Here’s the latest I can share based on recent reporting.
Short answer
- As of early 2025, the U.S. Navy announced that the next Ford-class aircraft carriers will be named after Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, with the first of the two projected to carry Clinton’s name and the second to carry Bush’s name. Construction timelines were described as beginning in the coming years, with deployment dates not yet defined. [Sources indicate the names and the general timing of construction, but not specific delivery dates.]
Context and details
- Naming decisions for Ford-class carriers were publicly announced in January 2025, confirming two new carriers named for Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, continuing the tradition of naming carriers after U.S. presidents. This was reported by multiple outlets, including coverage on Fox-affiliated stations and national outlets.[3][4]
- The Navy historically assigns carrier names with a mix of presidents, former naval leaders, and historic figures; the Ford-class carriers previously included USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). The current announcements indicate the trend will continue with Clinton and Bush in the Ford-class lineup.[4][7]
- Official timelines from the White House and the Navy at the time noted that construction would proceed in the coming years and that a deployment date would be determined by future shipbuilding schedules. Specific commissioning or delivery dates were not provided in the initial announcements.[6][3]
What this means for you
- If you’re tracking ship names for planning or reference, expect future Ford-class carriers named USS Clinton (CVN-xx) and USS Bush (CVN-xx), with the exact hull numbers and delivery dates to be announced by the Navy as construction progresses.[7][3]
Illustration
- Example: The naming pattern mirrors past practices where Ford-class carriers bear the names of contemporary or recent presidents, following historical precedents set by earlier carriers; a graphic timeline could show Ford (CVN-78) followed by Clinton and Bush as subsequent Ford-class entries.[4][7]
Citations
- Navy and media reports confirming the Clinton and Bush names and the involvement of President Biden in announcing the names.[9][10][3]
- Context on Ford-class naming conventions and the existing USS Gerald R. Ford as the lead ship.[7][4]
If you’d like, I can pull up the most recent official Navy statements or contemporary news articles to give you precise hull numbers, expected construction milestones, and any updated timelines.
Sources
Today it is my great pleasure to announce that the Department of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, CVN 78—the first in a new class of carriers—will be named--USS GERALD R. FORD. President Ford, as many Americans have over the years come to fully appreciate, was an historical figure, a great president, and a man of the highest character.
www.fordlibrarymuseum.govOn 20 March 1922, following a two-year conversion at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the former USS Jupiter (Collier #3) was recommissioned as the United States Navy’s first aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV 1). Named in honor of Samuel Pierpont Langley, an American aircraft pioneer and engineer, CV 1 started as an experimental platform but was quickly proven an invaluable weapons system that changed how the US Navy fought at sea.
www.navy.milTwo new aircraft carriers are being named after Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, continuing the Navy convention of naming them after US presidents.
www.businessinsider.comThe latest line of U.S. carriers is named for Gerald R. Ford, and another of the multi-billion-dollar ships bears John F. Kennedy's name.
www.cbsnews.comPresident Joe Biden said former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were "deeply humbled" by the news.
www.fox9.comThe latest line of U.S. carriers is named for Gerald R. Ford, and another of the multi-billion-dollar ships bears John F. Kennedy's name.
www.cbsnews.com