The aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” and its escort group have arrived in the Middle East, the US military announced today, strengthening its presence in the region during a period of heightened tensions with Iran. The naval group is “now deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability,” the US Central Command (Centcom) for the Middle East stated on platform X.
Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) perform routine maintenance as the aircraft carrier sails in the Indian Ocean, Jan. 26. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability. pic.twitter.com/dkuN946hce
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 26, 2026
About the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” leading potential Iran strike – Its firepower capabilities
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1982 and entering service in November 1989, it stands as one of the most powerful naval units in the world. With a displacement of 880,000 tons and length of 332.8 meters, it operates with two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, providing unlimited range and speeds exceeding 30 knots (56 km/h). The propulsion system delivers 260,000 horsepower through four steam turbines.
Its defensive equipment includes Sea Sparrow launchers, RAM RIM-116 anti-missile systems, and three CIWS Phalanx systems for point defense. It also features advanced air search radars AN/SPS-48E and AN/SPS-49, electronic warfare systems, and air traffic control radar. The crew numbers 5,680 personnel, of which 3,200 belong to the ship’s crew and 2,480 to the air wing. The aircraft carrier can carry up to 90 aircraft and helicopters, operating through four catapults and four elevators, with hangars below deck.
The Abraham Lincoln carries Air Wing 9, equipped with F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and MH-60 helicopters. The Abraham Lincoln’s operational range is not limited by its own weapons but by its airborne air wing. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft constitute its main offensive force, with a combat radius of approximately 722 kilometers (390 nautical miles) in bombing and air-to-air missile strike configuration, which can be significantly extended with aerial refueling.
