BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Wash., for sea trials after an intensive nine-month maintenance period Jan. 13.
The underway period for sea trials and other testing and training is expected to last approximately five days, ending in the successful completion of the ship's planned incremental availability at PSNS.
Once sea trials are complete, Lincoln will return to its homeport of Everett, Wash., for further training and integration with the ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group 9.
"Sea trials are a culmination of a year's worth of diligent planning and hard work," said Lincoln's Commanding Officer, Capt. Patrick D. Hall. "Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval Air Forces, and the Lincoln crew really came together as a team to make this a successful maintenance period."
The more than 90 checks and exercises planned for sea trials include a ship-wide Navy Occupational Safety And Health inspection and review of the ship's asbestos control program.
An inspection of the ship's catapults and jet blast deflectors will be conducted, as well as inspections of the ship's berthings, operational checks of aviation fueling systems, and demonstrations of search and rescue equipment.
Firefighting capabilities, food service facilities, communication, radar, and navigation equipment will also be evaluated to determine the ship's mission readiness.
"I'm extremely proud of what this crew has accomplished over the past year," said Hall. "Lincoln is ready to become operational, execute our nation's maritime strategy and rejoin the fleet as a global force for good."