U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the early deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region.
A Support for Israel
According to Tech the nuclear-powered carrier, equipped with advanced F-35C fighter jets, is being sent as a show of support for Israel, which has been engaged in conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas since October 2023.
The situation in the Middle East has become increasingly volatile in recent weeks.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, warned of a "significant set of attacks" from Iran targeting Israel. In light of these threats, Israel's allies, including the United States, have been steadily reinforcing their military presence in the region.
U.S. deployments have already included additional F-22 Raptor fighter jets and the USS Georgia, a submarine armed with cruise missiles.
Pause Cut Short
The USS Abraham Lincoln was initially scheduled for a break in the Northern Mariana Islands, but this pause has been cut short by direct orders from the U.S. military.
The carrier's strike group, including F-35C jets and several smaller vessels, will now proceed immediately to the Middle East, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt's strike group already in the area.
Commissioned in 1989, the USS Abraham Lincoln is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, measuring 1,092 feet (333 meters) in length and 133.8 feet (40.8 meters) in width.
Capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots, it carries up to 90 aircraft, including the state-of-the-art F-35C. These fighter jets, designed for the U.S. Navy, are 51.4 feet (15.67 meters) long, can reach speeds of Mach 1.6, and carry up to 8 tons of additional armaments.
