Recommendation 11

Support costs include the cost of maintaining, repairing and upgrading equipment. Operating costs include items like fuel, port fees and stock.27 The Department is developing its understanding of the requirements of a carrier strike group when on deployment, and believes that its cost estimates are beginning to mature.28 It has used the sea trials to improve its understanding of what it takes to operate Carrier Strike, and collect more information on the associated costs. However, the Department told us that these trials are not representative of routine operations and that it would not develop a fuller understanding of future support and operating costs until 2022.29 The first operational deployment in 2021 will therefore provide the Department with a crucial opportunity to understand what operating a carrier strike group costs.30