'The Silent Enemy': Why rust is the most expensive threat to the USS Abraham Lincoln

Corrosion costs the US Navy an estimated $3 billion every single year. The USS Abraham Lincoln constantly battles this expensive issue, as saltwater and high humidity relentlessly attack the supercarrier's massive steel structure.

Operating in harsh ocean environments exposes the massive 100,000-tonne warship to continuous saltwater spray. This triggers rapid iron oxidation across its 60,000 tonnes of structural steel, creating 'running rust' that can severely degrade the structural integrity of the vessel if left untreated.

Across the military, rust prevention and treatment consume nearly 25 per cent of overall maintenance budgets. Sailors spend countless hours manually grinding, chipping, and repainting affected metal, taking valuable time away from core operational duties.

Unchecked rust leads to serious mechanical vulnerabilities that threaten the vessel's planned 50-year operational lifespan. Corrosion can compromise watertight seals, weaken sensitive weapon enclosures, and force the carrier into premature and highly expensive drydock repairs.

The ship's 4.5-acre exterior flight deck endures a punishing combination of heavy saltwater spray, turbulent weather, and scorching jet exhaust. These extreme conditions quickly strip away standard protective coatings, leaving the bare metal highly vulnerable to immediate rusting.

Defeating corrosion is absolutely vital to maintaining the US Navy's legally mandated 11-carrier fleet. Efficient rust management keeps the USS Abraham Lincoln out of the shipyard and actively deployed, projecting vital naval power across the globe.

The crew loses thousands of man-hours each deployment just scraping rust. To fight back, the Navy is transitioning to advanced polysiloxane paint, an innovative and highly robust chemical coating that repels moisture and reduces the frequency of full-scale repainting.