San Diego-Homeported USS Abraham Lincoln Positioned in Arabian Sea During February 28 U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran

A San Diego-based carrier at the center of a fast-moving regional escalation

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), homeported at Naval Air Station North Island, has been operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since late January 2026 after being redirected from an Indo-Pacific deployment. The shift placed the carrier strike group in and around the Arabian Sea as tensions with Iran intensified in early February and culminated in coordinated U.S.-Israel strikes on Iranian targets on Feb. 28, 2026.

The carrier’s movement from San Diego began with a deployment that started Nov. 21, 2025. In late January, the strike group was confirmed to have entered the Middle East theater, giving U.S. commanders a mobile airfield capable of sustained flight operations while remaining outside the immediate confines of the Persian Gulf.

What the strike group brings: aircraft, escorts, and layered defenses

USS Abraham Lincoln’s combat power is built around Carrier Air Wing 9, which includes carrier-based fighters and enabling aircraft designed for strike missions, air defense, electronic warfare and airborne early warning. The strike group’s surface component has included guided-missile destroyers tasked with air and missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, and protection of sea lines of communication.

• Aircraft carrier: USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
• Embarked aviation: Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9), including F-35C and F/A-18 variants, plus support aircraft
• Escorts reported with the group in recent weeks have included multiple destroyers operating across the Arabian Sea and nearby waters

Early February incidents signaled rising risk around the carrier

On Feb. 3, 2026, U.S. forces reported that an Iranian Shahed-139 drone approached the carrier in the Arabian Sea and was shot down by an embarked U.S. Navy F-35C after it ignored measures intended to reduce the risk of escalation. U.S. officials reported no injuries and no damage to the ship or associated vessels.

The drone incident underscored the proximity of U.S. naval forces to Iranian operating areas and the likelihood of rapid tactical decisions during periods of heightened tension.

Feb. 28 strikes and the carrier’s operational role

On Feb. 28, 2026, the United States and Israel conducted major strikes on Iranian military and government-linked infrastructure. In parallel, a sizeable U.S. naval presence was reported operating near the Strait of Hormuz and in the Arabian Sea, including USS Abraham Lincoln and numerous escort ships. Such positioning typically supports missions that can include defensive counter-air, intelligence and surveillance support, maritime security, and, when directed, strike operations from carrier-based aircraft.

The full operational details of any carrier-launched missions on Feb. 28 have not been comprehensively released. However, the documented presence of the carrier in the Arabian Sea during the strikes situates the San Diego-based platform as a central component of U.S. naval posture during one of the region’s most consequential escalations in years.