US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which as spent a record-breaking number of days at sea during a period of more than eight months with only brief stops at ports.
Hegseth called recent reporting in two military-focused outlets in the US, the Navy Times and the Stars and Stripes, "completely misrepresented."
The reports had quoted relatives of sailors recounting stories of poor conditions on board and even a thwarted attempt by a crewmember to throw themselves overboard. The aircraft carrier's crew of around 5,000 provide crucial aerial and naval support to US operations in the GulfImage: U.S. Navy/Planet Pix/ZUMA/picture alliance
What did Hegseth say about conditions?
The 5,000-person aircraft carrier left San Diego in November for what was scheduled to be a Pacific deployment.It was subsequently rerouted to the Middle East ready for what the Trump White House called Operation Epic Fury, and has been in the Persian Gulf or the wider region since January amid the war with Iran.
