US sends USS Abraham Lincoln to middle east amid rising tensions
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has decided that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will appear in the Middle East sooner than initially planned. The giant, which has F-35C fighters on board, will urgently arrive in the volatile region as a show of support for Israel.
Since October 2023, Israel has been fighting 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" series 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 more F-22 Raptor fighters and the USS Georgia submarine equipped with cruise missiles. This, however, is not the end.
USS Abraham Lincoln heads to the Middle East
The USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed to the Middle East, is to arrive at its destination without unnecessary delay. The scheduled break for the entire strike group of this aircraft carrier (F-35C fighters and several smaller ships) in the Northern Marianas will be shortened by explicit order of the American command.
"Secretary Austin has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to [U.S. Central Command], adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group," stated the release from United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
Aircraft carrier with F-35C on board
USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier classified as a Nimitz-class vessel. It was commissioned in 1989. It has a length of 1,092 feet and a width of 134 feet. It can achieve speeds of over 34.5 mph.
The armament of the USS Abraham Lincoln includes several RIM-7 Sea Sparrow water-to-air missile launchers and three 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx anti-missile systems.
The American giant also stands out for its capacity to carry up to 90 aircraft, including modern F-35Cs, designed to serve as carrier-based aircraft for the US Navy. Each of these aircraft measures 51 feet in length, can achieve speeds of Mach 1.6, and can carry up to 8 tonnes of additional armament in the form of missiles or bombs.
