CENTCOM Shows USS Abraham Lincoln Functioning 100% | WATCH
CENTCOM has released "round-the-clock" footage of the USS Abraham Lincoln conducting strike missions, debunking IRGC claims that the carrier was disabled. As part of Operation Epic Fury, the footage confirms the Nimitz-class carrier remains fully operational, launching F-35C and F/A-18 jets in continuous waves against Iranian targets.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released video footage showing the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) conducting continuous flight operations in the Arabian Sea, directly countering repeated Iranian claims that the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier had been struck or disabled.
The footage, highlighted in a viral social media post on March 16, shows F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning II jets launching and recovering from the carrier's flight deck around the clock. CENTCOM's accompanying statement read: "USS Abraham Lincoln continues flight operations day and night during Operation Epic Fury. Sailing close to Iran, Lincoln and its embarked carrier air wing are executing back-to-back waves of strikes."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made multiple unsubstantiated assertions since early March 2026 claiming it successfully targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, drones, or cruise missiles. On March 1, CENTCOM dismissed an IRGC claim of a ballistic missile strike, stating the missiles "didn't even come close." Subsequent Iranian claims alleged the carrier was out of operational service or had withdrawn from the area. A fact-check by AFP identified some Iranian-shared videos as AI-generated or unrelated to the Lincoln.
Role in Operation Epic Fury
The USS Abraham Lincoln, leading Carrier Strike Group 3, has been a key asset in U.S. operations since its deployment to the region in January 2026. Positioned in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, it has supported strike operations against Iranian ballistic missile sites, drone facilities, and naval assets.