'Swarm attack': How the USS Abraham Lincoln defends itself against 50 speedboats at once
The USS Abraham Lincoln uses a layered defence of E-2D aircraft, electronic jamming, escort destroyers, and rapid-fire automated guns to neutralise 50-boat swarms.
350-mile radar coverage
The defence begins long before speedboats get close. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft patrol the skies above the USS Abraham Lincoln, using powerful radar to detect 70-knot fast attack craft from hundreds of miles away. They act as the central command, directing fighter jets and escort ships to the incoming swarm.
100s of jammed signals
As the 50-boat swarm coordinates its attack, EA-18G Growler aircraft flood their communication channels with digital noise. By jamming radio signals and GPS navigation, they break the swarm's coordination. This electronic warfare turns a highly organised attack into isolated, easily targeted boats.
14 guided rocket payloads
H-60R Seahawk helicopters serve as the first kinetic layer of defence. Armed with laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets and Hellfire missiles, they engage the speedboats at a safe distance. A single helicopter can accurately destroy multiple high-speed targets without wasting heavy munitions.
5-inch automated deck guns
The USS Abraham Lincoln relies on an escort of guided-missile destroyers, such as the USS Spruance, to form a protective shield. These warships use the Aegis combat system and 5-inch deck guns to blast approaching surface threats.
Mach 4 interceptor missiles
If speedboats evade the outer perimeter, the carrier and its escorts launch Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSM). These highly agile, radar-guided interceptors can track and destroy fast-moving surface threats at ranges of over 30 miles at speeds exceeding Mach 4. They provide a critical layer of defence before the boats reach visual range.
21-cell RAM guided launchers
For threats that breach the missile shield, the carrier deploys the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) system. These short-range, supersonic missiles use infrared guidance to lock onto the heat signatures of speedboat engines. Fired from a 21-cell launcher, they provide a highly effective kinetic defence layer.
4,500 rounds per minute
The last line of defence is the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). This automated 20mm Gatling gun fires a massive wall of armour-piercing projectiles to shred any surviving speedboats that get within a mile of the hull. It tracks targets independently, ensuring the carrier's survival.
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