The effects of manning and crew stability on the material condition of ships

Navy ships suffer serious equipment failures from a wide range of random, and often unidentified, causes. Because of the complexity of the ships and their operations, establishing linkages between equipment failures, the employment of the ships, and the resources available to the ships has been difficult. The present statistical results show a significant relationship between certain manning policies and the material condition of ships, as measured by the frequency and duration of major equipment failures. Statistical estimates that incorporate the idiosyncracies of particular ships and the reporting patterns of individual commanding officers appear to provide more precise estimates of the impact of manning on material condition.