USS Abraham Lincoln heads to the Middle East amid rising tensions
6:32 AM EDT, August 13, 2024
The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has decided to expedite the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East sooner than initially planned. This giant carrier, which includes F-35C fighters, among other aircraft, will urgently head to the region as a show of support for Israel.
Since October 2023, Israel has been engaged in conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas. In recent weeks, the situation in the Middle East has become even more tense. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that a "significant set of attacks" from Iran on Israel is expected. Israel's allies are systematically sending reinforcements to the Middle East. In the case of the USA, these included additional F-22 Raptor fighters and the USS Georgia submarine, which was equipped with cruise missiles. But this is not the end.
USS Abraham Lincoln sails to the Middle East
The USS Abraham Lincoln, now deployed to the Middle East, is set to arrive at its destination without unnecessary delay. At the explicit order of American command, the break planned for the entire strike group of this aircraft carrier (including F-35C fighters and several smaller ships) in the Northern Marianas will be shortened.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the Secretary of Defense has directed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which includes F-35C fighters, to hasten its deployment to the Central Command's area of responsibility, enhancing the existing capabilities provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier classified as a Nimitz-class unit. Commissioned in 1989, it measures 1,092 feet in length and 134 feet in width, and it can reach speeds of over 35 mph.
The USS Abraham Lincoln's armament includes several RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile launchers and three 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx anti-missile systems.
This American giant can also house up to 90 aircraft, including the modern F-35C, which was designed for carrier operations by the U.S. Navy. Each F-35C measures 51 feet in length, can reach speeds of Mach 1.6, and can carry up to 9 short tons of additional armament in the form of missiles or bombs.
