Caitlyn Burchett – August 13, 2026 12:58 PM
The forward-deployed George Washington Carrier Strike Group was in the Strait of Malacca on Thursday, USNI News has learned.
Flagship USS George Washington (CVN-73), as well as cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) and destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86), were in the Strait of Malacca after making a westbound transit through the Singapore Strait, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News. The Japan-based group is conducting their first patrol of 2026, having departed Yokosuka in May.
The George Washington Carrier Strike Group’s transit of the Strait of Malacca comes as the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s deployment to continue its extended Middle East.
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and its carrier strike group are in the Arabian Sea, where it has been since January. Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for 241 consecutive days – smashing a record of 206 days at sea set by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 30, 2019) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Atlantic Ocean during a strait transit exercise. Abraham Lincoln is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Clint Davis/Released)
The carrier, which deployed 265 days ago on Nov. 21 from San Diego, has not made a port call since Dec. 11 when it pulled into Guam. By Dec. 15, just four days later, Abraham Lincoln was operating in the Philippine Sea, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.
Abraham Lincoln was set to return in May but was extended as the U.S. remains embroiled in conflict with Iran.
While the carrier’s time at sea stretches on, family members have raised concerns to Navy leadership about mental health resources, supply shortages and water contamination on board Abraham Lincoln, according to media reports.
In a statement Wednesday to USNI News, a Navy official said, “We know that extended deployments place a significant strain on our service members and their families, and we are grateful for the resilience and sacrifices they make in support of our nation’s security. On Aug. 6, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, Vice Adm. Douglas Verissimo, commander, Naval Air Forces, and Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander, Naval Surface Forces met with families of sailors and Marines assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to hear their concerns directly, answer questions and provide updates on the deployment. Navy leadership is listening to our families, supporting our service members, and ensuring the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has the resources needed to safely and successfully accomplish its mission.”
The official went on to say, “based on information available to the command, we have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship.”
Additionally, traditional supply hubs in the Middle East have been disrupted, according to the official.
“In response, leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail,” the official said. “Current reports from the ship confirm continuous access to clean water, functional AC and healthy meal options.”
Also operating in the Arabian Sea are USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and its carrier strike group, the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group – USS Boxer (LHD-4), USS Comstock (LSD-45), USS Portland (LPD-27) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit – Expeditionary Sea Base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) and seven independent destroyers. Nearby in the Indian Ocean are an additional four destroyers, according to this week’s USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.
In California, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and its strike group are preparing for deployment.
Caitlyn Burchett
Caitlyn Burchett is the managing editor of USNI News. She previously covered the Navy and Marine Corps for Stars and Stripes and regional defense news for The Virginian-Pilot. Follow @CaitlynBurchett
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