--- title: "Where Are The Aircraft Carriers?: USS Abraham Lincoln Escorted To Thailand As The Middle East Heats Up" date: "2026-09-01" modified: "2026-09-01" authors: - name: "Ian Ellis-Jones" job_title: "Head of Audience Development" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/ian-ellis-jones" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/where-are-the-aircraft-carriers-uss-abraham-lincoln-escorted-to-thailand-as-the-middle-east-heats-up" categories: - "Carrier Tracker" - "Carriers" - "Sea" --- # Where Are The Aircraft Carriers?: USS Abraham Lincoln Escorted To Thailand As The Middle East Heats Up ![Here's TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker graphic and report monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information.]() *TWZ/IAN ELLIS-JONES* Under heavy escort, the USS *Abraham Lincoln* transited the Strait of Malacca and Singapore Strait over the weekend, en route to Thailand for a highly publicized and much-needed liberty port call. Guided-missile cruiser USS *Robert Smalls* led the three-ship column, with guided-missile destroyer USS *Frank E. Petersen Jr.* following astern of the supercarrier as she entered the South China Sea. Multiple Thai officials have [confirmed]() the upcoming port visit since it was [first reported]() by *USA Today* last week, with the flattop expected to pull into port at Laem Chabang in the coming days. Meanwhile, America's other two deployed carrier groups are in the Middle East enforcing the ongoing blockade as the U.S. and Iran exchange fire for the first time since July. *Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report* [*here*]()*.* ![A detailed review of America's deployed carrier strike groups and CONUS-based flattops.]() *TWZ/IAN ELLIS-JONES (HIGH RESOLUTION)* ## Lincoln Enters The South China Sea, Again, En Route To Thailand For Liberty *Abraham Lincoln* flipped her Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder on ahead of the transit, broadcasting the flattop's [position publicly]() for the first time since January 28, 2026, when the CSG made the transit in the opposite direction prior to [Operation Epic Fury](). *Lincoln* has now been deployed for 285 days without a liberty call, but that streak is set to end this week. For friends and family, we anticipate an arrival back home in late September or early October, depending on how long the crew stays in Thailand and whether any other stops are made along the way. When all is said and done, *Abraham Lincoln's* deployment will likely become the second-longest in the modern carrier era behind the [historic 326 days]() logged by the USS *Gerald R. Ford* earlier this year. *Time-lapse of USS Abraham Lincoln transiting the Strait of Malacca. Source: @CVN\_72 on X.* While the composition of the Abraham Lincoln CSG has shifted over the nine-plus-month deployment, *Frank E. Petersen Jr.*, a Flight IIA Technology Insertion (TI) *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer and [one of the newest]() in the fleet, embarked the commander of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) throughout the six months of almost nonstop combat operations against Iran. The IAMD commander is responsible for coordinating the detection, response, and interception of inbound aerial threats, and *Petersen Jr.* is equipped with the world’s foremost integrated naval combat system – the [Aegis Combat System]() Baseline 9 – which delivers quick reaction times, concentrated and networked firepower, and advanced electronic countermeasure capabilities for anti-air warfare. The unannounced addition of *Ticonderoga* class cruiser USS *Robert Smalls*, which has historically served as the IAMD commander for the carriers forward-deployed out of Yokosuka, Japan, adds 122 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells packed with missiles for protection and firepower. The rationale for the additional *Tico* cruiser, an iconic class that will be [completely retired]() over the coming years without a comparable replacement, is unclear. *TWZ* has not received an on-the-record response from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) or U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) public affairs explaining the redirection. *Robert Smalls* was part of the George Washington CSG as recently [as August 18](), making the northwest-bound Malacca Strait transit with the strike group the week prior, before peeling off to escort the *Abraham Lincoln* back through. ![Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121) transits the Arabian Sea, June 27, 2026.]() *Guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. transiting the Arabian Sea in June 2026. U.S. Central Command Public Affa* ![USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group sails in formation with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as part of Valiant Shield 2026 while underway in the Philippine Sea, June 21, 2026. U.S. Navy participants include Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Benfold (DDG 65), and Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783). Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participants include JS Kaga (DDH 184), JS Fuyuzuki (DD 118), and JS Jingei (SS 515). Valiant Shield is a biennial, multilateral field training exercise conducted by the U.S. Armed Forces and partner nations in the Western Pacific focusing on joint, cross-combatant integration operating seamlessly across sea, air, land, and cyberspace. Exercises like Valiant Shield allow U.S. Pacific Command the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada)]() *USS Robert Smalls transiting the South China Sea in July 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada* ## U.S. Launches Another Round of Strikes Against Iran Today As Tensions Escalate Ahead of publication on Tuesday, CENTCOM [announced]() a fresh round of strikes against targets in Iran that began at noon Eastern Time. "The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region," the command posted in a statement on social media. *George Washington*, which is currently [accompanied]() by a single destroyer, USS *Shoup*, relieved the *Abraham Lincoln* in the Middle East earlier this month. Other U.S. 5th Fleet ships are reportedly moving in and out of the CSG, but the situation is fluid and *TWZ* cannot confirm the current, complete composition of the group. It’s unknown which warship, if any, is currently serving as IAMD commander for the CSG, which [chopped into]() the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) on or around August 19. ![U.S. Sailors observe flight operations on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Aug. 28, 2026. George Washington is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)]() *Flight ops on the flight deck of USS George Washington in the Middle East. U.S. Naval Forces Central Comman* ![U.S. Sailors signal an F-35C Lightning II, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Aug. 28, 2026. George Washington is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)]() *An F-35C Lightning II, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, aboard Washington. Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada* ![An MH-60R Seahawk attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, readies for takeoff on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Aug. 28, 2026. George Washington is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)]() *An MH-60R Seahawk readies for takeoff on the deck of Washington. U.S. Naval Forces Central Comman* Also operating in the Middle East, the [four-ship]() George H.W. Bush CSG is underway at an [undisclosed location]() in the Arabian Sea. Alongside USS *George H.W. Bush* is *Tico* cruiser USS *Princeton*, the IAMD commander, and two *Burke* destroyers, USS *Ross* and USS *Donald Cook*. The carriers are enforcing the ongoing blockade of Iran – and presumably participating in the latest round of airstrikes – although they are both officially on station to “support [maritime security]() and [stability]() in the Middle East,” according to [DVIDS](), the military's content-sharing platform. CENTCOM forces have [redirected]() 84 commercial vessels, disabled three using kinetic force, and boarded another two since the [blockade resumed](), as of September 1. *USS George H.W. Bush conducts flight ops in U.S. Central Command. U.S. Navy video.* Over the weekend, the United States and Iran traded blows for the first time in [over a month](). CENTCOM opened the tit-for-tat exchange on Sunday by targeting rocket systems on Larak Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz on the Iranian side of the northern corridor, that are fitted to [launch naval mines](), after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was observed making preparations to fire into the contested waterway. "I can confirm that earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island," Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM’s spokesman, told *TWZ*. "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz," he added. The IRGC retaliated by launching a salvo of ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a Jordanian installation the U.S. military operates from. Jordan's military said it [successfully intercepted]() eight missiles. The preemptive strikes to prevent Iran from deploying additional mines came just days after CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper [said]() U.S. forces "successfully cleared" Iranian sea mines from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Commercial traffic through the strait is [slowly recovering]() but still well below pre-war levels. *CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper provides an update on mine clearing efforts in the Strait of Hormuz. Source: @CENTCOM on X* ## Ongoing Maintenance Delays Stateside Impact Fleet Readiness On the other side of the world, in the United States, three carriers are active: two are underway training while one is in homeport getting ready for an upcoming deployment. USS *Dwight D. Eisenhower*, which left Norfolk on August 21, transited south in the Atlantic Ocean and was last operating approximately 70 nautical miles off the coast of Florida, well into [East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron]() (FRS) and Training Command (TRACOM) [Carrier Qualifications]() (CQ). After departing San Diego on August 10, USS *Carl Vinson* was [spotted on satellite imagery]() off the California coast by ship-tracker MT Anderson, in the process of completing Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Period (FEP) training. USS *Theodore Roosevelt*, the next carrier slated to deploy from the continental U.S., is pierside at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, based on [commercial satellite imagery](). Speculation is rampant about where *Theodore Roosevelt* will deploy, but as the Navy has told us many times, "we do not discuss future operations or timelines." The balance of America’s carriers (excluding USS *Nimitz*, which will begin deactivation in 2027) is either in maintenance or scheduled to begin an availability in the future. The next flattop that will re-enter service, USS *Ronald Reagan*, is expected to finish a roughly 17-month Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) soon. “The docking planned incremental availability for *Ronald Reagan* is on track for its scheduled completion at the end of August 2026,” Catherine Norton, the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, [told *Stars and Stripes*]() earlier this month. However, the ship has [not gotten underway]() as of publication, even though yesterday was the end of the month, and it appears the DPIA will stretch into September. *TWZ* reached out to Puget Sound's PAO but has not received a response yet. For the latest status of the other three carriers in current or upcoming maintenance, marked in red on the map above, check out our recent deep-dive [here](). ![]() *USS Ronald Reagan in Bremerton, Washington, as of August 29, 2026. Source: @BulletOneOneTwo via @WarshipCam on X* ## Current Carrier Force Posture At A Glance Overall carrier force posture is unchanged compared to our [previous report]() on August 24. Three U.S. carriers are deployed (although one is on the tail end of her deployment and heading home to San Diego), one is preparing to deploy in the near term, two are working up in various states of readiness, four are in maintenance, and another, the USS *Nimitz*, is being used primarily for training before deactivating next year. One amphibious ready group is deployed, one is forward-deployed and at homeport, four are working up or in port, and three are in maintenance. *Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.* Contact the author: *ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io* ## Author Ian is the Head of Audience Development at *TWZ*. He executes our full-spectrum social media strategy and brings his interpretive graphics skills to our editorial team as an OSINT analyst and researcher. Ian [joined]() *TWZ* in early 2026 and maintains our weekly [carrier tracker]() and [newsletter](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Bluesky]()