The White House announced that the Navy chose to name the fifth and sixth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers as USS William J. Clinton (CVN-82) and USS George W. Bush (CVN-83), after the two former presidents.
The U.S. President Joe Biden announced the names chosen by the U.S. Navy for its next two aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford-class on Jan. 13, 2025. The USS William J. Clinton (CVN-82) and USS George W. Bush (CVN-83) will be fifth and sixth Ford-class carriers respectively, joining the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), USS Enterprise (CVN-80), and USS Doris Miller (CVN-81).
The two new aircraft carriers
The current Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro picked the new names as part of his duties, according to Navy Officials, although the announcement was made by the White House. The two vessels honor Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the U.S. who served two terms from 1993 to 2001, and George W. Bush, 43rd President of the U.S. who served two terms from 2001 to 2009.
“President Clinton and President Bush led the United States through some of the most challenging moments in U.S. history,” said Secretary Del Toro. “Their legacies will endure through these aircraft carriers, which serve as formidable platforms dedicated to safeguarding our national security and strengthening our resolve to protect this Nation against any who would threaten our freedoms and way of life.”
The official statement notes that the names follow the Navy tradition of often naming aircraft carriers, as well as other warships, after U.S. presidents. While some presidents have multiple vessels named after them, the CVN-82 and CVN-83 will be the first Navy vessel named for either president.
“When I personally delivered the news to Bill and George, they were deeply humbled,” said President Biden in his statement. “Each knows firsthand the weight of the responsibilities that come with being Commander-in-Chief. And both know well our duty to support the families and loved ones who wait and worry for the safe return of their servicemember.”
As Commander-in-Chief, Clinton was responsible for multiple military operations that achieved success with no combat casualties, mentions the Navy in its statement. Clinton also collected multiple diplomatic achievements, many of which are still in effect today.
“It’s never far from my mind that the precious freedoms Americans enjoy are safeguarded by our armed forces, anchored by a strong, modern, and agile Navy. I’m honored that future servicemembers carrying on that proud tradition will serve on a carrier bearing my name,” said former President Bill Clinton.
Bush served his terms in some of the most delicate years for the U.S., rallying the nation in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the followings years he directed the start of the Great War On Terror, with both the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as directing what has been defined as the largest U.S. government reorganization since 1947.
“I am honored that my name will be associated with the United States Navy and a symbol of our Nation’s might,” said former President Bush. “I have a special admiration for the men and women of our Navy – including my dad – and ask God to watch over this ship and those who sail aboard her.”
Notably, the CVN-83 will be the second aircraft carrier to bear the name Bush, alongside CVN-77, the Nimitz-class carrier named after George H.W. Bush, the father of George W. Bush. The names for earlier Ford-class CVNs have been decided by other Secretaries of the Navy, such as Ray Mabus naming CVN-80 the USS Enterprise and Thomas B. Modly naming CVN-81 USS Doris Miller, making it the first carrier to bear an African-American’s name.
The Navy’s current carrier fleet includes ten of the earlier Nimitz-class vessels in addition to the USS Gerald R. Ford, the lead of the Ford-class and the only currently in service. It is scheduled to be joined by CVN-79 in Jul. 2025.
Delays of the program
Although the names have been selected for these two future carriers, it will be a long time before either of these are properly procured by the Navy.
In fact, the Navy’s budget for FY (Fiscal Year) 2025 includes a proposal for delaying the procurement of the USS Clinton by up to two years from FY 2028 to FY 2030, “with advance procurement for the ship beginning in” FY 2027. The USS Bush is not even mentioned yet for procurement.
The Kennedy was procured in FY2013, and is expected to be delivered in Jul. 2025, marking almost 12 years since the initial procurement, while the third ship Enterprise was procured in FY 2018 with a delayed scheduled delivery date of Sep. 2029, more than a year later than the Mar. 2028 date written in the Navy’s FY 2024 budget. The Doris Miller is not scheduled for delivery until Feb. 2032.
Gerald R. Ford-class carriers
The Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the newest type of aircraft carriers currently being constructed for the United States Navy. The service intends to eventually acquire ten of these ships in order to replace current carriers on a one-for-one basis, starting with the lead ship of her class, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), replacing the previous USS Enterprise (CVN-65), and later the Nimitz-class carriers, of which the last of the class is scheduled for decommissioning in 2058. Construction for the lead ship of the class, CVN-79, started on Aug. 11, 2005, with her delivery to the Navy taking place on May. 21, 2017. She was commissioned on Jul. 22, 2017.
The catapults on the Ford-class carriers are set apart from the ones on previous carriers in the fact that they use an EMALS (ElectroMagnetic Aircraft Launch System) developed by General Atomics in place of the traditional steam-powered catapults. This eliminates the need for the generation and storage of steam, which frees up more space below the deck. It also allows the carrier to launch 25% more aircraft per day than the Nimitz-class carrier while requiring 25% less crew members.
Alongside the new type of catapults, the Ford-class is also equipped with the next-generation AAG (Advanced Arresting Gear), also developed by General Atomics. It replaces the legacy Mk. 7 hydraulic arresting gear in use with the Nimitz-class carriers, and is designed for a larger range of aircraft while reducing the manpower and maintenance requirements.
The vessel also features a new, smaller, lower radar cross section island structure, larger and more efficient flight deck facilitating faster aircraft launching, more than twice the electrical power of previous carrier classes and a more efficient crew compliment with 500 fewer personnel on board. The massive 1,106-foot-long carrier displaces a staggering 100,000 tons fully loaded and is powered by two new generation nuclear reactors.
