USS Abraham Lincoln to stop in Thailand after over 250 days at sea during Iran war deployment
USS Abraham Lincoln. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
New Delhi: The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is set to stop in Thailand next week after spending more than 250 consecutive days at sea during an extended deployment in the West Asia. Thai officials said the port call is intended to give the crew time ashore for rest and recovery before the carrier continues towards its home base in the United States.
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier had been supporting US military operations against Iran, with its time in the region extended as Washington maintained naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz. RNA Media had earlier reported on the Lincoln’s deployment to the West Asia as the US expanded its military presence amid rising tensions with Tehran.
The US Navy said earlier this month that the Lincoln would return home as part of a planned rotation.
Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said the stop would allow sailors and Marines to go ashore and recuperate. The Royal Thai Navy separately said three ships from the carrier strike group were scheduled to stop in eastern Thailand and confirmed that no military exercises would be conducted during the visit.
Thai officials stressed that the visit is a port call and that no military exercises are planned.
More than 250 days continuously at sea
The Lincoln’s deployment included more than 250 uninterrupted days at sea, a record setting stretch, according to AP. The carrier remained in the region as the US military supported operations against Iran and maintained maritime operations around the Strait of Hormuz.
US Navy footage from August 2 showed the Lincoln operating in the US 5th Fleet area of operations, with the service describing its mission as supporting maritime security and stability in the West Asia.The prolonged deployment also raised concerns about crew welfare and replenishment.
AP reported concerns about mental health among some crew members and shortages of certain supplies, including food and hygiene products. The reports did not suggest that all personnel were affected in the same way, but they highlighted the strain created by an unusually long period without a regular port visit.
The US Navy’s chief of naval operations, Admiral Daryl Caudle, said the early stages of the Iran operation exposed problems in replenishment arrangements because of the speed with which the conflict began. He said the issues were not centred on basic protein or vegetables, but included items such as hygiene products, energy drinks and soft drinks that sailors normally expect during long deployments.
Caudle said the navy had since improved the replenishment process and was in a better position to sustain ships operating for extended periods.
USS George Washington moves into West Asia
The Lincoln’s departure from the region comes as USS George Washington has moved into the West Asia as part of the planned carrier rotation.
The US Navy confirmed that the George Washington was operating in the US 5th Fleet area of operations by August 19, after transiting west from the Indo-Pacific. Navy footage released from the Arabian Sea showed the carrier conducting flight operations and replenishment at sea.
Western media reported that USS George Washington, another US super carrier, had moved into the West Asia to relieve the Lincoln. The Lincoln’s Thailand stop therefore comes as its carrier strike group begins moving away from the West Asia after months of sustained operations.
Port call, not exercise
Thailand and the United States have longstanding defence ties. Thailand has been a US treaty ally since 1954 and was designated a major non-Nato ally in 2003.
The two countries regularly conduct military training and maintain broad defence cooperation, but Thai officials have explicitly separated the Lincoln’s visit from those activities.
The Royal Thai Navy said the three US Navy ships expected in eastern Thailand would be making a scheduled stop and that no exercises were planned.
The carrier is expected to use the Thailand visit primarily for crew rest and recovery before continuing towards its home base in the United States, ending one of the longest uninterrupted periods at sea for a US aircraft carrier in recent years.
