A United States aircraft carrier is deploying to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, following reports of challenging conditions and mental health concerns among thousands of sailors on an extended deployment.
The USS George Washington, which was near Malaysia on Thursday, is expected to arrive in the region in approximately nine days, according to BBC analysis of tracking data.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea since 11 December, on a deployment that was initially scheduled to conclude in May. This extended period at sea, now exceeding nine months, has prompted family members of those onboard to express concerns about the mental health of their relatives, with some reports indicating sailors have considered or attempted to jump overboard.
The US Navy has acknowledged facing supply challenges but has denied reports of a mental health crisis on the Lincoln, which carries a crew of 5,000.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump denied that family members were concerned about the welfare of their relatives and dismissed the notion that the deployment had been excessively long. President Trump confirmed that another vessel would replace the Lincoln, though he did not identify it by name.
CBS News, a US partner of the BBC, reported that the USS George Washington departed a naval facility in Yokosuka, Japan, in May to patrol the Pacific region and is now redirecting to relieve the Lincoln, citing a US official. Tracking data compiled by BBC Verify indicates that at its last recorded speed, the vessel is projected to reach Duqm port in Oman, approximately 500 miles off the coast of Iran, around 22 August.
Upon its arrival, the USS George Washington will mark the third US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, joining the USS George HW Bush. No US aircraft carriers will reportedly remain in the Pacific region once this changeover occurs.
Reports published earlier this week by the Military Times and Stars & Stripes cited multiple family members of sailors onboard the Lincoln who stated their loved ones had considered jumping overboard due to the conditions on the vessel. These conditions have reportedly included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing, exhaustion, and shortages of fresh food.
In an interview with the BBC, a relative of a sailor on the USS Lincoln, who spoke anonymously due to fears of retaliation, claimed their family member had lost 65lbs (29kg) since the ship began its deployment. The relative also stated that their family member was suffering from exhaustion attributed to the constant noise of aircraft and the ship's vibrations, and confirmed that sailors had attempted to jump from the vessel.
Jefferson Kelly, whose son Jackson is serving on the Lincoln, told CBS that he had grown increasingly concerned for his son's welfare after nearly nine months at sea. Naval deployments typically last approximately six months.
"They should not be deployed this long," Mr Kelly stated. "These are old ships. It's not like they're even state-of-the-art. And they take a lot of maintenance, a lot of work. It's around the clock." He added, "I would get on a plane or helicopter tonight if it meant bringing him home to his mom and his siblings and his family."
While acknowledging that supplies had been "disrupted by combat actions" during the war with Iran, the US Navy has maintained there has been no increase in suicidal behaviour onboard the Lincoln.
The reported conditions have also drawn concern from Democratic lawmakers. Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal addressed a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao on Wednesday, stating that reports of shortages and poor conditions "warrant immediate attention".
Senator Blumenthal’s letter also raised a broader question: "whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force."
Defence Secretary Hegseth responded to reporters on Thursday, stating that some media reports had been "completely misrepresented". He affirmed that the US government was committed to ensuring "every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment."
