Vern Evans
The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln will stay in the Middle East as the U.S. bolsters its forces in the region, the Pentagon said Sunday.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, following strikes in Lebanon and the death of the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
U.S. Forces have surged to the region as concerns continue about an all-out war between Iran and Israel.
The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in August to replace the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt after Lincoln was operating in the Indo-Pacific Region. The Lincoln is equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.
Additionally, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also ordered the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group to remain in the eastern Mediterranean, which has operated there since June.
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“This afloat posture is complemented by DoD’s elevated fighter and attack squadron presence, including F-22, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, and we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days,” the Pentagon said in a statement Sunday.
“The Secretary has also increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” the Pentagon said. “And DoD maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. is expanding its presence in the region, and the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman got underway last month for a regularly scheduled deployment to the European theater where officials said it will operate in the Mediterranean Sea.
However, world events have recently disrupted carrier deployments and diverted them to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower got underway in October and ultimately entered the waters of U.S. Central Command in November – marking the first time a carrier operated there since the end of the War in Afghanistan in 2021.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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