USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) and USS George W. Bush (CVN 83)
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the names of two future Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers as the future USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) and the future USS George W. Bush (CVN 83).
The future USS William J. Clinton honors President William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America, serving two terms from 1993 to 2001. The future USS George W. Bush honors President George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of America, serving two terms from 2001 to 2009. This will be the first Navy vessel named for either president.
According to a Navy Press Release, the names follow the Navy tradition of often naming aircraft carriers after US 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.”
President Bill Clinton
As Commander-in-Chief, Clinton was responsible for multiple military operations that achieved success with no combat casualties including Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994, Operation Deliberate Force in 1995, and Operation Allied Force in 1999. In response to a reported Iraqi attempt to assassinate former President H.W. Bush, President Clinton directed a U.S. Navy cruise missile strike against Iraqi intelligence headquarters in 1993, and another cruise missile strike in 1996, Operation Desert Strike, to deter Iraqi aggression. These strikes were followed in 1998 by Operation Desert Fox, an air campaign to degrade Iraqi capability to produce weapons of mass destruction. In 1996, he directed the largest deployment of U.S. naval forces since the Vietnam War in response to the Third Taiwan Straits Crisis to deter Chinese aggression.
Among his numerous diplomatic achievements, President Clinton had a pivotal role in the Oslo Accords, which established a framework for peace between Israel and Palestinians and was also instrumental in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which ended conflict in Northern Ireland. He declared Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” and imposed substantial sanctions on Iran. An integral part of the “Agreed Framework” of 1994, his efforts temporarily halted North Korean attempts to develop nuclear weapons. He established full diplomatic relations with Vietnam and oversaw the first expansion of NATO since 1982, with the addition of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, as well as creating the Partnership-for-Peace program with nations of the former Soviet Union.
“It’s never far from my mind that the precious freedoms Americans enjoy are safeguarded by our armed forces, anchored by a strong, modern, and agile Navy. I’m honored that future servicemembers carrying on that proud tradition will serve on a carrier bearing my name,” said President Bill Clinton.
President George W. Bush
During a private ceremony at the White House on Jan. 3, 2025, along with the ship’s name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsor for the future USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) will be Ms. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Clinton. She will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.
As Commander-in-Chief, President Bush rallied the nation in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. He forged an international coalition of 25 NATO members and 17 partner nations to execute Operation Enduring Freedom, dismantling terrorist networks in Afghanistan. President Bush spearheaded the largest U.S. government reorganization since 1947, creating the Department of Homeland Security by combining 22 federal agencies and establishing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to integrate operations across 18 intelligence agencies. He also signed the USA Patriot Act, updated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and directed deployment of aggressive financial measures to freeze terrorists’ assets.
In 2003, he directed Operation Iraqi Freedom, which ended the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and enabled Iraq’s first direct elections in over three decades. On the global stage, President Bush supported a further expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, while working with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles. Recognizing the evolving nature of global threats, he directed the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command and advanced the planning for U.S. Cyber Command. He also launched the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a historic humanitarian initiative that saved millions of lives. Throughout his tenure, President Bush increased defense spending by more than a third to modernize the military and accelerate technological advancements, ensuring the United States Armed Forces remained the most capable in the world.
CVN 82 and CVN 83: future Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers
“I am honored that my name will be associated with the United States Navy and a symbol of our Nation’s might,” said former President Bush. “I have a special admiration for the men and women of our Navy – including my dad – and ask God to watch over this ship and those who sail aboard her.”
The Gerald R. Ford-class is the replacement for Enterprise and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), was commissioned in 2017.
Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups will provide core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The class brings improved warfighting capability, quality of life improvements for our sailors and reduced total ownership costs.
The Ford -class is designed to operate effectively with almost 600 fewer crew members than a Nimitz-class ship.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first aircraft carrier designed with all electric utilities, eliminating steam service lines from the ship, reducing maintenance requirements and improving corrosion control. The new A1B reactor, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Dual Band Radar (DBR) all offer enhanced capability with reduced manning. The Gerald R. Ford-class is designed to maximize the striking power of the embarked carrier air wing. The ship’s systems and configuration are optimized to maximize the sortie generation rate (SGR) of embarked strike aircraft, resulting in a 33 percent increase in SGR over the Nimitz-class.
The ship’s configuration and electrical generating plant are designed to accommodate new systems, including directed energy weapons, during its 50-year service life.
Photo by U.S. Navy
