USS Abraham Lincoln completes complex live-fire exercise

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The USS Abraham Lincoln completed a Live Fire With A Purpose exercise on Dec. 6, along with the rest of it's associated Carrier Strike Group, the Navy announced on Tuesday.

LFWAPs are meant to increase readiness of the Combat Direction Center with coordinated live-fires and training scenarios such as air and missile defense. The exercises fall under Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center At Naval Base San Diego.

"The most challenging aspect of these exercises is getting the ship's mindset to shift from basic unit-level operations to integrated, advanced tactical operations," instructor Lt. Cmdr Tim Barry said in a statement.

"This is the 'Battle Stations' for Combat Systems. We want them to come out of this with a new sense of teamwork, a feeling of preparedness and an excitement for what the future will bring," said lead officer for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense training team Lt. Lisa Malone.

Part of the LFWAP involved reacting to a low-flying drone close to the sea, allowing it to dodge detection until the last moment before a potential strike. After detection, the aircraft carrier used the ship's Rolling Airframe Missiles to engage it.

The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is comprised of Carrier Air Wing 7, Destroyer Squadron 2, associated destroyers and the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf.