shop are responsible for keeping the planes' propulsion systems operating for months at a time.

Zlando Dharn (left)  and Lauren Murther (right) control the movements of planes on deck , with each model coded according to its role.

An E-2 Hawkeye in the hangar between missions. The flying radar surveillance operation makes it one of the most important parts of the carrier's complement.