Ten carriers do not mean ten deployable carriers

Flight operations, saltwater exposure, lifts, machinery, and repeated landings impose a demanding maintenance cycle. A best-case cycle has two carriers in deep maintenance, two in shorter maintenance, and two working up, leaving four available worldwide. Surges can disrupt that flow and create a backlog, so the diplomatic demand placed on the class cannot be measured simply by counting hulls. The operational consequence is a fleet that looks formidable in aggregate while offering few uncommitted carriers when several crises overlap.