USS Abraham Lincoln has been at centre of controversy over its prolonged deployment and is now headed home
Indonesia’s Batam island, across the Singapore Strait, spotted the massive carrier transiting waters near Singapore shortly after 1 am local tim, as reported by AP. Its deployment lasted more than 250 days, including more than 200 days without a port call; a period described as a modern-day record. However, the prolonged deployment has drawn scrutiny over conditions aboard the carrier, which has about 5,000 sailors and Marines. Cao said the Lincoln spent 266 days deployed, including 200 days in a combat zone, while its strike group conducted more than 10,000 sorties and dropped about 1.5 million pounds of ordnance.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had also said reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented”. Thai officials have said it will stop in Thailand before continuing its journey home. The Lincoln, one of the US Navy’s largest warships, had spent months supporting American combat operations in the Middle East war against Iran. Military outlets and other reports have cited declining morale, mental-health concerns, intermittent shortages of food and hygiene supplies, and problems with toilets and water systems. Local media reports have also described suicide attempts and sailors going overboard during the deployment. saying it had not observed an increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts aboard the ship and that medical, religious and mental-health professionals were available to the crew Although the US Navy has disputed claims of a broader mental-health crisis. The carrier is now returning to its US base as part of a planned rotation. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao also defended the crew’s performance earlier this month, saying the sailors had been pushed to their limits but continued to meet the demands of the mission.
US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sailed past Singapore early Sunday as it headed home after an extended deployment in the Middle East, with the warship expected to make a port visit in Thailand for rest and recovery.