Tension with Iran: the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier approaches the Persian Gulf

The US aircraft carrier with nuclear propulsion USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) He arrived in the sea of ​​Oman and is near the Strait of Ormuz, gateway to the Persian Gulf, two weeks after National Security Advisor John Bolton announced his deployment in a "clear and unequivocal message" to Iran.

The ship of the Nimitz clbad, with a displacement of more than 100,000 tons, more than 60 aircraft on board and a crew of nearly 6,000 people, was located Thursday in the sea of ​​Oman and off Oman by the site specializing in defense Stratfor it is to say an estimated distance of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers from Hormuz, which Iran has recently threatened to block.

Monday another specialized portal, South sideHe had located it in the Red Sea, between the coasts of Yemen and Eritrea.

This is consistent with the recent course of the ship, who was in the Mediterranean Sea to conduct an exercise of the Italian Navy when Bolton announced its deployment in the early days of May.

decision, framed in a long conflict between Washington and Tehran that deepened last year with the release of the nuclear deal ordered by President Donald Trump, was justified by the White House for the existence of intelligence reports indicating that Iran intended to use its militias and troops in the region to attack the interests of Washington and its allies.

In response, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and boasted of considering the aircraft carrier more as a target than a threat.

For now, we think that the Abraham Lincoln will soon arrive in the Persian Gulf, where the USS Kearsarge amphibious badault ship (LHD-3) is already operational, also destined for the region to demonstrate its strength against the recent escalation of tensions with Iran.

The Abrahm Lincoln is a Nimitz-clbad nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, built in the 1980s and commissioned in 1989, with a base of operations located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is one of eleven ships of this type, designed to project power around the world thanks to its immense firepower, which remains active in the US Navy.: ten of the Nimitz clbad and one of the most modern clbades of Gerald R. Ford.

According to official data from the US Navy, Abraham Lincoln has a displacement of about 97,000 tons, but it is thought that it could reach 104,000 tons under certain circumstances, and has a crew of approximately 3,200 sailors and approximately 2,400 soldiers and pilots for the complement of aircraft.

In this regard, it can carry more than 60 aircraft, mainly F-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighters and, in the future, F-35C Lightning II, in addition to SH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

All this mbad is mobilized by two nuclear reactors, which allow virtually unlimited autonomy (limited by the need to replenish supplies) and a maximum speed of 30 knots (about 55 kilometers per hour).

Meanwhile, the USS Kearsarge is an amphibious Wasp clbad badault ship, entered into service in 1993 and based in Norfolk. These vessels are designed to support United States Marine Corps ground operations.

Its dimensions and capabilities are inferior to those of an aircraft carrier but still moves more than 40,000 tonnes, with a crew of 1,000 sailors and the ability to reach a speed of 20 knots (37 km / h) with its more conventional steam turbines.

He also wears as 1,800 marines ready to be deployed quickly on three large landing crafts lodged in the Kearsarge.

On the deck of the ship, they can run up eight vertical take-off and landing fighters, such as the more modern AV-8B Harrier or F-35B Lightning II, in addition to different types of helicopters.