AIRCRAFT CARRIER FORCE STRUCTURE.

SEC. 126. AIRCRAFT CARRIER FORCE STRUCTURE.(a) Requirement for 12 Operational Aircraft Carriers Within the Navy.—Section 5062 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b):“(b) The naval combat forces of the Navy shall include not less than 12 operational aircraft carriers. For purposes of this subsection, an operational aircraft carrier includes an aircraft carrier that is temporarily unavailable for worldwide deployment due to routine or scheduled maintenance or repair.”.(b) Funding for Repair and Maintenance of U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.—Of the amounts available for operation and maintenance for the Navy pursuant to this Act and any other Act for fiscal year 2006, not more than $288,000,000 shall be available for repair and maintenance to extend the life of the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN–67).