The USS Abraham Lincoln has finally arrived in Thailand for a well-deserved port call that will certainly be immortalized in future safety briefs. New surfaced footage gives us a glimpse at just how rough this deployment has been, not just for the crew, but for the ship itself.
This stop in Thailand marks the ship’s first full port stop since its deployment began in November 2025, with a total of 286 days at sea, including an impressive 208-day stretch that didn’t even see the ship make a brief stop near shore to resupply.
Importantly, the ship and its 5,000 crew weren’t just out at sea: they were in a combat zone, launching and recovering over 10,000 aircraft sorties and defending against Iranian inbound anti-ship missiles and drone attacks.
While it is true that this isn’t the longest amount of time a carrier has ever been out to sea, it’s important to keep context in mind.
The Lincoln has been deployed to what is, objectively, a very unpopular conflict marred by dozens of apparent ceasefires, which immediately fell through, and serious logistical challenges that only compounded the tough circumstances for the Sailors and Marines onboard.
Suffering is always easier when you have two things: assurances that its worth it; and an end-point to look forward to. The Lincoln’s deployment was supposed to end nearly four months ago, and that’s a long four months to keep fighting with no confirmed end in sight.
However, the Lincoln’s return to port also drew attention from some circles, due to the perceived state of the ship, which had visible rust marks on its hull.
Specifically, Chinese social media accounts tried to create an erroneous narrative around the ship’s state, as the X post below demonstrates.
The longest period a Chinese aircraft carrier has ever spent at sea was when the Liaoning deployed for just 40 days. So, these accounts might not be too familiar with what an aircraft carrier looks like after such a long deployment, because it’s normal for a ship to accumulate rust in such a way.
An aircraft carrier is basically a giant steel tub floating in one of the most corrosive environments you could put it in. Rust just needs water, oxygen, and iron to get started, but if you add salt to the mix, then the party really heats up.
As Naval Sea Systems Command explains, addressing that rust buildup is a multi-step process that starts with removing the rust with a needle gun and other tools, cleaning the area thoroughly, applying multiple primer coats, and then finally, a top protective coat.
Related: China’s new Fujian carrier reignites the Great Aircraft Carrier debate
When you consider that the ship is more than 1,000 feet long, you’d basically have to have a full team doing nothing but needle-gunning and painting throughout the entire deployment. That isn’t feasible even when you’re not launching 10,000 combat sorties. And importantly, on older ships like the Lincoln, there are strict rules about how and when you can grind away at the paint, because the older coatings contained high levels of lead and other toxic materials.
Finally, there’s a big difference between running rust, like what is seen on the ship’s hull; surface corrosion, which is sure to be happening at places on the ship; and pitting or structural corrosion. That is to say that there’s a big difference between a rough-looking ship and a ship that’s actually becoming compromised by rust.
So, while rust is an important thing to address in ship maintenance, it isn’t something we should be expecting Sailors in the midst of combat operations to be focused on.
And anyone who says that seeing rust on warships returning from a long deployment means anything other than the fact that it was a long deployment has probably never spent a day at sea, and all but certainly doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Rust is what happens when you put metal boats in seawater. And that’s why the U.S. Navy spends some $6 billion a year fighting corrosion. The rest is just the internet hyperbole machine doing what it does best.
Feature Image: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrives in Laem Chabang, Thailand, Sept. 2, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Units assigned to 7th Fleet conduct continuous patrols to deter aggression, strengthen alliances and partnerships and advance peace through strength. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gage Thomas)
Read more from Sandboxx News
- Everything they got wrong about Harrier jets in ‘True Lies’
- Army receives competing XM30 prototypes to replace its iconic Bradleys
- Agram 2000 submachine gun: From the criminal underworld to the Battle of Kyiv
- Sweden will buy 4 FDI frigates placing its trust on the modern French warships
- Russia’s uses Su-57 Felon stealth fighters to strike Odesa – but that comes with risks