The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned home this week after a long and difficult combat deployment. The numbers shared by the maritime service for this deployment are staggering.
The warship departed its homeport in San Diego in November 2025 and was deployed for 321 days, including 286 consecutive days at sea nonstop. The long deployment, extended by Operation Epic Fury that sparked the war in Iran, set a modern-day record.
When hostilities began in late February, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group played a central role in the fight.
Carrier Air Wing 9 of the Carrier Strike Group – a carrier strike force comprised of nine squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, among other assets – flew nearly 4,000 combat flights during the 40-day operation.
During this month-long deployment, he conducted 14,037 aircraft sorties and accumulated 31,460 forward deployed flight hours. An estimated 20.5 million gallons of aviation fuel enabled the air wing’s operations, the Navy said.
During Operation Epic Fury, the carrier air wing’s combination of fourth and fifth generation aircraft launched 1,499 precision munitions, dropping more than 1.37 million pounds of munitions on priority targets such as missile sites, defense production facilities, military infrastructure and Iranian naval capabilities. Air assets also protected the attack group from enemy action.
The Navy said the air wing, with its combination of stealth fighters and draft jets, effectively penetrated contested airspace and demonstrated the concept of the “air wing of the future” in a live combat scenario.
Among the air assets deployed with Carrier Air Wing 9 were the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, fifth-generation stealth aircraft. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Angel Campbell
After the April ceasefire and the conclusion of Epic Fury, Carrier Strike Group 3 supported the Navy blockade. When Iran began targeting commercial shipping, the group participated in strikes against Iranian coastal defenses and missile sites. He sustained a second blockade before finally returning home. During her deployment, Lincoln sailed more than 93,000 nautical miles, supported by 72 at-sea replenishments.
For its actions during the deployment, the strike group received the Presidential Unit Citation, one of the unit’s highest military awards.
This difficult deployment took a toll on the broader strike group, which also included three guided-missile destroyers. Several reports indicate that logistical tensions caused by the war have exacerbated the situation.
Business Insider obtained written responses submitted to Congress by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao late last month revealing eight suicide attempts by sailors assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Cao said several sailors tried to jump overboard. However, there were no suicides.
Cao wrote that “the men and women of Carrier Strike Group THREE demonstrated exceptional resolve under demanding conditions,” emphasizing that “operational decisions to extend deployments are never taken lightly.” He said the Navy is committed to preserving crew morale, health and safety, and the overall readiness of the fleet.
Navy leaders said they are learning lessons from the deployment. The service said it is loading carriers with more supplies to ensure self-sufficiency if logistics and support are strained, improving quality of life and working to keep Sailors and Marines connected to loved ones.
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