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The Navy keeps readiness moving by training Sailors and air-wing squadrons while a carrier is in the shipyard, maintaining aviation equipment, then bringing the ship and air wing together for flight-deck certification and carrier qualifications. The details vary by ship and maintenance period: Navy accounts document specific examples, not one procedure followed identically by every carrier.
What an aircraft carrier overhaul involves
A refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) is a carrier’s major midlife maintenance period. It combines reactor refueling with extensive repairs, upgrades and modernization intended to prepare the ship for the second half of its service life. The Navy says RCOH typically occurs around the carrier’s 25-year mark and accounts for approximately 35 percent of depot-level maintenance over the ship’s life, according to a 2021 account of USS John C. Stennis. Navy: Stennis begins RCOH
That account describes years of planning and assessment, followed by disassembly, replacement of surfaces and structures, and repair or replacement of complex machinery and systems. The later return-to-service sequence can include propulsion repairs, shore steaming, cold and hot operations, power-range testing, a total-ship test program, fast cruise and sea trials. Stennis was expected to have an approximate 48-month maintenance period when its RCOH began in 2021; that was the estimate for that ship, not a standard duration for every overhaul.
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Not every shipyard period is an RCOH. A planned incremental availability is a scheduled period for maintenance, repairs and modernization, and is distinct in scope from a midlife refueling overhaul. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 2026 planned incremental availability concluded with sea trials. Naval Sea Systems Command: Eisenhower returns to sea
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For a current example of a future plan, the Navy announced in 2026 that USS Harry S. Truman’s RCOH is planned for completion in November 2031. That is a planned date, not a verified delivery date. Navy: Truman RCOH contract
How the ship’s crew keeps skills current
Sailors do not necessarily wait aboard the ship being overhauled to continue training. During Eisenhower’s maintenance period, Air Department Sailors trained aboard other Norfolk-area carriers. The Navy reported that aviation boatswain’s mate qualifications could transfer between carriers, and Sailors who trained on another ship could be observed and certified on Eisenhower. The example shows how some hands-on qualifications can continue during maintenance; it does not establish that every crew member trains this way. Navy: Eisenhower Sailors train aboard other carriers
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For Truman’s RCOH, a Navy initiative announced in 2026 calls for contractors to take on some supplementary duties so Sailors can focus more on in-rate training and operational readiness. The Navy described the potential recovery of “up to 1 million Sailor Man-Hours.” This is a stated goal, not a measured result. Navy: Sailor training initiative during Truman RCOH
Working conditions are part of readiness
In June 2026, the Navy opened a Carrier Refueling Overhaul Workcenter near the Newport News drydock. It offers work areas, a fitness center, recreation areas and counseling offices for Sailors and shipbuilders assigned to overhaul work. This facility is specific to Newport News; it should not be assumed to be available at every shipyard. Navy: Newport News overhaul workcenter opens
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How aircraft and air wings stay ready
Squadrons train while the carrier is in the yard
In the Navy’s Eisenhower example, Carrier Air Wing 3 squadrons trained while the ship was in maintenance, then returned for flight-deck certification and carrier qualifications. The account does not establish one fixed shore location for all squadrons or say that every aircraft remains aboard a carrier during an overhaul. Navy: Eisenhower Sailors and air wing during maintenance
Aviation maintenance continues
Specialized maintenance work can continue during a shipyard period. A 2020 Navy account describes Eisenhower Sailors maintaining and repairing jet engines, checking engine performance with a test cell and rebuilding an engine after a 23-month shipyard availability. It documents that ship’s work, not the location or maintenance arrangement for every aircraft in every overhaul. Navy: Eisenhower aviation maintenance
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The wider training cycle
The Department of the Navy’s FY2026 budget describes carrier air wings as maintaining varied training and readiness levels under the Optimized Fleet Response Training Plan (OFRTP), with trained aircrews across a 36-month deployment cycle. That broad framework does not prescribe a single air-wing schedule for each ship’s overhaul. Department of the Navy FY2026 budget
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Finishing repairs is only part of the return to flight operations. In the Eisenhower example, shipyard work included aircraft elevators, catapults, arresting gear, safety nets and jet blast deflectors. The ship then completed flight-deck certification, after which its squadrons returned for carrier qualifications. Navy: Eisenhower completes flight-deck certification
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Certification assesses flight operations and the readiness of the ship and air wing as an integrated team. Carrier qualifications let aircrews practice operating from the carrier and are an important stage toward deployment. The Navy’s Eisenhower accounts describe the sequence as ship work and certification first, followed by the air wing’s return and qualifications; other ship-specific system tests and sea trials may also be required.
How to think about readiness during an overhaul
Readiness is not a single switch that turns off in the shipyard and back on at sea. The documented Navy examples point to four connected areas:
Quick Recap
- Ship’s-force proficiency: Sailors continue training, sometimes aboard another carrier.
- Aircraft and aviation maintenance: Specialists maintain and test aviation equipment while the ship is undergoing maintenance.
- Air-wing proficiency: Squadrons train separately while the carrier is unavailable for normal flight operations.
- Ship-air-wing integration: Flight-deck certification and carrier qualifications bring the ship and air wing together before operations resume.
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