'Nuclear-powered carrier packed with lethal aircrafts': 7 little-known facts about the Iran-bound USS Abraham Lincoln
The carrier has seen extensive action in Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying over 16,500 sorties and delivering 1.6 million pounds of ordnance in Iraq alone.
Introduction
The Pentagon has deployed US military assets to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier strike group and thousands of troops, as President Donald Trump has left open the possibility of strikes on Iran amid its crackdown on protests, according to the Associated Press. In response, Iran unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in central Tehran on Sunday, issuing a direct warning to the United States against any military action. The mural bears the slogan: “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”
1. Commissioning
Commissioned in 1989, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, and homeported in San Diego, California. It is now en route to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, which includes the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters. At 1,092 feet long with a displacement of 97,500 tons, the carrier can accommodate approximately 90 aircraft according to the National security journal.
2. Capabilities
Its twin A4W nuclear reactors provide virtually unlimited range, while defensive systems include Phalanx CIWS, Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers, and enhanced NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System (ENSSMS). The CIWS is a 20mm radar-guided Gatling gun that fires 4,500 rounds per minute to protect the ship from air and surface threats by using a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera.
3. Combat Record
The carrier has seen extensive action in Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying over 16,500 sorties and delivering 1.6 million pounds of ordnance in Iraq alone. Aircrafts from the Abraham Lincoln flew 597 combat sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, 975 sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, and 1558 sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
4. Humanitarian Missions
While primarily a combat vessel, the Lincoln has also been deployed for humanitarian operations. Following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, in 1991, it led a 23-ship fleet to evacuate nearly 45,000 personnel from Subic Bay to Cebu during Operation Fiery Vigil.
5. Crew and amenities
About 5,500 men and women comprise the crew of the Abraham Lincoln and its air wing. The ship has almost all of the amenities found in any American city with a comparable population, including a post office which has its own ZIP code, TV and radio stations, newspaper, fire department, library, hospital, general store, barbershops, and more. The two nuclear power plants on the ship have the ability to provide enough electrical generating power to supply electricity to 100,000 homes, food and supplies to operate for 90 days, and the capability of distilling more than 4,00,000 gallons of fresh water from the sea each day.
6. Modernisation and RCOH
The USS Abraham Lincoln completed a mid-life Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in May 2017. Around one-third of the carrier’s lifecycle maintenance was performed during this four-year process, including upgrades to radar, communication systems, and aviation support, allowing it to operate fifth-generation aircraft and remain in service for an additional 25 years.
7. Air Wing and Strategic Flexibility
CVW-9 is attached to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3 and flagship USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), and consists of eight squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks.
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