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Tuesday, 15 April, 2003, 12:34 GMT 13:34 UK
Warship: At War
The USS Abraham Lincoln buzzes 24 hours a day
Warship: At War will be broadcast on BBC2 on Tuesday 6 May, 2003 from 2100-2230 BST.
Correspondent returns to the US Navy's nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, in the North Arabian gulf, as it takes part in the war with Iraq. The 90-minute programme follows the crew over the dramatic course of the war, from the last days of the diplomatic dance to the last days of the Battle for Baghdad. It charts the opening hours of the air campaign, during the critical days of the huge sand storm which grounded all land-based aircraft, but through which they were expected to continue flying in order to provide close air support for ground troops. Nerves stretched The crew of a Prowler electronic warfare jet, FA-18 Hornet strike pilots, a flight-deck bosun, a female technician, and one of the few Muslims on board, reveal the minds behind the warship at war. For the last eight and a half months, the 6,000 men and women on board one of the most formidable weapons ever devised have been on station in the Gulf waiting for the command to go to war - the longest deployment for a carrier since the Vietnam War. Exhausted, their nerves already stretched to the limit waiting for the last diplomatic manoeuvring to be played out, they knew that when President Bush ordered an attack on Iraq, they where among the first to strike. Fear of losing lives Their months of flying Operation Southern Watch over Iraq and preparing for the conflict to come means that they will play a key role in the opening air campaign. It is the Lincoln's pilots who will be expected to take on and destroy Iraq's feared air defence systems. This is an exclusive intimate portrait of life on board as the crew play their part fighting this highly contentious war. They reveal how they feel about most of the world being against it - the massive global anti-war protests, the fact that their traditional allies such as France and Germany want nothing to do with it. And how they cope with the terrible fear of losing their lives in combat together with the anxiety of having already been away from loved ones for over eight months.
Producer: Anthony Makin (Tooth productions)
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