WASHINGTON — The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is heading toward the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. official said, as the Lincoln completes an extended deployment supporting U.S. military operations against Iran. The rotation had been planned in advance, the official said.
The George Washington left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week and has since been observed transiting toward the Indian Ocean, according to the U.S. Navy and the Associated Press. A Navy official confirmed the carrier was in the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Pacific and Indian oceans.
The deployment comes as the Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier with about 5,000 personnel, has remained at sea since November 2025 and in the Middle East since January. It has supported the U.S. war against Iran and operations in the region. Reuters reported that the carrier’s deployment has exceeded the Navy’s typical six- to nine-month deployment period, although longer deployments can occur during conflicts.
The planned relief has also drawn attention to reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln. Navy Times and Stars and Stripes have reported suicide attempts and declining morale among sailors. Democratic lawmakers have separately raised concerns about reported shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing problems, mail disruptions and mental-health issues.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected reports that conditions aboard the carrier had significantly deteriorated, saying they were “completely misrepresented.” He said the Defense Department provides ships and crews with the resources available to it and expressed support for sailors operating under extended deployments.
The Navy has acknowledged that combat conditions disrupted some supply hubs in the Middle East, contributing to shortages and delays in mail deliveries aboard the Lincoln. It said sailors now have access to clean water and adequate meal options. The Navy also said it had not observed an increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts aboard the ship, while declining to provide related data because of operational-security and patient-privacy concerns.
The George Washington, the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier based in Japan, had been operating with Carrier Air Wing 5 and other ships in the western Pacific. Its departure for the Middle East will temporarily reduce the U.S. carrier presence in the Pacific, according to the Associated Press.
The latest confirmed position places the George Washington in the Strait of Malacca, en route toward the Indian Ocean and its planned relief mission for the Abraham Lincoln.
