The US aircraft carrier USS "Abraham Lincoln" will dock in Thailand next week after completing its long deployment in the Middle East, a Thai official said, quoted by "Reuters".
The ship left the Middle East region on Saturday. It has not visited a port for more than 200 days, which according to US lawmakers is a modern record for the longest continuous stay at sea. There are about 5,000 sailors and marines on board.
According to the Thai representative, the stay will allow the crew to "rest and recover after the long voyage."
"Abraham Lincoln" left its base in San Diego in November last year and was subsequently redeployed to the Middle East to participate in US military operations in the war with Iran.
In recent weeks, the duration of the mission and conditions on board have become the subject of public attention in the United States. The military publications Navy Times and Stars and Stripes have reported suicide attempts, deteriorating morale and mental health problems among some of the crew. US lawmakers have also demanded explanations for reports of shortages of basic goods, problems with water and plumbing, and disruptions to mail delivery.
The claims of severe discontent and deteriorating conditions among sailors have not been independently confirmed. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports "completely misrepresent" the situation on the aircraft carrier. The Pentagon also said that the replacement of the Abraham Lincoln with another aircraft carrier was planned in advance, which does not allow its withdrawal from the Middle East to be directly linked to the reports about the condition of the crew.
Amid these reports, the aircraft carrier was also visited by the commander of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper. After the visit, he described the crew's work as impressive and praised their "resilience". In his words, the Abraham Lincoln has the lowest number of mental health-related cases among the 11 active U.S. aircraft carriers.
The admiral's visit, however, did not end the controversy surrounding the unusually long mission. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that the deployment had been too long, saying it was "not long enough at all.".
U.S. naval deployments typically last between six and nine months, although that period can be extended in the event of military action.
After leaving the Middle East, the visit to Thailand will be the first opportunity for the crew of the "Abraham Lincoln" to make a port call in more than six months. Thailand is the only U.S. treaty ally in mainland Southeast Asia and has been a major non-NATO ally since 2003.