Peacetime naval activity can be as demanding as wartime for particular ship types. Cold War assumptions about wars lasting from minutes to a few weeks encouraged the removal of reserve capacity, leaving some forces deeply dependent on reservists and with fewer options to regenerate. Integrating reservists into routine force structure can also make true wartime mobilization harder to distinguish from normal operations. Nuclear-powered carriers make the tradeoff especially sharp: they are well suited to global operations, but too personnel- and maintenance-intensive to keep cheaply in reserve.
Chapter · 22:20-28:56
Peacetime demand, reserves, and nuclear carrier upkeep
High peacetime operational tempo can exhaust forces that lack reserves, while nuclear carriers are especially costly platforms to hold inactive.