USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) stands as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that became the southern spearhead of the United States’ audacious Operation Epic Fury against Iran in late February 2026. Homeported at NAS North Island in San Diego, California, the 1,092-foot vessel displaced 97,000 tons fully loaded and carried Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) with up to 90 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft during its extended Middle East deployment.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) crossing the Atlantic Ocean on January 30, 2019. Powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, USS Abraham Lincoln achieves speeds exceeding 30 knots and boasts a flight deck spanning 4.5 acres for simultaneous aircraft launches and recoveries. Its crew totals around 5,680 personnel: 3,200 sailors for ship operations and 2,480 aviators/maintainers supporting CVW-9. Armament includes RIM-7 Sea Sparrows, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, Phalanx CIWS guns, and Mk 38 machine guns, augmented by escort destroyers’ Aegis systems for layered defense.
The carrier’s aviation fuel capacity supports 3 million gallons, enabling sustained high-tempo sorties—critical for Epic Fury’s 900+ strikes in the first 12 hours.
Carrier Air Wing 9 Composition
Insignia for the US Navy’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (Raptors) from 2016. CVW-9, tail code “NG,” featured a balanced mix for multi-domain warfare:
- Strike Fighters: VMFA-314 Black Knights (10-12 F-35C Lightning IIs for stealth penetration); VFA-41 Black Aces, VFA-14 Tophatters, VFA-151 Vigilantes (44 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for bombing and air superiority).
- Electronic Attack: VAQ-133 Wizards (5 EA-18G Growlers jamming radars/SAMs).
- Airborne Early Warning: VAW-117 Wallbangers (4 E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes directing battlespace).
- Logistics/Helicopters: VRM-30 (CMV-22B Ospreys); HSC-14 Chargers (MH-60S Seahawks); HSM-71 Raptors (MH-60R Seahawks for ASW).
This wing generated ~100 sorties daily from the Arabian Sea, 500 miles off Iran’s coast.
Operation Epic Fury: Strategic Context
Authorized by President Donald Trump on February 27, 2026, Operation Epic Fury responded to 47 years of Iranian aggression—including nuclear defiance, terrorism sponsorship, Houthi/Hezbollah attacks, and assassination plots—after a failed 10-day nuclear ultimatum. Coordinated with Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion, the daylight offensive (starting 1:15 a.m. ET February 28) obliterated over 1,000 targets: IRGC bases, Natanz/Fordow nuclear sites, missile factories, airfields, and naval assets using B-2s, F-35s, Tomahawks, and Task Force Scorpion Strike kamikaze drones.
A pivotal decapitation strike hit Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei‘s Tehran compound and presidential palace, reportedly killing him and relatives via ~30 Israeli bombs, supported by US SEAD/DEAD (Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses). Lincoln did not execute this due to ~1,200-mile range limits without forward basing.
Lincoln’s Combat Role
Positioned in the Gulf of Oman/Northern Arabian Sea, CSG-3 (Lincoln, cruisers USS Mobile Bay/Lake Erie, destroyers like USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.) formed the southern axis alongside CSG-12 (USS Gerald R. Ford from the Mediterranean). CVW-9 launched massive daylight strikes:
- F-35Cs (VMFA-314) and Super Hornets (VFA-41/14/151) demolished Bandar Abbas/Chah Bahar piers, sinking a Jamaran-class corvette and fast-attack craft.
- Growlers blinded coastal S-400/S-300 radars; Hawkeyes orchestrated swarm attacks.
- Destroyers fired SM-6 missiles at retreating IRGCN vessels, securing chokepoints.
These efforts degraded Iran’s navy (~70% losses) and missile launchers, enabling northern decapitation thrusts.
Key Defensive Engagements
- February 2-3: VMFA-314 F-35C downed an IRGC Shahed-139 drone aggressively closing on the carrier in international waters—first air-to-air kill for the squadron.
- March 1: IRGC’s “True Promise 4” retaliation fired four ballistic missiles (likely Fattah hypersonics) at Lincoln; Aegis SM-3/6 intercepts from escorts ensured “not even close,” per CENTCOM. No damage; viral “fire” videos exposed as old gaming footage.
Casualties and Current Operations
Operation Epic Fury inflicted separate US losses: 3 troops killed, 5 wounded in drone/missile strikes on ground assets (not Lincoln-related). As of March 2, 2026, Lincoln remains operational in the Arabian Sea, launching patrols amid Iran’s scattered responses, exemplifying carrier dominance in high-threat environments.
