In 1996, to find ways to reduce operating costs as well as the costs of future acquisitions, the Navy began to assess various design concepts for a new class of aircraft carriers and to analyze life-cycle costs, not just the acquisition costs, as life-cycle cost implications were complex and would significantly impact current and future budgets. The acquisition decisions for the next-generation aircraft carrier, CVX, would largely be determined on the basis of a life-cycle cost review of the current class of nuclear-powered carriers. Students will apply their understanding of the key elements of life-cycle costing to review the basic life-cycle costs associated with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.