Abstract : The U.S. Navy currently maintains a fleet of 11 aircraft carriers. These ships, which are among the most powerful and versatile elements of U.S. naval forces, allow the Navy to undertake a wide range of tasks. They are also among the most complex weapon systems operated by the Navy. The carriers themselves need continuous and regularly scheduled maintenance. Their crews require a great deal of training to attain and sustain readiness levels. The length of the training, readiness, deployment, and maintenance cycle (defined as the period from the end of one depot maintenance period to the end of the next), the type of maintenance needed (i.e., docking or non-docking), and the timing of events within the cycle affect the carrier's availability to meet operational needs.