The USS Abraham Lincoln has returned to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego after 321 days at sea, but markings displayed on the aircraft carrier have become the focus of attention. The symbols appear to represent submarines, surface ships, anti-ship missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles linked to its deployment.
The US Navy has not issued an official explanation of the markings. That silence has left the meaning of the symbols unclear, including whether they represent targets destroyed directly by the carrier, its aircraft or ships operating with its carrier group.
What the markings show
The reported markings include 23 anti-ship missiles, 34 surface ships, 122 unmanned aerial vehicles and 10 submarines. A large bomb-like symbol marked “1403” also appears among the designs.
The carrier is described as having 34 kill marks associated with surface ships destroyed during the sixth month of the conflict. The available account does not establish which individual targets were destroyed by the Abraham Lincoln carrier group.
The possible targets mentioned include warships, corvettes and unmanned surface vessels used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Publicly identified examples include the Shahid Bagheri carrier, the IRIS Makran forward base ship, Jamaran-class corvettes and four Shahid Soleimani-class catamaran missile corvettes.
US Central Command has publicly confirmed the destruction of several vessels. However, the available material does not identify which of those vessels were neutralised by the Abraham Lincoln carrier group.
Claims linked to the deployment
Before the carrier reached San Diego, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth presented its crew with a Presidential Unit Citation. The award was described as the military's highest unit-level honour for bravery.
Hegseth called the mission historic and said the carrier launched 3,693 combat sorties, sank 64 Iranian warships, fired 450 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and destroyed 77 one-way aerial attack drones.
The citation described 40 days of fighting and a strong maritime blockade against Iran in support of “Operation Epic Fury”. These claims are separate from the markings visible on the carrier and have not been explained in detail by the US Navy in the supplied material.
The deployment included extended operations in the Middle East. The carrier group was reportedly active in the Arabian Sea and, at times, near the Gulf of Oman during the early phase of “Operation Epic Fury”.
Aircraft and submarines linked to the group
The markings also include more than 100 triangular shapes resembling Shahed-136 one-way attack drones. The account links the carrier's operations to attacks carried out by aircraft and escort ships within the wider carrier group.
Possible weapons platforms mentioned include Tomahawk missiles launched from Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and aircraft from the carrier's air wing. The named destroyers are USS Spruance, USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Petersen. The aircraft identified are the F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
The carrier group is also associated with 10 submarines. The account says US Central Command focused during the conflict on Iranian Kilo-class and other submarines built in Russia.
A graph taken by Jeff Rojas on 1 October showed a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying a submarine-destruction marking. The aircraft belongs to VFA-41, a Navy fighter squadron known as the “Black Aces”.
The supplied material does not establish whether the submarine markings on the Abraham Lincoln represent confirmed sinkings by the carrier group or another form of mission recognition.
Conclusion
The USS Abraham Lincoln has returned to San Diego after a lengthy deployment with extensive markings linked to missiles, ships, drones and submarines. The US Navy has not clarified their meaning, while claims in the award citation provide a broader but not fully itemised account of the operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When did the USS Abraham Lincoln return to San Diego?
It reached Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego on 8 October after 321 days at sea.
Q. What do the reported markings represent?
They include 23 anti-ship missiles, 34 surface ships, 122 unmanned aerial vehicles and 10 submarines, along with a bomb-like mark carrying “1403”.
Q. Has the US Navy explained the markings?
No. The supplied material says the US Navy has not issued an official explanation or response.
Q. What combat figures did Pete Hegseth cite?
He said the carrier launched 3,693 combat sorties, sank 64 Iranian warships, fired 450 Tomahawk missiles and destroyed 77 one-way aerial attack drones.
Q. Which Iranian vessels are mentioned as possible targets?
The account names the Shahid Bagheri carrier, IRIS Makran, Jamaran-class corvettes and four Shahid Soleimani-class catamaran missile corvettes.
Q. Which aircraft are linked to the carrier group?
The aircraft mentioned are the F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Q. Which squadron was associated with a submarine-destruction marking?
graphed F/A-18F Super Hornet belonged to VFA-41, also known as the “Black Aces”.
