Keywords: US Navy 050809-F-3177P-185 The guided missile cruiser USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51) sails though the Bridge of the Americas as it departs the port of Vasco Nunez de Balboa.jpg en Panama City Panama Aug 9 2005 The guided missile cruiser USS Thomas S Gates CG 51 sails though the Bridge of the Americas as it departs the port of Vasco Nunez de Balboa to conduct the at-sea portion of the PANAMAX 2005 exercise PANAMAX is a training exercise in defense of the Panama Canal involving 15 countries The Panama Canal is critical to the free flow of trade and goods in the Western Hemisphere and the entire world The region's economy and stability largely depend on the safe transport of several hundred million tons of cargo that transit through the canal every year U S Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Veronica Pierce RELEASED 2005-08-09 050809-F-3177P-185 Navy http //www navy mil/view_image asp id 27059 U S Navy photo PD-USGov-Military-Navy PANAMAX 2005 USS Thomas S Gates CG-51 Bridge of the Americas Panama United States Navy on the Panama Canal |