U.S. Navy Fires 450 Tomahawks Against Iran as Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Ends Deployment.

The U.S. Navy's USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Iran during Operation Epic Fury, conducting long-range precision strikes as part of a sustained American naval campaign in the Middle East. The deployment combined carrier-based aviation, missile strikes, and maritime blockade operations, demonstrating the extent of U.S. naval involvement in the conflict before the aircraft carrier's return to San Diego.

The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is preparing to return to its homeport in San Diego on October 8, 2026, after a 321-day deployment marked by prolonged combat operations against Iran. During Operation Epic Fury, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships supported a military campaign involving 450 Tomahawk cruise missile launches, carrier-based air operations, and participation in a maritime blockade around Iranian waters. The deployment provides a clearer picture of the scale and duration of American naval operations against Iran, particularly the use of long-range precision weapons alongside sustained carrier aviation activities.

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The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111), pictured launching a Tomahawk cruise missile during Operation Epic Fury in February and March 2026, were part of a carrier strike group credited with firing 450 Tomahawks against Iran. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

Initially deployed to the Indo-Pacific in November 2025, the carrier strike group was redirected to the Middle East in January 2026 as tensions between Washington and Tehran increased. It subsequently participated in Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iranian military targets, with the stated objectives of degrading Tehran's military capabilities and preventing it from developing nuclear weapons. During the campaign, the strike group conducted 3,693 combat sorties, delivered approximately 1.37 million pounds (621 metric tons) of ordnance and participated in operations that, according to U.S. authorities, resulted in the sinking of 64 Iranian warships. Washington disclosed that the launch of 450 Tomahawk missiles was among the principal figures.

According to a statement published by the U.S. Department of War on October 7, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth presented these results during a visit aboard USS Abraham Lincoln at sea, one day before its scheduled return to California. He confirmed that the carrier strike group conducted 40 consecutive days of combat operations beginning February 28, followed by several months of participation in a maritime blockade in and around the Strait of Hormuz. These operations continued through August, when the aircraft carrier concluded its deployment in the Middle East.

The Tomahawk remains one of the U.S. Navy's primary conventional weapons for striking targets deep inside hostile territory. The Block IV and Block V variants have a range of approximately 1,600 kilometers and use a Williams International turbofan engine for sustained subsonic flight. Their guidance architecture combines inertial navigation, GPS, Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC), allowing the missile to follow a preprogrammed route toward its target. These characteristics enable warships to engage land-based objectives without approaching hostile coastlines. The Pentagon has not specified which Tomahawk variants were employed during the campaign.

The missiles were launched by surface combatants accompanying the aircraft carrier rather than USS Abraham Lincoln itself. The carrier strike group included three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers: USS Spruance (DDG-111), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), the latter serving as the formation's air and missile defense commander. These warships are equipped with the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, which can accommodate Tomahawk missiles alongside weapons used for air defense and anti-submarine warfare. USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. was photographed launching a Tomahawk on February 28, 2026, during the opening operations against Iran. U.S. authorities have not disclosed how the 450 launches were distributed among the participating warships.

Carrier Air Wing 9 provided the deployment's aviation component. Its aircraft included F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multirole fighters from squadrons VFA-14, VFA-41 and VFA-151, F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters operated by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-314, and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft assigned to VAQ-133. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft provided airborne surveillance and tactical command capabilities, while MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters supported maritime operations. According to Hegseth, the strike group intercepted 77 one-way attack drones and destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles. It also defended against four fast-attack craft and explosive-laden wooden sailing vessels, reflecting the range of aerial and surface threats encountered during the campaign.

The duration of the deployment also illustrates the demands placed on American naval forces during the conflict. USS Abraham Lincoln spent 264 consecutive days at sea without a port call, surpassing the previous 206-day record established by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2020. On October 7, Hegseth presented the strike group with the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest U.S. military decoration awarded to units for extraordinary heroism in combat. The prolonged deployment nevertheless placed pressure on crews and shipboard resources, while the U.S. Navy continued to maintain a presence across several operational theaters.

Beyond the immediate military results, the launch of 450 Tomahawk missiles by the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group alone illustrates the pressure the Iranian conflict has placed on American precision-guided munition inventories. According to The Washington Post, U.S. forces had already expended more than 850 Tomahawks across the wider campaign during the first four weeks of Operation Epic Fury, a rate that reportedly raised concerns within the Pentagon about the depletion of available reserves in the Middle East. This level of expenditure presents an industrial challenge, as manufacturing lead times and existing production capacity prevent the rapid replacement of missiles consumed in combat. Washington is seeking to accelerate procurement and increase production rates, while rebuilding its inventories remains necessary to preserve the ability to conduct further military operations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific in the event of a confrontation with China.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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