The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure that no naval vessel specified in subsection (b) that is listed in the Naval Vessel Register is forward deployed overseas for a period in excess of ten years. At the end of a period of overseas forward deployment, the vessel shall be assigned a homeport in the United States.
A naval vessel specified in this subsection is any of the following:
(1) Aircraft carrier.
(2) Amphibious ship.
(3) Cruiser.
(4) Destroyer.
(5) Frigate.
(6) Littoral Combat Ship.
The Secretary of the Navy may waive the limitation under subsection (a) with respect to a naval vessel if the Secretary submits to the congressional defense committees notice in writing of—
(1) the waiver of such limitation with respect to the vessel;
(2) the date on which the period of overseas forward deployment of the vessel is expected to end; and
(3) the factors used by the Secretary to determine that a longer period of deployment would promote the national defense or be in the public interest.
(Added § 7320 and renumbered § 8690, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title III, § 323(a)(1), title VIII, § 807(d)(2), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1719, 1836.)