US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) passed through the Singapore Strait on August 29, heading towards a planned port visit in Thailand, ship spotters reported. The carrier is due to call at Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri from September 2 to 6.
Photographers observed Lincoln’s late-night transit past Singapore as the carrier continued towards the South China Sea. The vessel and its Japan-based escort, guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), were seen transiting the Strait of Malacca on Friday.
Press reports indicate that Lincoln’s crew, the embarked Carrier Air Wing 9, and some of its escort ships are expected to pull into Eastern Thailand for the visit. US carriers have previously called at the deep-water port at Laem Chabang.
Images show aircraft silhouetted on the flight deck as the carrier passed through the strait. Lincoln has been operating in the US Indo-Pacific Command area for about a week, following almost seven months in the US Central Command area without a declared port call.
Thailand’s Defence Ministry has said the visit is intended for crew rest, recovery and logistics, and is not a joint military exercise. Government Spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said the stop is focused on personnel recovery and logistical support, and rejected speculation that the carrier is visiting to replenish ammunition.
Lincoln’s transit comes as the US Navy plans for longer deployments to support operations in the Middle East. Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, carrier deployments have averaged 8.5 months, according to the USNI News carrier deployment database.
At the same time, Pattaya police stepped up patrols this week ahead of the arrival of the carrier. A late-night operation on August 29 involving Pattaya City Police, Tourist Police, Immigration Police and local social welfare officers found 25 offenders during checks along Pattaya Beach and other tourist areas.
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