USS Abraham Lincoln to be replaced amid supply, crew mental health concerns

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed in the Middle East, will be replaced.

"That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it's being replaced with another very similar ship," Trump told reporters before departing for New York for a rally.

The carrier has been deployed in the Middle East for nearly nine months and at sea since November 2025.

The replacement announcement came amid growing concerns over conditions aboard the aircraft carrier as two military-focused outlets, Navy Times and Stars and ‌Stripes, reported suicide attempts and declining morale on the 5,000-person ship.

"There ​have been widespread reports ​of shortages of ⁠basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care ​packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit ​for months," ⁠US Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Navy secretary this week.

Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but during times of conflict, that can be extended.

Extended deployments can pose enormous strain on crews' mental health ​and have always been a challenge for the US Navy. Sailors must maintain a heightened ​state of alert and readiness, especially with the threat of drone and missile attack from Iran.

A US ‌official, ⁠speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the George Washington aircraft carrier is heading to the region with the intention of replacing the Lincoln carrier. That move was pre-planned, the official said.

When asked about reports of poor conditions on the Abraham Lincoln, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said Trump ⁠and ​Hegseth were committed to ensuring the US military was "equipped ​with the resources necessary to counter any threat to the United States."

(With input from agencies)