3 US Aircraft Carriers Operating in Middle East for First Time in Over 2 Decades

The USS Abraham Lincoln conducts U.S. blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea on April 16, 2026. The ship’s embarked carrier air wing includes eight F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 fighter jets, EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, E-2D command and control planes, MH-60 helicopters and CMV-22B Ospreys for logistics support. U.S. Navy via Getty ImagesThe U.S. military said on April 24 that three aircraft carriers are currently operating in the Middle East, marking the first deployment of such a large force to the region in more than two decades.The three aircraft carriers—namely the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush—have been deployed to their area of responsibility in the Middle East alongside their carrier air wings, carrying more than 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and marines, according to an X post by the U.S. Central Command.