KUALA LUMPUR: It's not every day you get a call to sail on one of the most powerful warships in the world and see how her crew conduct their daily routines.
My stint onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier somewhere in the Andaman Sea, was a surreal and life-changing experience.
The instructions were crisp and precise: "We request that you arrive at Subang Air Base at 1pm and meet up at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Air Movement Building for the flight to the USS Abraham Lincoln."
The afternoon departure from Subang was a textbook military operation. This was not your normal commercial flight to the boondocks. The precise itinerary and location of the assignment ahead signalled the unique nature of the journey.
The exact location of where the carrier was not made public. I was only given an estimated flight time to reach there.
We were told to put on the "cranial" — a cloth helmet with goggles and hearing protection like the ones deck crews wear in the movie Top Gun — and a flotation device before the 1½-hour flight.
The aircraft tasked with ferrying visitors to the Lincoln was not a comfortable commercial plane that many are familiar with.
This was the United States Navy's (USN) C-2 Greyhound, an aircraft specifically designed for Carrier On-board Delivery (COD) missions, earning it the nickname "the COD".
Despite its utilitarian role, the experience aboard the COD was anything but ordinary. Passengers were harnessed tightly into rear-facing seats, which made "trapping" or landing on board an aircraft carrier — going from 130 knots to zero in two seconds — a lot easier on the body. "Cat" (catapult) shots were a different story altogether.
With its robust build and spacious cargo bay, the COD is the lifeline of USN's aircraft carriers — it transported supplies, mail and personnel between land bases and the fortresses at sea.
CONTROLLED CHAOS
After 1½ hours of flying, we entered "the groove" and began our descent. The crew gave us a run-down of what to expect the second the C-2 slammed onto the flight deck.
Our landing, however, was not without a hitch. Our first approach was waved-off by the Landing Signal Officers (LSOs) due to the weather.
Inside the COD, with no windows for visual cues, I felt the pilot working on the throttles for another go-around.
On the second attempt, the COD's tailhook caught one of the four arresting wires on the deck, bringing the aircraft to a dead stop in two seconds — all within 100 metres (m).
As the COD's rear ramp opened, I was met with the sheer chaos of a working flight deck — crew members in coloured jerseys scurrying about, the deafening roar of aircraft engines and lashing torrential rain for good measure.
A large "72" — the Lincoln's pennant number — loomed high on the carrier's superstructure as I made my way inside amid the pandemonium.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a symbol of US naval power and a technological innovation. Commissioned in 1989, it is a veteran of many US operations worldwide, such as Desert Storm and Infinite Reach.
At the time of my visit, it had recently wrapped up its mission against Yemeni Houthis in the Middle East. It was also deployed in Operation Unified Assistance to aid South East Asian countries hit by the 2004 Asian Tsunami.
Stretching over three football fields — around 330 metres in length — the carrier is home to more than 70 aircraft under Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), comprising nine squadrons.
Among the aircraft deployed are advanced strike fighters like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation fighters, EA-18G Growlers for electronic attack, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft, as well as logistics aircraft and helicopters.
COORDINATED ACT
The highlight of the visit was witnessing flight operations on the flight deck.
The precision of launch and recovery operations was mesmerising. Crew members, each wearing a coloured jersey to denote their roles, used intricate hand signals and coordinated movements to guide aircraft into position.
When an F/A-18 Super Hornet roared off the flight deck — its afterburners leaving a trail of heat and deafening noise — I am in awe watching the jet being catapulted off the bow and into the sky.
There is also a surge of adrenaline as the war birds take off majestically.
This catapult launch system in US aircraft carriers ensured that even heavily-loaded jet fighters can achieve the speed needed to become airborne.
Lieutenant-commander Karl Schonberg, the ship's public affairs officer, said the catapult system aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln was an engineering marvel.
"There are four catapults that use steam power generated by the ship's nuclear reactors. The system propels aircraft forward with immense force," he said.
A "shuttle" attached to the catapult tracked the hooks onto the aircraft's launch bar on the nose gear. Once the catapult officer or "shooter" gives the signal, a button is pushed and a fist of compressed steam slams into the piston underneath the catapult track, hurling the aircraft off the deck at speeds exceeding 150 knots.
Schonberg described the process as "one of the wildest roller-coaster rides you'll ever experience".
Equally important, he said, were the four arresting wires that caught the COD I arrived in.
"These wires catch the tailhooks of landing aircraft. They use hydraulic and pneumatic systems to apply resistive forces needed to slow down the airplanes," he said.
The system is finely calibrated to match each aircraft's landing weight.
"If the wire is too tight, it'll damage the plane. If it's too loose, the plane will go off the end of the flight deck," Schonberg added.
WHEELHOUSE AND PRI-FLY
A visit to the bridge provided insight into the ship's strategic operations. Here, the USS Abraham Lincoln's commanding officer, Captain Pete "Repete" Riebe, oversaw everything from navigation to combat readiness.
"The bridge is the brain of the ship," Schonberg said.
"It's where navigation, communications and overall functionality converge to ensure seamless operations," he said.
The bridge crew members consisted of specialised officers, including the helmsman, who controlled the ship's rudders, and the junior officer of the watch, who synthesised radar data.
Schonberg noted that sailors as young as 18 were entrusted with steering the 100,000-tonne ship.
Beyond steering, the bridge also played a crucial role in flight operations. The aircraft carrier had to adjust its course and speed to generate optimal wind-over-deck conditions for takeoffs.
"This duality — part airfield, part naval vessel — is embodied in the commanding officer, who learns to 'drive the ship' after mastering the skies," Schonberg said.
I was also taken to Primary Flight Controls, or Pri-Fly, the ship's air traffic control centre. Here, the "Air Boss" reigned supreme, aided by the "Mini Boss" and his team who managed up to 20 aircraft movements per hour in all weather conditions, including night operations.
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE
After 17 hours aboard the Lincoln, I felt a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
Sleep was elusive, as my berth was right under the flight deck, where it was impossible for a novice visitor to doze off with the sound of jet engines.
The exhilaration came from knowing that my return flight would feature the catapult takeoff I had witnessed earlier.
At 7am, somewhere in the Andaman Sea, I boarded the COD once again. As the crew prepared the aircraft for launch, I tightened my harness, bracing for the "cat shot".
The COD's twin engines roared, and with a sudden jolt, we were airborne, heading back to Subang Air Base.
The catapult launch felt like a final rite of passage, a fitting end to an unforgettable experience.
My brief time aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln offered a profound appreciation for the men and women who dedicated their lives to serving on this colossal vessel.
The carrier is not just an engineering marvel — it's a testament to human resilience, teamwork and ingenuity. And a crucial tool in America's foreign policy.