Satellite images analyzed by Al Jazeera's open source unit revealed that the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln left the Gulf of Oman and withdrew to the Arabian Sea.
When comparing images from June 22 to July 5, it was determined that the ship moved from a position about 140 kilometers from Iran's Chabahar Port, advancing approximately 207 kilometers south in two weeks to deploy in the Arabian Sea, 104 kilometers east of the Omani coast.
Photos taken yesterday by the European Sentinel-2 satellite showed that an Arleigh Burke-class US guided-missile destroyer was also near the aircraft carrier.
This movement coincided with the US 5th Fleet's announcement on Wednesday that a sailor had gone missing. According to the statement, three people were injured and one sailor went missing after an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter made a hard landing in the Arabian Sea. The Navy reported no indication of hostile action in the incident.
In a statement today, the 5th Fleet said that intensive search and rescue efforts, which lasted over 102 hours and covered an area of 14,000 square miles, had ended. Numerous units from the US Navy and Air Force participated in the efforts.
Abraham Lincoln's specifications
The aircraft carrier, 333 meters long and 77 meters wide, weighs more than 104,000 tons. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the ship can reach speeds of 56 kilometers per hour without refueling for 20 years. Its 18,900-square-meter flight deck can accommodate 90 aircraft. A total of 5,680 crew members serve on board, including 3,200 Navy and 2,480 Air Force personnel. The Abraham Lincoln is equipped with advanced radar systems and defense platforms against anti-ship missiles.
