Following the naming of the next two Gerald R Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by the US Navy as the future USS William J Clinton (CVN 82) and USS George W Bush (CVN 83), a path has opened for the eighth vessel in class (CVN 85) to be named after the incoming President-elect, Donald J Trump.
The US Navy’s naming for the Ford-class supercarriers began with the use of the name of the 38th president of the United States, who served from 1974-77 for first-in-class CVN 78, and followed by John F Kennedy, the 35th president, who served from 1961-63 until being assassinated, for CVN 79.
However, the following two names selected were not former US presidents, with CVN 80 and CVN 81 commissioned as USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller respectively.
The name ‘Enterprise’ is a storied entry in US Navy lore, with eight vessels, including two aircraft carriers, having carried the name prior to CVN 80. The Cold War-era USS Enterprise (CVN 65) was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the US Navy, being operational from 1961-2017.
CVN 81’s naming as USS Doris Miller was in honour of a US Navy serviceman awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during Japan’s attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ship is the first aircraft carrier to be named after an enlisted sailor.
“The Secretary of the Navy weighs ship naming decisions carefully and deliberately based on a comprehensive information package,” a US Navy spokesperson told Naval Technology.
“[Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Tor] named CVN 82 and CVN 83 after former President Clinton and former President Bush in recognition of their service and dedication to our country. As a matter of policy, we do not discuss future ship naming decisions,” the spokesperson added.
Republican campaign donor John Phelan is Trump’s pick as the next Secretary of the Navy.
CVN 84 as USS Barack Obama?
If ships Seven and Eight in the Ford-class carrier programme take the next two names of US presidents, then CVN 84 would bear the name USS Barack Obama, who served from 2009-2017, and USS Donald J Trump (CVN 85), whose first term in office ran from 2017-2021. President-elect Trump will return for a second term on 20 January 2025, running through to 2029.
Most contemporary or recent historical presidents have had aircraft carriers named after them, with just outgoing Joe Biden (president from 2021-25) and the late Jimmy Carter (president from 1977-81) as names to be selected.
However, the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine USS Jimmy Carter, himself a former submariner, is the only submarine to have carried the name of a former president, and is still operational.
Alternatively, the seventh and eighth Ford supercarriers could be named after other US Navy personnel, or another historic service name.
Of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, which preceeded the Ford class, seven were named after former US presidents with the remaining three bearing names of a former US Navy admiral and former US government officials.
The most common names for US Navy warships include USS Wasp (nine times, currently the lead vessel of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships) and USS Ranger, which has been used for two aircraft carriers. Ranger is also used for one of the new Overlord uncrewed surface vessels.
The US Navy’s use of aircraft carriers is one of the primary capabilities to ensure forward presence and control of the world’s oceans. With its naval force centred on the ability to project power through its Nimitz– and Ford-class aircraft carriers, whose combined tonnage from 11 carriers of 1.13m represents 47% of its surface fleet.
