The USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the US Navy’s largest and most powerful warships, is expected to arrive in Thailand next week with roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard, following an unusually long deployment in the Middle East.
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be accompanied by two other vessels from its carrier strike group during the port visit on Thailand’s eastern coast. The stop is intended to give personnel time to rest and recuperate while the ships replenish supplies.
The Royal Thai Navy said no joint military exercise is planned during the visit, describing it as a routine port call under existing Thailand-US defence cooperation. Thai authorities have not disclosed the exact location or schedule for security reasons.
The Lincoln left its home port in San Diego on 21 November 2025, and was later deployed to the Middle East as the conflict with Iran intensified. It recently left the region after more than 200 consecutive days without a port call, an unusually long period for a US aircraft carrier.
A nuclear-powered giant
Commissioned in 1989, the USS Abraham Lincoln is identified by its hull number, CVN-72. The “CVN” designation indicates a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The 1,092-foot (333-meter) vessel displaces more than 104,000 tons and is powered by two A4W nuclear reactors driving four steam turbines. The propulsion system produces about 260,000 shaft horsepower and allows the carrier to reach speeds exceeding 30 knots (56 km/h).
Nuclear propulsion gives the carrier the ability to remain at sea for extended periods without relying on conventional fuel for propulsion. The ship can therefore serve as a mobile base for air operations far from US shores.
A floating airbase
The Lincoln is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3 and operates with Carrier Air Wing 9, a complex collection of fighter, electronic warfare, early-warning, transport and helicopter squadrons.
The air wing includes F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters operated by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, alongside F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and E-2D Hawkeyes. MH-60 helicopters and CMV-22B Ospreys also support the carrier’s operations.
The F-35C provides fifth-generation stealth and advanced sensor capabilities, while the Super Hornets form the core of the carrier’s strike fighter force. The Growler is designed for electronic warfare, while the E-2D provides airborne early warning and command-and-control capabilities.
Together, the aircraft allow the carrier strike group to conduct a wide range of missions, from air defence and maritime security to long-range strike and electronic warfare.
Layered defence
Despite its enormous size, the Lincoln is not designed to operate alone. Its carrier strike group includes other warships that provide additional air, missile and surface protection.
The carrier itself is equipped with defensive systems including Rolling Airframe Missiles, Sea Sparrow missiles and Phalanx close-in weapon systems designed to counter incoming threats at short range.
Its radar and combat systems provide surveillance and tracking of aircraft and other potential threats around the carrier, while the wider strike group creates additional layers of protection.
Thousands aboard a floating city
Operating a nuclear aircraft carrier requires a workforce comparable to that of a small town.
The carrier itself normally has around 3,200 sailors, while the embarked air wing adds thousands more personnel. Together with Marines and other personnel, the deployment involves roughly 5,000 people aboard the Lincoln, according to officials.
That large population has remained at sea for an exceptionally long period during the current deployment.
The extended mission has prompted reports of fatigue, declining morale, mental health concerns and shortages of some supplies. US military officials have disputed the characterization of conditions aboard the carrier.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said reports about deteriorating conditions had “completely misrepresented” the situation, while praising sailors for operating under difficult conditions and with fewer port calls than usual.
The upcoming Thailand visit will therefore offer the crew a rare opportunity to step ashore after months of continuous operations before the carrier eventually returns to the United States.
For Thailand, meanwhile, the arrival represents another high-profile port call by a US carrier and a reminder of the longstanding military relationship between the two countries. Thailand has been a US treaty ally since 1954 and a major non-NATO ally since 2003.