During the third step the French Oceanographic Fleet establishes the schedule of its ships and heavy equipment. It releases, with the approval of the executive committee, the programme on December of the year preceding the cruises (year N-1). This programme takes into consideration the CNFH’s rankings and other parameters, such as:

• Availability of the equipment, the ships and the technicians needed for its deployment.
• Budgetary, technical and logistical imperatives.
• Calendar imperatives expressed by mission leaders, when they are fully justified.
• Optimization of transit times between two cruises.
• Safety aspects.
• Interactions with the coastal fleet.