Carriers to Stay Nearer Home Port
WASHINGTON — The Navy has drawn up plans to keep its giant aircraft carriers closer to home in an attempt to improve crews’ family lives and save money, sources said today.
The new deployments will mean that the carriers will spend 12 to 14 months in their home waters, compared to the current system under which the ships are at home for nine months for every six months spent in foreign waters.
Under the new plan, the carriers would train at sea during the week but would return to port for the weekends, said the sources, speaking on condition they not be identified.
The new plan will take effect Oct. 1, the sources said.
Under the new plans, some areas of the globe would be uncovered by Navy surface ships for brief periods, but the service plans to use the recycled World War II battleships to project power in those areas, the sources said.
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