Iranian missile and drone attacks on a US Navy base in Bahrain on the first day of the war knocked out a vital logistics hub, forcing the Pentagon to shift its supply chain to a remote island in the Indian Ocean and worsening conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, The New York Times reported.
At the same time, The Washington Post reported that the US Navy is considering changes to the design of future aircraft carriers that could cost billions of dollars, in an effort to bring them more in line with President Donald Trump's aesthetic preferences.
According to the The New York Time report, the Lincoln's supply problems began on the first day of the war, when Iranian missiles and drones struck the US Navy base in Bahrain and destroyed large parts of the facility. For decades, the base had served as a key Navy logistics hub, helping move food, fuel, ammunition and equipment to forces carrying out strikes against Iran and, later, enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports.
Following the attack, and amid fears of further strikes on ports in the region, the Pentagon was forced to turn the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia into an alternative supply hub. But the island lies about 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) from the operating area of the two US carrier strike groups in the Gulf of Oman. A US military official said the shift was made shortly after the Bahrain base was severely damaged.
Then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused to allow the US to use Diego Garcia in the operation against Iran. After drawing Trump's anger, he reversed course, and in March granted the US military access to the island for what he described as a "specific and limited defensive purpose."
The use of Diego Garcia could also explain why Iran fired two medium-range ballistic missiles toward the island on March 20. One fell into the Indian Ocean before reaching its target, while the other was intercepted by a US Navy vessel.
The disruption to the supply chain contributed, according to the report, to shortages of basic supplies and worsening mental health among crew members aboard the Lincoln. The aircraft carrier has been deployed for nearly nine months. According to the Post, its crew spent more than 200 consecutive days without a port call that would allow sailors time ashore to rest.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal contacted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth following reports about conditions aboard the ship, while sailors' families voiced concern over the effects of the prolonged deployment.
Trump dismissed the concerns. "That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it's being replaced with another very similar ship," he said Friday. Asked whether the deployment had gone on too long, he replied, "No, no, no. Not nearly long enough."
President Trump says the USS Lincoln deployment is "not nearly long enough." pic.twitter.com/E8jqBQCFmv
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 14, 2026
The Lincoln is expected to be replaced in the coming weeks by the USS George Washington, which is making its way from the Far East toward the Middle East.
Hegseth, meanwhile, dismissed the reports, saying they had been "completely misrepresented." Asked how long the US could sustain its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, he replied: "We can hold it as long as we need to. Indefinitely."
Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, whose district is home to families of sailors serving aboard the Lincoln, said: "It gets back to that big picture, which is: What is the mission here? That's what the families want to know."
Trump's "aesthetic" change
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that even as the aircraft carrier fleet is under heavy strain, the Navy is considering a significant redesign of its Ford-class carriers in line with Trump's aesthetic preferences. According to seven US officials, the president wants the new ships to look more like aircraft carriers from the World War II era.
The proposal under review would move the command tower, known as the "island," from near the stern toward the middle of the ship. A study conducted during Trump's first administration found that such a change could cost billions of dollars and significantly delay construction. "The conclusion was that the cost and time required would simply be extraordinary," a former senior US official said. Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer, warned: "You can change it, but it would be a very significant disruption."
Moving the command tower toward the rear of the newer carriers was originally intended to improve efficiency and safety, create more room for aircraft near the launch systems and reduce turbulence as planes come in to land.
Despite that, Trump ordered the secretary of war, in consultation with the secretary of the Navy, to submit within 60 days a plan for replacing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and the advanced weapons elevators with steam and hydraulic systems on the CVN-81 aircraft carrier now under construction. The presidential memorandum stressed the administration's preference for "proven, reliable and affordable technologies and ship designs."
