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USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Repair Period Triples in Length; Carrier Will be in Yard Until 2019
:
"Still, the delay creates a headache for the East Coast carrier fleet in terms of operational availability:
IKE is in the yard,
Bush is waiting to get into the yard after finishing a seven-month deployment in August 2017
, USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is working up with its air wing for the first time since completing its mid-life Refueling and Complex Overhaul last year but will relocate to the West Coast – though the Navy has not said if the move will happen before its next deployment or upon return – USS
George Washington (CVN-73) is currently in its RCOH, and new carrier USS
Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is conducting its post-shakedown availability at the Newport News Shipbuilding yard. That leaves just USS
Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on the East Coast, which is currently deployed to the North Atlantic. With
IKE running so far behind schedule, it is unclear if
Truman would have to conduct operational work during the “sustainment” phase of its Optimized Fleet Response Plan cycle – which includes maintenance, basic training, deployment and then sustainment, when the crew remains ready to surge naval presence around the world if called upon."
