_underway_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_on_30_January_2019_(190130-N-PW716-1312).JPG) USSAbraham Lincoln (CVN-72) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 30 January 2019 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Abraham Lincoln |
| Namesake | Abraham Lincoln |
| Operator | U.S. Navy |
| Awarded | 27 December 1982 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Cost | $2.24 billion ($6.82 billion in 2024) |
| Laid down | 3 November 1984 |
| Launched | 13 February 1988 |
| Sponsored by | JoAnn K. Webb |
| Christened | 13 February 1988 |
| Acquired | 30 October 1989 |
| Commissioned | 11 November 1989 |
| Home port | Naval Air Station North Island |
| Identification |
|
| Motto | Shall Not Perish |
| Nickname(s) | Abe |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Nimitz-classaircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 104,300 long tons (116,800 short tons)[1][2][3] |
| Length |
|
| Beam | Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | Over 30knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | Unlimited distance; 20–25 years |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors & processing systems | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 90 fixed wing and helicopters |
USSAbraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is the fifthNimitz-classaircraft carrier in theUnited States Navy. She is the third Navy ship to have been named after the former PresidentAbraham Lincoln. Her home port isNAS North Island, San Diego, California; she is a member of theUnited States Pacific Fleet. She is administratively responsible to Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific, and operationally serves as theflagship ofCarrier Strike Group 3 and host toCarrier Air Wing Nine.[4] She was returned to the fleet on 12 May 2017, marking the successful completion of herRefueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) carried out atNewport News Shipyard.
Abraham Lincoln is part ofCarrier Strike Group Three (CSG-3) withCarrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) embarked, withAbraham Lincoln as theflagship of the strike group and the home of the commander ofDestroyer Squadron 21.
| Code | Insignia | Squadron | Nickname | Assigned Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VFA-14 |  | Strike Fighter Squadron 14 | Tophatters | F/A-18E Super Hornet |
| VFA-41 |  | Strike Fighter Squadron 41 | Black Aces | F/A-18F Super Hornet |
| VMFA-314 |  | Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 | Black Knights | F-35C Lightning II |
| VFA-151 |  | Strike Fighter Squadron 151 | Vigilantes | F/A-18E Super Hornet |
| VAQ-133 |  | Electronic Attack Squadron 133 | Wizards | EA-18G Growler |
| VAW-117 | _-_insignia.jpg) | Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117 | Wallbangers | E-2D Hawkeye |
| HSC-14 | _emblem_2015.png) | Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 | Chargers | MH-60S Seahawk |
| HSM-71 | _insignia_2016.png) | Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 | Raptors | MH-60R Seahawk |
Abraham Lincoln's contract was awarded toNewport News Shipbuilding on 27 December 1982; her keel was laid 3 November 1984 atNewport News, Virginia. The ship waslaunched on 13 February 1988 andcommissioned on 11 November 1989.
Abraham Lincoln was transferred to the Pacific in September 1990 performingGringo-Gaucho with theArgentine Naval Aviation during the transit. From 4 October,Abraham Lincoln formed CTG 24.8 in company withUSS Doyle; 6 October transit withUSS Pawcatuck andDoyle in company.[5] On 5 November 1990, asAbraham Lincoln was anchored inValparaíso,Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez guerrillas detonated a bomb inside the restaurant Max und Moritz, in the seaside resort ofViña del Mar, wounding three of her sailors.[6]
Abraham Lincoln's maidenWestern Pacific deployment came unexpectedly on 28 May 1991 in response toOperation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The ship had the staffs of Commander,Carrier Group Three, Rear Admiral Timothy W. Wright, andDestroyer Squadron 9 embarked, as well asCarrier Air Wing Eleven. She was accompanied by a seven-ship battle group.[7]
_battle_group_underway_in_the_Pacific_Ocean_on_1_June_1991_(6475470).jpeg)
While heading towards the Indian Ocean, the ship was diverted to support evacuation operations afterMount Pinatubo erupted onLuzon Island in the Philippines. In support ofOperation Fiery Vigil,Abraham Lincoln led a 23-ship armada that moved over 45,000 people from theSubic Bay Naval Station to the port ofCebu in theVisayas. It was the largest peacetime evacuation of active military personnel and their families in history. One baby was born onboardAbraham Lincoln during the evacuation; his mother named him Abraham Lincoln Prestera. After Fiery Vigil,Abraham Lincoln steamed toward thePersian Gulf, to run reconnaissance andcombat air patrols in Iraq and Kuwait, assisting allied and US troops involved with Desert Storm. In early 1992, the ship was atNaval Air Station Alameda on Ship's Restricted Availability for minor maintenance and refitting.
From June 1993,Abraham Lincoln was theflagship of Commander, Carrier Group Three.[8] In October 1993, the carrier was ordered to the coast of Somalia to assist United Nations humanitarian operations. For four weeks,Abraham Lincoln flew air patrols overMogadishu in support ofOperation Restore Hope.
Abraham Lincoln was the first Pacific Fleet carrier to integrate female aviators into the crew after the Combat Exclusion Laws were lifted on 28 April 1993. The ship leftSan Diego on 24 October 1994, to begin refresher training. The next day, LieutenantKara Spears Hultgreen, the first femaleF-14 Tomcat pilot, died when her plane crashed into the sea. Her F-14 suffered acompressor stall as she made her final approach, losing power to one of the engines. She aborted the landing to the best of her ability in an effort to prevent a collision with the aft end of the ship, and the plane inverted and went into the ocean. Radar intercept officer Lieutenant Matthew Klemish ejected safely from the plane and was rescued from the water minutes later. Hultgreen, who was automatically ejected 0.4 seconds after Klemish, rocketed straight into the ocean and was instantly killed. Her body, still strapped in the ejection seat, was recovered 19 days later.[9]
In February 1995, while maneuvering in fog off San Diego,Abraham Lincoln accidentally entered the racing area for the1995 Louis Vuitton Cup, causing a yacht race in progress to be cancelled.[10]
Abraham Lincoln's third deployment began in April 1995 when she was sent to the Persian Gulf and took part inOperation Southern Watch and inOperation Vigilant Sentinel.[11] During an underway replenishment,Abraham Lincoln was run into byUSS Sacramento, when the latter had steering difficulties due to a split rudder, impactingSacramento's port side, crushing the M-frames, partially crushing a female crew berthing area, and punching a large hole inAbraham Lincoln's superstructure (Meteorology compartment).Abraham Lincoln was able to continue on with her mission, whileSacramento had to dock atJebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, for several weeks for repair.
Abraham Lincoln began a fourth deployment in June 1998. Once again, the ship headed for the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch.[12]Abraham Lincoln was awarded theArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal, andAbraham Lincoln carrier battle group theMeritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.[13]
The carrier's fifth deployment commenced in August 2000, whenAbraham Lincoln again traveled to the Persian Gulf in support of Southern Watch. On this deployment, the carrier, air wing, and battle group ships earned the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. The ship earned theArleigh Burke Fleet Trophy as the most improved command in thePacific Fleet.
Abraham Lincoln was in port on 11 September 2001. The carrier was put to sea on 20 July 2002 to supportOperation Enduring Freedom. She took up station once more in support ofOperation Southern Watch before taking a port visit toFremantle, Western Australia. During this time,Abraham Lincoln was ordered to the Persian Gulf to take part inOperation Iraqi Freedom. This forced the Navy to extendAbraham Lincoln's stay from 20 January to 6 May 2003. The news of this extension was delivered to the ship's crew on New Year's morning, by the then battle group commander, Rear Admiral Kelly, with the phrase, "We don't need to be home holding our loved ones, we need to be here holding the line. Get over it!". The term "Get over it" became a running joke aboard ship, which eventually led to a deployment patch made aboard that read "Westpac 2003 CVN-72 CVW-14 GET OVER IT", with an image intended to depict an admiral kicking a sailor in the groin.[14]
_Mission_Accomplished.jpg)
Abraham Lincoln and the carrier battle group and air wing helped deliver the opening salvos and air strikes in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the air wing's deployment, some 16,500 sorties were flown and 1.6 million pounds of ordnance were used. Sea Control Squadron 35 (VS-35), the "Blue Wolves", was instrumental in delivering over 1,000,000 pounds (450,000 kg) of fuel to these strike aircraft, one of the largest aerial refueling undertakings by a carrier aviation squadron in history.[15]
The carrier returned home in May 2003, in the process receiving a visit from PresidentGeorge W. Bush before officially endingAbraham Lincoln's deployment by docking at San Diego before returning to homeport in Everett, Washington. Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq. While this statement did coincide with an end to the conventional phase of the war, Bush's assertion—and a sign displayed during his visit—became controversial afterguerrilla warfare in Iraq increased during theIraqi insurgency. The vast majority of casualties, both military and civilian, occurred after the speech.[15]
TheWhite House said their services constructed the banner. As explained by Commander Conrad Chun, a Navy spokesman, "The banner was a Navy idea, the ship's idea. The idea popped up in one of the meetings aboard the ship preparing for her homecoming and thought it would be good to have a banner, 'Mission Accomplished.' The sailors then asked if the White House could get the sign made. The banner signified the successful completion of the ship's deployment," Cmdr. Chun continued, noting thatAbraham Lincoln was deployed 290 days, longer than any other nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in history. This record was broken in 2020.[citation needed]
In June 2004, following a ten-month docking period, the ship put to sea for the start of working up prior to deployment. During this period, a film crew was hosted aboard to produce scenes for the filmStealth, which included the presence of a full-scale model of a fictional aircraft, the F/A-37 Talon, that would feature as operating from the carrier.[16] On 1 October 2004, the carrier's controlling formation was re-designated from Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three toCarrier Strike Group Nine.Abraham Lincoln departed for her next voyage on 15 October 2004.[17]
The carrier was on a port call in Hong Kong when the 9.0-magnitude2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck southern Asia on 26 December 2004. To help with the international relief effort and assist with search and rescue efforts already underway, Carrier Strike Group 9, led byAbraham Lincoln deployed to the hard-hit western coast ofSumatra andAceh in Indonesia to providehumanitarian assistance as part ofOperation Unified Assistance.[17]Abraham Lincoln's Air Transportation Office coordinated the flow of supplies into the region, and the carrier provided air traffic control for the relief effort.[18][19] Sailors fromAbraham Lincoln's Engineering Department Repair Division designed a potable water manifold to help bring fresh water to Aceh Province, Sumatra, with the system beginning to ship the much-needed fresh water on 4 January.[20]
In total,Carrier Strike Group Three delivered 5,929,000 pounds (2,689,000 kg) of relief and humanitarian supplies, including 2,915,500 pounds (1,322,400 kg) of food and 748,410 pounds (339,470 kg) of medical supplies, during Operation Unified Assistance.[21] Carrier Strike Group Three received theHumanitarian Service Medal in recognition of its humanitarian assistance/disaster response (HA/DR) efforts during the OUA mission.[22]
_stationed_off_the_coast_of_the_island_of_Sumatra%2c_Indonesia.jpg)
In mid-January 2005, the carrier left Indonesian waters after the Indonesian government refused to allow fighter pilots assigned toAbraham Lincoln to conduct air patrols and training flights. By law, US carrier-based pilots must practice at least once every two to three weeks to remain "fit", otherwise they are grounded. Despite the move into international waters,Abraham Lincoln continued to provide support to the region until 4 February. During the carrier's 33 days on station, she, along with her battle group, Carrier Strike Group Nine delivered 5.7 million pounds of relief supplies. The 17helicopters assigned to HSL-47 Saberhawks and HS-2 "Golden Falcons", attached to CVW-2 flew 1,747 relief missions along the western coast of Sumatra. The carrier's departure coincided with the arrival of the hospital shipMercy.
Between 7 March and 27 May 2005,Abraham Lincoln underwent a docking planned incremental availability yard overhaul atNaval Station Everett, Washington, and following subsequent sustainment training, the carrier underwent an additional planned incremental availability at NS Everett between 28 June and 26 August 2005.[23] Between 1 and 23 June 2005,Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) trained in the northern Pacific, conducting their quarterly Integrated Strike Group (ISG) Sustainment Training cycle.[23][24]
Abraham Lincoln carried out surge sustainment training for the Fleet Response Plan, fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications, and Joint Task Force Exercise 2005 in southern Californian waters between 19 October and 16 November 2005.[23][25][26] For JTFEX-05,Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two were joined by the guided-missile cruiserMobile Bay; the guided-missile destroyersRussell andShoup, andCarrier Strike Group Seven led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrierUSS Ronald Reagan.[23][27]
On 18 December 2006,Abraham Lincoln left the dry dock at the shipyard ahead of schedule and under budget. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility completed ship tank maintenance in less than half the scheduled time. In 89 days, 18 tanks were completed. The Tank Value Stream Team achieved this by partnering with Ship's Force and theAbraham Lincoln Project Team. While in dry dock, the whole ship was painted by the crew at nights and on weekends rather than waiting for contractors to do the job.[28]
On 5 January 2006, the carrierAbraham Lincoln departed her homeport of Everett and transited to San Diego, California, for a scheduled underway period to undertake sustainment training exercises and post-refit inspection by the US Navy'sBoard of Inspection and Survey which were completed from 21 to 24 February.[29][30]
On 29 August 2006,Abraham Lincoln arrived atNaval Base Kitsap inBremerton, Washington, and on 8 September 2006, the carrier entered Dry Dock No. 6 at thePuget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility to begin a scheduled Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) yard maintenance period.[30][31][32] Major projects for this DPIA included the refurbishment of ship tanks, work on three of the four catapults, modernization of navigation systems, resurfacing of the flight deck, and updates to the ship'slocal area network.Abraham Lincoln also received installation of theRIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system, which improved the ship's close-range defensive capabilities.[32][33][34][35] On 18 December 2008,Abraham Lincoln left dry dock ahead of schedule and under budget because the PSNS and IMF yard teams were able to cut the time of ship tank maintenance by more than half, completing 18 tanks in 89 days.[36]
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The aircraft carrierAbraham Lincoln held a fast cruise from the pier from 23 to 25 June and left Puget Sound on 26 June to conduct sea trials before returning to her homeport of Naval Station Everett on 30 June 2007.[33][37][38][39]Abraham Lincoln underwent flight deck carrier qualifications while sailing in southern Californian waters 12–15 July . F/A-18E Super Hornets and F/A-18C Hornets from strike squadrons VFA-137 and VFA-151 joinedVX-23 test pilots performed precision approach drills to ensure that the ship's equipment, such as the Precision Approach Landing System, operated within close tolerances, with SH-60B Seahawks from squadron HS-2 providing search and rescue capabilities during flight operations.[33][40]
On 20 August,Abraham Lincoln and embarkedCarrier Air Wing Two completed their 25-day Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) training period off southern California. TSTA is designed to prepare the ship and crew for full integration into a carrier strike group, and FEP is a graded 48-hour evolution to evaluate how well the units learned during TSTA.Abraham Lincoln and embarked CVW-2 aircraft conducted over 1,000 fixed-wing sorties.Abraham Lincoln completed five replenishments-at-sea evolutions, including two with thefleet replenishment oilerHenry J. Kaiser, and participated in 18 general quarters (GQ) drills. Also, on 13 August,Abraham Lincoln tested her defensive capabilities when she fired fourRIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, with two of them atBQM-74E Chukar remote-operated aerial target drones.[33][41] Carrier Strike Group Nine'sComposite Unit Training Exercise featured 24 sailors from Mobile Security Squadron 2 (MSRON-2), Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Team 1, a first for West Coast-based U.S. Navy ships. MSRON-2 Team 1 specializes in boarding noncompliant ships at sea in the dead of night, detaining the crew if necessary, and identifying suspected terrorists or subjects of interest, using the element of surprise afforded by helicopter insertion, night vision equipment, and state-of-the-art biometrics. MSRON-2 Team 1 was established in 2004 atNorfolk Naval Shipyard inPortsmouth, Virginia, and it was the first team of its kind to reach operational status.[42]
Also, on 11 November 2007, an HH-60H Seahawk helicopter from squadron HS-2 crashed while operating from the ship about 100 miles (160 km) from San Diego. Rescuers successfully pulled all seven crewmembers from the water.[33]
Between 3 and 30 January 2008, Carrier Strike Group Nine conducted anti-submarine exercises and Joint Task Force Exercise 03-08 (JTFEx 03–08) off southern California. On 16 January,Secretary of the NavyDonald C. Winter visitedAbraham Lincoln. On 20 January, aNATO Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft was deployed fromNATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, with a multinational crew aboard for JTFEx 03–08, defended Carrier Strike Group Nine from a simulated air attack (30 January).[43][44]
Abraham Lincoln began a planned incremental availability maintenance cycle at thePuget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, on 16 April 2009.[45] The objective of this cycle is to refurbishAbraham Lincoln's shipboard system to meet the anticipated 50-year service life of the ship, including an upgraded local area network system.[46][47] Beginning 1 December,Abraham Lincoln began daily flying squad, general quarters, and integrated training team drills in preparation for her first underway period following the ship's current maintenance cycle.[48]
On 13 January 2010, the carrier completed upgrades and repair that cost $250 million at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The carrier was to be assigned to Carrier Strike Group Nine. On 3 February 2011, the ship was awarded theBattle Effectiveness Award for high standards of excellence and combat readiness.[49]
On 9 December 2010, the US Navy officially announced that Naval Station Everett, Washington, was the new homeport forUSS Nimitz, replacingAbraham Lincoln, which would be undergoing a scheduled refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at theNorthrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News shipyard in Virginia, which is slated to begin in 2013.[50][51]
On 1 March 2011, the news media reported that the US Navy had awarded Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News a US$206.7 million option under a previously awarded contract to planAbraham Lincoln's RCOH.[52] The planning contract covered the design, documentation, engineering, advanced material procurement, inspections, fabrication, and support work forAbraham Lincoln's RCOH, with more than 1,000 employees supporting this planning phase. Additional funding for the RCOH was pending the passage of theU.S. Department of Defense's Fiscal Year 2011 budget appropriations by theU.S. Congress. Upon authorization,Abraham Lincoln's RCOH was anticipated to begin in 2013, and is scheduled to take between three and four years to complete at an estimated overall cost of US$3 billion.[50][53]
On 1 August, the US Navy announced thatAbraham Lincoln would shift homeport from Everett to Newport News for a scheduled RCOH in August 2012.[54] The ship departed Everett for the deployment that would take the carrier around the world to Newport News in December 2011.
From 6–10 January 2012, accompanied by guided missile cruiserCape St. George,Abraham Lincoln visited theGulf of Thailand port ofLaem Chabang.[55] During the visit,Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia provided husbanding services, for which the Navy was billed $884,000. In November 2013, federal prosecutors charged that the Navy had been overbilled more than $500,000.[56]
On 22 January, the US Navy announced thatAbraham Lincoln had entered the Persian Gulf "without incident." The deployment through theStraits of Hormuz came at a time of escalating tensions with Iran.Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by a strike group of warships, was the first U.S. aircraft carrier to enter the Persian Gulf since late December 2011 and was on a "routine rotation" to replace the outgoingUSS John C. Stennis. The departure ofJohn C. Stennis prompted Iranian army chiefAtaollah Salehi to threaten action if another carrier passed back into the Persian Gulf, saying, "I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf. ... We are not in the habit of warning more than once,"[57] The US dismissed the warning.[58]
In June, the actors, crew and producers of the film,Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter attended an unconventional preview screening for the over eighteen hundred sailors aboard the namesake vessel of the 16th president. The event marked the first time a major motion picture had its debut screening for troops deployed in the Middle East.[59][60]
Abraham Lincoln transited theSuez Canal northbound on 16 July[61] and theStrait of Gibraltar on 26 July en route to the United States. On 7 August,Abraham Lincoln arrived at Norfolk Naval Station following an eight-month deployment to the US Navy's 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility, in preparation for theRefueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News.[62]
On 8 February 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the scheduled mid-life Refueling and Complex Overhaul intended forAbraham Lincoln would be postponed pending the resolution of the upcomingbudget sequestration. This budget shortfall would not only affectAbraham Lincoln's refueling of her nuclear propulsion plant, but it would also delay the next scheduled mid-life complex overhaul involvingGeorge Washington forward-based inYokosuka, Japan, as well as the de-fueling of the recently deactivatedEnterprise.[63] By March 2013 Naval ship maintenance and overhaul budget issues had been addressed enough such thatAbraham Lincoln's RCOH had been confirmed and the ship was made ready to tow over toNewport News Shipbuilding. By mid-March she had been towed over and docked, and the RCOH work had begun.
On 3 October 2014, Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding said that its workers had transferred a 30-ton anchor fromEnterprise, the Navy's first and oldest nuclear carrier, to be installed aboardAbraham Lincoln during that week.[64] The transfer was a result of an anchor replacement onAbraham Lincoln coinciding with the withdrawal ofEnterprise, preserving the anchor rather than it beingscrapped with the rest of the ship.
_underway_during_sea_trials_on_11_May_2017.jpg)
On 9 May 2017,Abraham Lincoln got underway for sea trials, following the four-year refueling and complex overhaul. More than 2.5 million man-hours of work were conducted aboard the ship, including refueling the reactors, upgrading ship's infrastructure and modernizing combat systems and air wing capabilities to increase combat effectiveness.[65][66] On 12 May,Abraham Lincoln was redelivered to the fleet.[67] On 8 SeptemberAbraham Lincoln was deployed withUSS Iwo Jima andUSS New York to provide aid to Florida following theHurricane Irma disaster.[68][69] The vessels joinedUSS Farragut already on station.[70]
On 2 August 2018, it was announced thatAbraham Lincoln would return to San Diego as part of a home port shift for three carriers, thus returning her to the Pacific Fleet.[71] At the end of August,VFA-125 began operating fromAbraham Lincoln as an integrated part ofCVW-7, the first time that theF-35C had operated integrated cyclic operations, simulating the full spectrum of planned operations.[72]
Also in August, a movie crew was aboard filming flight deck operations and flying sequences for the sequelTop Gun: Maverick off the coast of Virginia.[73][74][75]
On 1 April 2019,Abraham Lincoln andCarrier Strike Group 12 departed Norfolk for a six-month deployment that will end with a shifting of homeport toSan Diego.[76] On 9 April she arrived in theUnited States Sixth Fleet area of operations, where she would operate in theMediterranean Sea before proceeding to the Persian Gulf, then the Indian Ocean and theSouth China Sea, before heading across the Pacific Ocean to her new homeport in San Diego.[77] On 23 April,Abraham Lincoln was reported to have operated simultaneously along withJohn C. Stennis in the Mediterranean Sea, the two carrier strike groups' operations including more than 130 aircraft, 10 ships, and 9,000 sailors and marines, according to the press release published by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet.[78] The operations were observed from the aircraft carrier byU.S. Ambassador to Russia,Jon Huntsman and AdmiralJames Foggo, commander,U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa andJoint Force Command Naples.[78] While aboard, Huntsman said: "Diplomatic communication and dialogue coupled with the strong defense these ships provide demonstrate to Russia that if it truly seeks better relations with the United States, it must cease its destabilizing activities around the world."[78][79] On 5 May this deployment was diverted to theMiddle East due to tensions with Iran[80] and headed to the Persian Gulf. Her transit was expedited by omitting a port visit toSplit, Croatia.[81]
In October, it was revealed thatAbraham Lincoln's Middle East deployment would be extended due to an electrical malfunction onUSS Harry S Truman.[82]
Abraham Lincoln arrived in her new homeport in San Diego on 20 January following a record-breaking 295 days at sea, the longest post-Cold War era deployment for a US carrier, breaking her own record in the process.[83]
On 18 December, the Navy announced CaptainAmy Bauernschmidt would take command ofAbraham Lincoln in following summer of 2021, the first time a woman would command an aircraft carrier.[84]
Captain Bauernschmidt, who previously served as the carrier's executive officer from 2016 to 2019, relieved Captain Walt Slaughter at a change of command ceremony in San Diego on 19 August.[85] On 31 August, anMH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, embarked aboardAbraham Lincoln, crashed into the Pacific Ocean at approximately 4:30pm (PST) while conducting routine flight operations, approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km) off the coast of San Diego. Five crew members were killed while one was rescued during subsequent search and rescue operations.[86][87]
On 4 January,Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) became the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron to be deployed on an aircraft carrier.[88][89][90]
On 21 May,Abraham Lincoln steamed intoTokyo Bay to relieve USSRonald Reagan.[91] TheAbraham Lincoln carrier strike group was scheduled to participate inRIMPAC 2022.[92]
On 21 September, the water onboard was discovered to be contaminated. Various reports were made to the chain of command onboard but the commanding officer, Captain Bauernschmidt, did not inform the crew until the following day, almost 24 hours after initial reports were made. Reports continued throughout the evening, but actions by the engineering staff did little. The contaminated tank was even reintroduced back into service after being taken offline earlier in the day. Test reports of seven water samples revealed the presence ofE. coli. Upon receipt of the test results, Captain Bauernschimdt told the crew of the contamination followed by, "before anybody starts freaking out, E. coli is an extremely common bacteria. Matter of fact, every single person on this ship has it in their digestive system right now."[93]
On 11 November,Abraham Lincoln hosted a college basketball game on her deck betweenGonzaga University andMichigan State University,[94] won 64–63 by Gonzaga.[95] The carrier suffered a minor fire that injured nine sailors on 29 November. The cause is unknown and an investigation was launched.[96]
On 2 August, theAbraham Lincoln carrier strike group was ordered byDefense SecretaryLloyd Austin to relieveUSS Theodore Roosevelt operating in theGulf of Oman, joining other US naval forces in the region as a deterrent against potential Iranian aggression against Israel.[97][98] On 21 August, theU.S. Central Command announced that the vessel had arrived in the Middle East. Austin had ordered her to speed up in order to help Israel in case of a potential attack from Iran.[99]
On 9 November Marine F-35Cs fromAbraham Lincoln carried out strikes on theHouthi movement in Yemen in the context of theRed Sea crisis.[100]
On 12 November, the Yemeni Houthi group announced the launch of two military operations described as "qualitative" in the Red and Arabian Seas that lasted eight hours, targeting an aircraft carrier and two US destroyers. At least eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles were aimed atUSS Stockdale andUSS Spruance. All missiles were intercepted or did not hit their targets. There were no injuries or damage to the two destroyers. Houthi spokesman Brigadier GeneralYahya Saree claimed the attack on the two destroyers was successful in a post on social media site X. Saree also said the Houthis attackedAbraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Pentagon Press Secretary Major GeneralPatrick S. Ryder said he was not aware of any attacks against the aircraft carrier. Supporters of the Houthis and many Indonesian and Singaporean news outlets made false claims aboutAbraham Lincoln being "damaged and returning home", and even going as far as to say it had sunk. Additional false claims of having damaged or sunk the aircraft carriersUSS Dwight D. Eisenhower andUSS Theodore Roosevelt were made by social media users. As of November 2024, there had been no reports of damage to US warships by Houthi attacks.[101]
In January 2026, following theprotests andmassacres in Iran,[102][103][104] along with growing tension between Iran and the US, the carrier was reported heading to the Middle East, leaving theSouth China Sea.[105][106][107] According to reports it deployed in the Middle East on January 26 and Trump declared it will hold a multi-day aerial military drills on January 27.[108] By January 29, it is estimated that it would be currently entering theStrait of Hormuz.[109]
On February 3, 2026, while the USS Abraham Lincoln was traveling in theArabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran's southern coast, an IranianShahed-139 drone maneuvered toward the ship, leading to anF-35 U.S. fighter jet shooting it down.[110][111]
nimitz class displacement.
Lincoln deployed again to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch and Vigilant Sentinel
Registration required.
Aircraft carrier USSAbraham Lincoln (CVN 72), accompanied by guided-missile cruiserCape St. George (CG 71), departed Laem Chabang, Thailand, 10 Jan., following a four-day port visit.
SAN DIEGO – The Navy has canceled more than $200 million in contracts with a Singapore-based company at the center of a spiraling scandal involving accusations of bribery and leaking of confidential information.
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This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.g
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