The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the Middle East late Wednesday night, is essentially a large airbase housing four combat squadrons and three additional squadrons dedicated to transport, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.

With a crew of 5,000, this is the vessel designed to deter Iran from attacking Israel.

On Aug. 2, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to relieve the USS Theodore Roosevelt operating in the Gulf of Oman, the arm of the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Guam on Aug. 4. It transited the Strait of Malacca and entered the Indian Ocean on Aug. 16.

The combat capability of the Abraham Lincoln, on its own, is larger and more advanced than that of the entire Jordanian Air Force. The carrier is also equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, other air defense systems, and anti-ship missiles.

The Abraham Lincoln serves as the home for three squadrons of F-18 Hornet aircraft, the primary fighter-bomber of the U.S. Navy. Additionally, it includes a squadron of EA-18G Growler aircraft, a model adapted for electronic warfare.

But the crown jewel of the carrier’s capabilities is the Marine Corps’ “Black Knights” squadron, which operates stealth F-35C fighter jets, modified for deployment from the carrier’s deck.

This is the first F-35 squadron to be stationed on an aircraft carrier and has been active on the Abraham Lincoln since 2020. The squadron itself boasts a long history and a proud legacy dating back to World War II, and it is considered the pride of the U.S. Navy’s air division.

After Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, Austin ordered the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean.

In a statement, Austin said that this was being done “as part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts towards widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.”

The strike group included the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason, and Carrier Air Wing 3, with nine aircraft squadrons, and embarked headquarters staffs.

The Eisenhower CSG joined the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which had arrived days earlier. The Ford CSG included the USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney and USS Roosevelt.

The U.S. Navy has 11 aircraft carriers in service, one undergoing trials, two new ones under construction and six planned.

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