In the contested waters of the South China Sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group fired live rounds from its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System on January 8, 2026, amid rising tensions over Taiwan and China’s expansive maritime claims. Carrying about 5,000 sailors and Marines, the nuclear-powered carrier and its escorts patrol routes vital to $3–5 trillion in annual global trade, where rival navies shadow each other at close range.
Flashpoint Looms
The South China Sea draws overlapping territorial assertions from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. U.S. forces conduct patrols to support international law and freedom of navigation, but every operation invites intense monitoring, heightening the chance of miscalculation. China’s “nine-dash line,” mapping roughly 90% of the sea and first drawn in 1947, was ruled invalid by a 2016 UNCLOS tribunal. Beijing dismissed the decision, pressed ahead with island-building and militarization, and left the ruling without enforcement. U.S. freedom-of-navigation missions stand as key counters to these claims.
Taiwan Tensions Build
Late December saw China’s Eastern Theater Command launch “Justice Mission 2025,” with live-fire drills on December 29–30 that encircled Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province. The exercises responded to pro-independence activities. Just days before, the U.S. approved an $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan—the largest to date—aimed at bolstering defenses and deterring conflict. These moves amplified anxiety across the region, drawing the USS Abraham Lincoln into sharper focus.
Lincoln Enters the Fray
USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego on December 20, 2024, after a nine-month deployment that included South China Sea operations in November 2024. The carrier redeployed in late November 2025, and the strike group steamed into the South China Sea on December 26, 2025, following a Guam port call—its first entry into the contested waters during the current deployment cycle. Escorted by three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers—USS Spruance (DDG-111), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), and USS Frank E.
Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)—the carrier deployed F/A-18E Super Hornets and ran Phalanx drills days after China’s Taiwan maneuvers ended. U.S. 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Matthew Comer called the activities “routine operations” to deter aggression. Commanding officer Capt. Dan Keeler noted the crew’s readiness to build partnerships and showcase strike group capabilities. Aboard, 5,000 personnel drill in damage control, flight ops, and defenses under continuous 7th Fleet oversight of 50–70 ships and subs in the Indo-Pacific.
Strike Group Backbone
Commissioned in 1989, the Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) runs over 20 years without refueling, hosts up to 90 aircraft, and packs Phalanx systems. Its build cost $4.5 billion, plus $2.6 billion for a 2017 refueling, totaling $7–8.5 billion. Each escort destroyer runs $1.8–2 billion, pushing the group’s value to about $13 billion in assets. Layered defenses cover air, surface, and missile threats, reassuring allies like the Philippines and Vietnam facing Chinese pressure. The deployment followed USS Nimitz’s exit, ensuring steady U.S. carrier presence amid Trump administration pledges of firmer Taiwan backing.
Forward Stakes
Chinese officials labeled U.S. moves as meddling, with state media decrying provocation. Beijing tracked the group closely from expanded island bases, voicing frustration over the unenforced 2016 ruling. Analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies flag the Taiwan Strait as a prime U.S.-China flashpoint, where crowded waters and missiles test carrier vulnerabilities—though U.S. officials cite robust defenses. Rotations persist, Taiwan’s arms flow grows, and allies push for enduring commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act. Joint patrols signal reliability, but the core challenge endures: sustaining deterrence without sparking wider conflict, as diplomacy trails naval rhythms and trillions in trade hang in balance.
Sources:
Stars and Stripes | USS Abraham Lincoln holds live-fire drills in South China Sea | January 11, 2026
U.S. Navy Commander Pacific Fleet | Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrives in Guam | December 10, 2025
Breaking Defense | US greenlights massive, $11 billion military arms package to Taiwan | December 17, 2025
BBC News | US announces $11bn weapons sale to Taiwan | December 18, 2025
Global Taiwan Brief | The PLA’s “Justice Mission-2025” Exercise Around Taiwan | January 4, 2026
Center for Strategic and International Studies | Judgment Day: The South China Sea Tribunal Issues Its Ruling | December 6, 2016