The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has arrived in Port Klang, Malaysia, marking the first visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to the country in 12 years.
The historic arrival on November 23 highlights the enduring partnership between the United States and Malaysia, built on shared economic, security, and cultural ties.
“This historic visit reaffirms Malaysia’s importance to the United States,” said U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan.
“It highlights our shared commitment to regional stability and Malaysian sovereignty, providing an invaluable opportunity for collaboration between our navies and key leaders.”
Prior to docking, Malaysian officials and media visited the ship, toured its facilities, and observed flight operations. During the port call, the USS Abraham Lincoln will host Malaysian leaders for exclusive tours aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.
Rear Admiral Adan Cruz, commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3, emphasized the significance of the visit:
“Our visit to Kuala Lumpur is important to the U.S. Navy. It is the first time an aircraft carrier has visited in 12 years. I deeply value the opportunity to strengthen the U.S. and Malaysian partnership while providing an opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to experience the amazing city of Kuala Lumpur.”
The carrier’s more than 4,200 Sailors and Marines will have the chance to engage with the local community through cultural tours and volunteer activities at soup kitchens, senior citizen homes, and children’s centers. Captain Pete Riebe, commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, expressed gratitude for the warm reception:
“On behalf of the Abraham Lincoln crew, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Port Klang and Kuala Lumpur for welcoming the Abraham Lincoln with such warmth and enthusiasm. We look forward to exploring the rich history and culture of Malaysia and engaging with local community groups throughout our visit.”
The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, consists of the USS Abraham Lincoln, Carrier Strike Group Three, Destroyer Squadron 21, Carrier Air Wing Nine, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.
While in the region, its other ships conducted separate port calls, including the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. in Singapore, and USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy in Thailand.
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Make the most of it people, Musk reckons the F-35 is a waste of space after watching a cute little video of the Chinese flying thousands of drones in perfect harmony in an admittedly impressive and artistic aerial night time display, what with visuals of dragons and other scary visuals. So suddenly it’s a eureka moment it seems, so no need for manned aircraft at all apparently, just flying auto pilot ‘Teslas’ doing it all. No need for expensive Super Carriers without those expensive obsolete piloted aircraft at all now that they are all superseded by the army of drones surely? The drones can surely fly off of his Falcon landing barges…. hmmm which means as prospective Secretary of State for Savings he may be envisaging in an entirely fair swap surely using them instead as Starships launch and landing pads on the cheap. Man’s a genius two birds with one stone and saving on man power to boot replacing them with a few dad dancing Optimus robots to show the US can entertain too, so maybe three birds. Take that China.
Other units dispersed across the Pacific to spread good news and cheer.
Leaving the principal as risk of being decapitated in a first strike scenario. All good news to the Royal Navy who think that a CSG can deploy and fan out to spread diplomacy and surely, gold for the eye of China who know they can strike undefended carries as their escorts either break down and return to the Med (RN) or bugger off to so many corners that a carrier is faced with a Chinese fleet and does a Master and Commander faster than even Aubry could condure.
The RN Carriers are very poor and unreliable ships, on the rare occassions they are put to sea they need a large support vessell carryig spares.