USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602)

The USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) was a United States Navy ballistic missile submarine, the lead ship of her class. She was named after the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. As a George Washington-class submarine, she was one of the first submarines designed to carry ballistic missiles, contributing significantly to the early U.S. nuclear deterrence strategy.

The USS Abraham Lincoln was laid down on 3 June 1959 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 13 February 1960, sponsored by Miss Mary Lincoln Beckwith, a great-granddaughter of President Lincoln, and commissioned on 8 March 1961, with Commander Marvin L. Freers in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Leonard L. Lacroix in command of the Gold Crew.

The submarine operated as part of the United States' Cold War nuclear deterrent, carrying Polaris A-2 and later Polaris A-3 ballistic missiles. She conducted numerous deterrent patrols throughout her service life.

Decommissioned on 3 March 1981, USS Abraham Lincoln was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1983. She was later disposed of through the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program. While the USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) is no longer in service, her name was later reused for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).