US Navy carrier strike group completes Northern Edge 2025 exercise

The US Navy's USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (CSG) has completed its participation in the US Indo-Pacific Command-led joint force exercise, Northern Edge 2025, which concluded on August 25. The exercise took place over nine days in the North Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of Alaska through the Aleutian Island chain.

The strike group, comprising approximately 5,000 sailors and marines, completed a variety of exercise events across multiple domains. The flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, served as the command and control hub for the strike group, which also included the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane, USS Michael Murphy, and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.

Aircraft from the embarked Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) performed missions including defensive counter-air and maritime strikes. During the exercise, CVW-9 logged over 3,000 flight hours and more than 1,100 sorties. Captain Daniel Keeler, commanding officer of the Abraham Lincoln, stated that the crew displayed the ship’s "unique" capabilities while operating alongside the joint force and Canadian allies.

The navy stated that the Northern Edge exercise is designed to provide high-end, realistic warfighter training and to strengthen joint interoperability and combat readiness for US and participating forces.