The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned home this week after a long and difficult combat deployment. The numbers shared by the sea service for that deployment are staggering.
The warship left its homeport in San Diego in November 2025 and was deployed for 321 days, which included 286 consecutive days at sea without a port call. The lengthy deployment, extended by Operation Epic Fury that kicked off the Iran war, set a modern-day record.
As hostilities began at the end of February, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group played a central role in the fight.
The carrier strike group’s embarked Carrier Air Wing 9 — a naval aviation force consisting 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 the monthslong deployment, it flew 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 mix of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft launched 1,499 precision munitions, dropping over 1.37 million pounds of ordnance on priority targets such as missile sites, defense production facilities, military infrastructure, and Iranian naval capabilities. Air assets also shielded the strike group from enemy action.
The Navy said that the air wing, with its combination of stealth fighter jets and workhorse aircraft, effectively penetrated contested airspace and demonstrated the “Air Wing of the Future” concept in a real-world combat scenario.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Angel Campbell
Following the April ceasefire and the conclusion of Epic Fury, Carrier Strike Group 3 supported the Navy’s blockade. When Iran began targeting commercial shipping, the group participated in strikes on Iranian coastal defenses and missile sites. It supported a second blockade before finally heading home. Over the course of its deployment, the Lincoln sailed over 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 military’s highest unit awards.
The difficult deployment took its toll on the broader strike group, which also included three guided-missile destroyers. Multiple reports indicated that logistical strain caused by the war exacerbated the situation.
Business Insider obtained written responses submitted to Congress by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao late last month that revealed eight suicide attempts by sailors assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Cao said that multiple sailors attempted to jump overboard. There were no suicides, though.
Cao wrote that “the men and women of Carrier Strike Group THREE have demonstrated exceptional resolve under demanding conditions,” emphasizing that “operational decisions to extend deployments are never made lightly.” He said the Navy is committed to preserving crew morale, health, and safety, and overall fleet readiness.
Navy leadership has said that it is taking lessons from the deployment. The service has said that it is loading carriers up with more supplies to ensure self-sufficiency if logistics and support come under stress, adding quality of life improvements, and working to keep sailors and Marines better connected with loved ones.
