On 17 October 2010, the strike group arrived in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area, joining Carrier Strike Group Ten as part of Task Force 50 ("pictured"). For long-range air combat missions over Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force KC-135 and KC-10s provided aerial tanker support. The French carrier task group led by the "Charles de Gaulle" joined the strike group operating in the Persian Gulf ("pictured"). On 18 November 2010, the carrier "Abraham Lincoln" hosted seven ambassadors during a port visit to Manama, Bahrain, and on 6 December 2010, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates visited the "Abraham Lincoln" while operating in the Arabian Sea. A total of 999 War in Afghanistan-related sorties and 76 Operation New Dawn-related sorties were flown during the 2010–2011 Western Pacific deployment. On 28 December, with the carrier strike group operating in the Arabian Sea, Carrier Air Wing Two flew its 1000th sortie, amassing thus far a total of more than 5,884 hours flown supporting Afghanistan operations during this Western Pacific deployment. Carrier Strike Group Nine completed its final air operations over Afghanistan on 3 February 2011. Since 20 October 2010, Carrier Air Wing Two has launched more than 1,800 combat sorties in excess of 10,000 flight hours with a 100 percent completion rate for Afghanistan related missions. On 10 February 2011, Carrier Strike Group Nine completed its 45th day of at-sea operations, with Carrier Air Wing Two having launched over 7,000 sorties including nearly 2,000 directly supporting ground combat troops. Aircraft from Carrier Strike Group Nine also participated in joint aerial combat training exercises with the Royal Malaysian Air Force on 14 February 2011. On 22 February 2011, the strike group flagship "Abraham Lincoln" hosted a Brunei military delegation led by Deputy Minister of Defense Dato Paduka Mustappa Sirat.