USS Washington Heads to Gulf to Relieve Strained Carrier Lincoln

The U.S. Navy is moving the aircraft carrier USS Washington into position to replace the USS Lincoln, according to corriere.it. The deployment comes as the Lincoln’s crew has shown signs of severe fatigue, with reports of self-harm and suicide attempts aboard the vessel.

The Italian newspaper, citing a military report also covered by la Repubblica and Tgcom24, said the Lincoln’s sailors are under extreme strain. The report describes a deteriorating mental-health situation on the carrier, including instances of self-injury and attempted suicide among the crew.

Corriere.it reported the Washington is already under way to take over the Lincoln’s duties. The Wall Street Journal, as relayed by the Italian news agency ANSA, also said the United States is preparing to send a ship to replace the Lincoln. Neither report specified a precise timeline for the handover or the Lincoln’s next destination.

The Lincoln has been operating in the Middle East amid ongoing U.S. military action against Iran, a conflict that Italian outlet Domani described as a failure. That reporting noted frustration among Marines on the ground and anger among their families back home, adding broader context to the strain affecting the carrier’s personnel.

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The move to rotate the Washington into the region signals the Navy is responding to the crew’s condition, though officials have not publicly commented on the reports. The Lincoln’s deployment has been extended repeatedly, and the toll on its sailors appears to have become a factor in operational planning.

What to watch next: whether the Navy confirms the rotation and how quickly the Washington can assume the Lincoln’s mission in the Gulf.