Additional Coverage:
- Here are the names of the 6 new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers that will lead the US Navy until 2100 (newsbreak.com)
The US Navy traditionally names its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers after US presidents. President Biden recently announced that two future Ford-class carriers will be named after former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Exceptions to this tradition include the USS Doris Miller and USS Enterprise. The USS Miller is named after a World War II hero, while the USS Enterprise carries on the name of a storied aircraft carrier lineage.
The Navy’s first six Ford-class carriers are:
- USS Gerald R. Ford, named after the 38th President
- USS John F. Kennedy, named after the 35th President
- USS Enterprise, a storied name that includes the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
- USS Doris Miller, named after a World War II hero
- USS William J. Clinton, named after the 42nd President
- USS George W. Bush, named after the 43rd President
The future CVN 82 and CVN 83 will be the fifth and sixth carriers to join the fleet in the coming decade, but are not yet under construction.