Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has reiterated the U.S. Navy’s push to expand aircraft carrier deployment worldwide through increased ship maintenance and crew training, National Defense Magazine reported Saturday.
Richardson said the Navy has begun work on a new fleet response plan in order to integrate maintenance, crew training and logistics support, Sandra Erwin reports.
“We are resetting the system to get more carriers forward,” Richardson told National Defense, adding that the plan will take effect by the end of 2015.
The goal is to address the gap in aircraft carriers deployed overseas, he said.
He attributed the shortage of carriers to budget cuts and delayed maintenance as he says the Navy continues to catch up from the 2013 sequestration, according to the report.
“We have 10 carriers but some are in maintenance so not all are ready,” Richardson told the magazine.
