Footage captured by sailors holding a barbecue on the deck of their ship has gone viral, showing the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) operating nearby.
NORTHERN ARABIAN SEA – It isn’t every day that a civilian transit through the Arabian Sea comes with front-row seats to a carrier flight deck operation, but for the crew of one passing merchant vessel, “dinner and a show” took on a literal meaning.
“Tophatters” in the Pattern
The footage features three F/A-18E Super Hornets returning from a mission. At least one of the aircraft was clearly identifiable by the distinct markings of VFA-14, known as the “Tophatters”—the U.S. Navy’s oldest active squadron.
As the sailors flipped recorded on their phones, the high-performance jets screamed overhead, entering the “break” to line up for their recovery on the Lincoln. The proximity of the merchant ship provided a rare scale for the speed and power of the Super Hornets as they transitioned from combat mission to landing configuration.
The “Bolter”: A High-Stakes Go-Around
The highlight of the recorded footage was a tense moment during the recovery cycle. While the first two jets successfully caught the arresting cables, the third aircraft experienced what naval aviators call a “bolter.”
The Super Hornet’s tailhook failed to engage any of the four steel arresting wires on the flight deck. In a split-second reaction required of all carrier pilots, the aviator immediately applied full afterburner thrust upon touchdown. Rather than coming to a screeching halt, the jet roared back into the sky, banking away to “go around” for another attempt.
A Stark Contrast
the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is a central player in the ongoing military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026. According to reports from early March 2026, the carrier is currently operating in the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. It has been actively launching strike packages.
