Next U.S. Aircraft Carriers to be Named for Presidents Clinton and Bush
The U.S. Navy today announced the names for the fifth and sixth carriers of the Fold class. While the ships are a decade away, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the names of two future vessels as USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) and the future USS George W. Bush (CVN 83) noting that it follows a Navy tradition of often naming aircraft carriers after U.S. presidents.
“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 move comes as USS John F. Kennedy is in the fitting-out stages and scheduled for commissioning in 2025 replacing her namesake which was sold for scrap in 2021. Newport News which is building the carriers highlighted that this year it expects for the first time to be building two of the super carriers simultaneously. Work on Enterprise is underway and they move the keel sections in the dry dock so that work can begin in 2025 to assemble Doris Miller.
The current schedule anticipates that the new Ford-class carriers will be commissioned with the Enterprise in 2028 and the Doris Miller in 2032. The Navy is still debating plans with Congress for the continuation of the program. One scenario anticipates William J. Clinton would be ordered by 2032 and George W. Bush by 2034. The Congressional Budget Office however in December 2024 also showed a scenario that would cancel the additional carriers.
The Navy noted this would be the first time either of the former presidents would be honored with a navy vessel. President Joe Biden said he personally delivered the news to the former presidents and both were deeply humbled.
“The future USS William J. Clinton and the future USS George W. Bush will begin construction in the years ahead. When complete, they will join the most capable, flexible, and professional Navy that has ever put to sea. They will be crewed by Sailors who hail from every corner of the United States, and who will sail these ships into harm’s way, defending our interests overseas and our safety here at home,” said President Biden.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the Department of Defense is honored by the Navy's naming of two future carriers. The Navy highlights as Commander-in-Chief, Clinton was responsible for multiple military operations including in Iraq as well as directed the largest deployment of U.S. naval forces since the Vietnam War in response to the 1996 Third Taiwan Straits Crisis to deter Chinese aggression.
As Commander-in-Chief, President Bush rallied the nation in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and launched the response to the terrorists in Afghanistan. The military also ended the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
The Navy highlights the aircraft carriers as the centerpiece of America's Naval forces, calling them the most adaptable and survivable airfields in the world. During the ceremony announcing the names they also reported Ms. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Clinton, would serve as the sponsor for the future USS William J. Clinton.