Day: August 14, 2026

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has issued a ‘fact check’ to correct what it describes as a series of false reports about conditions aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), including claims that seven sailors died in a fight aboard the ship and reports of increased suicidal ideations among the crew.

According to the Navy, no service members aboard Abraham Lincoln have died during its current deployment, and the sailor who went overboard on August 3 was quickly and safely recovered.

The carrier strike group has now spent more than 260 days at sea, conducting more than 10,000 aircraft flights and expending approximately 1.5 million pounds of ordnance.

The Navy also says Abraham Lincoln has maintained an 84.4% crew reenlistment rate, among the highest of any U.S. aircraft carrier.

The statement comes as the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group continues operations in the Middle East following an exceptionally long deployment, with the Navy pushing back against what it says is inaccurate reporting about the condition and morale of its crew.

President Donald J. Trump has issued a memorandum directing a major overhaul of U.S. Navy shipbuilding, citing cost growth, delays, design complexity and insufficient industrial capacity.

Among the key directives:
• CVN-81: Within 60 days, the administration will develop a plan to replace the EMALS electromagnetic catapult system and Advanced Weapons Elevators with traditional steam and hydraulic systems.

• Foreign shipbuilding: The administration will pursue a “Finland Model” allowing foreign shipbuilders to participate in up to three ship classes, provided they build or acquire a U.S. shipyard, train an American workforce, transfer relevant technology and establish a U.S. supply chain. The first two ships could be built overseas, with subsequent ships built in the United States.

• New surface combatants: The Navy will develop a new competitive acquisition approach for affordable, mature-design surface combatants capable of anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and convoy escort.

• Fifth Navy shipyard: A plan will be developed for a fifth public Navy yard, including additional drydock capacity for nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

• Submarine repair: The administration will establish a Component Repair Center intended to maintain at least one complete set of spare equipment for the Los Angeles, Virginia, Seawolf, Ohio and Columbia classes.

• NAVSEA reform: The Naval Sea Systems Command will undergo a review aimed at reducing bureaucracy, increasing accountability and preventing repeated redesigns of mature ship designs.

The memorandum’s overarching objective is to increase U.S. shipbuilding capacity and competition while reducing the cost and time required to build and maintain Navy vessels.

Importantly, most of these provisions direct the Department of War and Navy to develop plans within specified timelines; they do not themselves immediately authorize or fund construction of the projects described.

🚨 DIPLOMATIC SHIFT KUSHNER HEADS TO ISRAEL 🇮🇱

Former US envoy JARED KUSHNER prepares for high-level meetings in ISRAEL next week. Discussions focus on the post-war future of the GAZA STRIP amid ongoing regional volatility. 🗺️💼

#MiddleEast  #OSINT