Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in U.S. Central Command
August 21, 2024 7:18 PM
Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) arrived in the Middle East Wednesday, according to U.S. Central Command.
The San Diego, Calif., based carrier, Carrier Air Wing 9 and its escorts are headed to join the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian effort to protect merchant shipping in the region on orders from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Last week, Austin ordered Lincoln to accelerate its transit last week as part of U.S. moves to move more assets to the CENTCOM area of response following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. The U.S. and its allies are on alert for Iranian retaliation.
The carrier left the South China Sea via the Strait of Malacca near Singapore on Friday for the Indian Ocean and U.S. 5th Fleet.
Lincoln deployed in June with Carrier Air Wing 9 embarked. Pentagon officials singled out the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 314 equipped with F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters.
In addition to Lincoln, the Pentagon highlighted the presence of guided-missile nuclear submarine USS Georgia (SSGN-728) armed with 154 long-range Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. As of Tuesday, Georgia was in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Pentagon spokesperson Mag. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
“The department’s recent adjustment to the U.S. military posture in the region have enabled us to bolster U.S. force protection, increase support for the defense of Israel and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies,” he said.
It’s unclear how long Lincoln and Roosevelt will both be operating in 5th Fleet together.
Roosevelt and the embarked Carrier Air Wing 11 left San Diego in January and has been deployed for more than seven months.
