A new US Navy carrier strike group led by the USS George Washington has arrived in the Middle East, the military confirmed Thursday. The deployment comes as questions mount over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which the George Washington is expected to replace after more than 270 days at sea supporting combat operations against Iran.
George Washington joins the region
US Central Command said the George Washington Carrier Strike Group arrived in the CENTCOM area of operations on Wednesday as part of a scheduled deployment. The strike group is led by the Nimitz-class carrier USS George Washington, the Navy's only carrier permanently forward-deployed to Japan.
CENTCOM did not identify the warships traveling with the carrier this time. However, the Navy disclosed earlier this month that the George Washington made a port visit in Vietnam with the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Shoup. The carrier has dozens of embarked fighter jets, including the Navy's F-35C variant.
The George Washington's departure from Japan has left the Navy without a carrier in the Western Pacific, even as the US works to counter China's military presence in that region.
Lincoln's extended deployment draws scrutiny
The George Washington is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for more than 270 days on an extended deployment supporting combat operations against Iran. Reports this month have detailed mental health struggles and supply issues aboard the Lincoln, home to roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines, and multiple reports have featured families expressing concerns over deteriorating living conditions and the crew's well-being. Some sailors are said to have attempted to go overboard, and lawmakers have demanded answers.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sharply criticized the media coverage, calling it shameless and reckless and accusing outlets of intentionally misrepresenting conditions on the ship. President Donald Trump also dismissed the reported concerns, saying last Friday that the Lincoln is being replaced with another very similar ship.
Hung Cao, the acting Navy secretary, said last week that the Lincoln crushed its deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation. According to Business Insider: "the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first", Cao said in a statement that also praised the Lincoln's crew while acknowledging some of the challenges they faced.
A CENTCOM spokesperson declined to say whether the Lincoln was still in the Middle East, but fleet trackers had it in the region as of Monday.
George Washington joins other warships in CENTCOM
With its arrival, the George Washington joins the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and other warships in the region, including the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. The US and Iran have not traded strikes in weeks, but American forces are still enforcing a naval blockade on maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue to stall.
Source: Business Insider
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
