The U.S. Navy announced Jan. 13 that future aircraft carriers CVN 82 and CVN 83 will be named after former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The vessels are expected to replace Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the mid-2030s and are part of the Gerald R. Ford class, whose first ship was commissioned in 2017.
CVN 82 will be named USS William J. Clinton while CVN 83 will be named USS George W. Bush, similar to another aircraft carrier in service, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), in honor of his father, who served as president of the country from 1989 to 1993.
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“President Clinton and President Bush led the United States through some of the most challenging moments in U.S. history,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos 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 anyone who would threaten our freedoms and way of life.”
The Navy has a tradition of naming its major vessels after former presidents, although this is not a rule.
The future aircraft carrier CVN 80, for example, will reissue the name “Enterprise”, used on other Navy vessels.
The fourth ship in the Gerald R. Ford class will honor African-American sailor Doris Miller, who received the Medal of Honor for helping to save wounded during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II.
Why doesn’t former President Jimmy Carter name an aircraft carrier?
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29, 2024 at the age of 100, did not name any aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy for a curious reason.
As a former Navy officer, Carter served aboard a submarine, the USS Pomfret during the post-World War II period.
The connection to the type of vessel reportedly led the Navy to name the SSN-23 spy submarine USS Jimmy Carter.
Part of the Seawolf-class of nuclear attack submarines, the USS Jimmy Carter is unique in that it is 100 feet longer and has equipment and areas to operate remotely operated vehicles.
