US Carrier Strike Group Docks in Thailand After Middle East Deployment

LAEM CHABANG — 2 September 2026, The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has arrived in Thailand for scheduled port visits after nearly seven months of operations in the Middle East, the US Embassy said. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln docked at Laem Chabang alongside elements of Carrier Strike Group 3, Carrier Air Wing 9 and Destroyer Squadron 21. The guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sriracha, while the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls arrived at Map Ta Phut, according to the embassy. The visit is the Abraham Lincoln’s first full port call since beginning its deployment in November 2025. The carrier and its crew have spent 286 days at sea, the US Navy said. Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said the stop would give sailors and Marines an opportunity to rest while underlining the US alliance with Thailand. “This also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand,” he said. The US Navy said the strike group had spent nearly seven months operating in the US Central Command area, where it took part in combat operations supporting Operation Epic Fury and helped enforce what it described as the largest naval blockade in decades. Capt. Dan Keeler, commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, said Thailand was the carrier’s first port visit of the deployment and would help strengthen understanding between the two countries. Thailand has been a US treaty partner since the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce and remains Washington’s only treaty ally in mainland Southeast Asia. The two countries also hold the annual Cobra Gold military exercise. The strike group is now conducting routine operations in the US 7th Fleet area, which covers much of the Indo-Pacific, the US Navy said. The post The USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Thailand following its Middle East deployment appeared first on Khaosod English.