US Denies USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier in Poor Condition
The United States military has denied reports of poor conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, currently deployed in the Middle East. According to the military, the ship actually has one of the highest service extension rates in the US Navy. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, stated on X on Thursday (14/08) that 84.4% of the crew chose to remain in the military after their contracts ended. CENTCOM said the sailors and marines continue to carry out their duties despite having been at sea for more than 260 days. They also denied reports of crew deaths. A sailor who fell overboard on 3 August was quickly found and rescued, while reports suggesting otherwise were described as untrue. “The widespread misinformation regarding the historic deployment of USS Abraham Lincoln is an injustice to our service members and their families,” CENTCOM said. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that seven people died as a result of violent clashes aboard the carrier, and said tension among the crew was at a high level.
US Senator from Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, asked the government to explain how it is supporting personnel on the USS Abraham Lincoln. He cited reports of supply shortages, problems with sanitation facilities, and deteriorating mental health among the crew. The reports mentioned shortages of soap, blocked toilets, safety concerns on open deck areas, and disruption to the mail system causing packages addressed to crew members to be delayed for months. The US Navy said it had not seen an increase in suicide attempts on the ship, but declined to provide detailed data citing operational security and patient privacy. They also confirmed that a sailor fell overboard in early August. The person was rescued, received medical treatment, and was later transferred for further care. Separately, Senator Chuck Schumer called for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to be removed from his post. He accused sailors of bearing the consequences of what he called Hegseth’s incompetence in carrying out his duties.
In another development, US President Donald Trump has authorised the Navy to use ships built abroad and ordered a halt to the use of electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS) on future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Instead, Trump ordered the Navy to return to more traditional steam catapults. The decision will affect USS Doris Miller, the fourth carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class. The design change is expected to cost American taxpayers up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump has long criticised the EMALS system as more expensive and more complicated than steam catapults. “They spent billions of dollars on electric catapults and the system is not good. It is not as good as it should be and it is too complicated,” Trump said at a defence conference last month. However, General Atomics, the maker of EMALS, warned that changing the design when the project is already nearly 50% complete could lead to significant cost increases, project delays, and significant technology integration risks. The memo signed by Trump also opens the possibility for foreign shipyards that invest heavily in the United States to build up to two ships at their home yards to help accelerate the fulfilment of US Navy requirements. In addition, Trump ordered the Defence Secretary to build a fifth US Navy shipyard to increase submarine and aircraft carrier repair capacity.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying ships increased the US military presence in the Middle East after being moved from the South China Sea in early January. After the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on 28 February, the carrier operated in the Arabian Sea as part of a US naval blockade aimed at preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. The USS George Washington, based in the Pacific region, is now moving towards the Middle East, while reports of mental health problems and supply shortages on the USS Abraham Lincoln continue to emerge. According to the US Navy, the USS George Washington left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week. The carrier, along with one cruiser and one destroyer, was later seen transiting the Singapore Strait. A Navy official speaking anonymously confirmed that the ship was in the Strait of Malacca, the waterway connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This position indicates that the ship is heading towards the Indian Ocean, and most likely towards the Middle East region. If the USS George Washington does replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, the Pacific region could temporarily be without a US carrier presence for an unknown period.