US carrier leaves Pacific, heads to Middle East to relieve USS Lincoln

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun leaving the western Pacific, departing Da Nang, Vietnam, on Saturday, with plans to deploy to the Middle East. The vessel is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is currently involved in U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran.

The move comes amid growing concerns about conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, following reports of crew members attempting to jump overboard. The USS Lincoln has been operating continuously for more than 266 days without a port call, a record for the U.S. Navy. The ship carries approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines.

President Donald Trump and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao previously stated the ship would be rotated, but the Pentagon has not confirmed that the USS Washington is replacing the USS Lincoln. The U.S. Defense Department typically does not comment on the movements of key military assets for security reasons.

Disputes over shipboard conditions

Trump administration officials spent much of this week pushing back against reports of deteriorating conditions on the USS Lincoln. U.S. media have reported not only crew members attempting to leave the ship, but also shortages of sanitary supplies, poor food quality, and issues with plumbing and waste disposal systems.

Several U.S. senators have called for more information about the ship's conditions and the reasons behind the record-long deployment. Since departing San Diego, California, last November, the USS Lincoln was first sent to support military operations off Venezuela, then moved to the Middle East.

The deployment was originally scheduled to end in May, but after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, the ship's mission was extended indefinitely. The conflict with Iran shows no signs of ending, though recent fighting has been relatively quiet. Negotiations remain deadlocked over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea lane for global commerce.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump downplayed concerns about the ship, suggesting the deployment time was "not long enough." A day earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said conditions aboard had been "completely mischaracterized." Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged "a small number of mental health cases were treated with no fatalities," while insisting meal plans were adjusted when fresh supplies were unavailable, but no meals were missed.

"There is no denying that our young people have been pushed to their limits—but they have never fallen," Cao said. Some analysts suggest Iranian attacks have taken a toll on U.S. military assets in the region, particularly the naval base in Bahrain, complicating routine resupply and maintenance of carriers like the USS Lincoln.

Concerns about China

The USS Washington's departure from the Pacific raises concerns about U.S. deterrence against China. It remains unclear whether another carrier will be sent to the region.

Bryan Clark, a former submariner and defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, told the Associated Press that Beijing could exploit the carrier's absence to project strength, worrying U.S. allies such as the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. "They use this to show that the U.S. is no longer the big kid in the western Pacific," Clark said.

He also suggested the move is unlikely to push China toward a reckless attack on Taiwan, but it comes at a time when the U.S. is reportedly experiencing shortages of both offensive and defensive weapons due to the war with Iran. Critics point out that China, unlike Iran, possesses advanced military technology and a large air force that could challenge U.S. forces. Like the USS Lincoln, the USS Washington is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier capable of carrying over 6,000 personnel and roughly 90 aircraft.