The USS George Washington aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln after its record deployment of over 250 consecutive days at sea. The rotation comes amid reports of crew stress and supply shortages aboard the Lincoln. The US Navy continues operations linked to Iran, including a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In Middle East, Replaces USS Lincoln After Extended Deployment | X – CENTCOM

The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, replacing the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln, which has faced reports of crew stress, mental health challenges and shortages of supplies while supporting the Iran war, the US military said on Thursday.

US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, said the George Washington arrived on Wednesday. It was not immediately known when the Lincoln would return to the US or whether it would stop at a port en route. The journey is expected to take just over a month.

Lincoln deployment raises concerns

The George Washington arrived amid growing concerns over the Lincoln’s extended deployment, which included more than 250 consecutive days at sea, a record. Reports have also highlighted crew stress, poor mental health and shortages of food and hygiene products.

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Several Democratic lawmakers have demanded accountability from the Department of Defence over conditions aboard the Lincoln. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the reports were “completely misrepresented”. He spoke to the carrier’s crew last week, while Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, visited the vessel over the weekend.

In a Wall Street Journal editorial published on Sunday, Cooper said the crew “delivered a performance for the ages, and now you are going home.”

Extended carrier deployments place additional strain on service members who spend long periods away from their families and also increase pressure on ships and their equipment.

US maintains Iran blockade

Although renewed fighting between the US and Iran has eased in recent weeks, the Navy is enforcing a reimposed blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has not provided clarity on how it plans to end the war.

Hegseth has said the US can maintain the blockade “indefinitely”.

President Donald Trump on Monday played down reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln. The carrier left its homeport in San Diego in November and reached the Middle East in January. Trump described the sailors’ nearly nine months at sea as a “good period of time”, while adding that “over the years, we've had them out there much longer.”

Trump said he had spoken over the weekend to a retired admiral who told him that he had spent “much longer” periods aboard ships. According to Trump, the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.” Trump did not identify the admiral.

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Washington leaves Asia without carrier group

After visiting the Lincoln, Cooper said in a statement on Sunday that the carrier’s leaders had prioritised mental health and resilience.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said.

The George Washington now joins the USS George H.W. Bush in the Middle East, leaving Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China has shown increasing signs of aggression.

The absence of a US carrier in the Pacific could be temporary if the Navy deploys another carrier within the next couple of months. Analysts, however, say the situation highlights the strain caused by open-ended operations involving Iran, while the Trump administration continues to shift its focus away from the Asia-Pacific and towards the Western Hemisphere.

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