Naming a new warship is always a delicate exercise as several parameters must be taken into account. Thus, the name eventually chosen must be in line with the capacities and power of the building, while having a strong meaning. It must also be part of the history and tradition of the country whose flag it will fly. In addition, political considerations may also influence the decision.
In the United States, aircraft carriers are usually named after former presidents, figures who played prominent roles in the history of the US Navy, or iconic ships [comme l’Enterprise]. Which does not prevent controversies: in 2020, supporters of the Black Lives Matters movement launched a campaign to rename the USS John C. Stennis and USS Carl Vinson, named in homage to these two parliamentarians from the Democratic Party, formerly opposed to the civil rights movement.
However, the US Navy has broken its traditions by naming it after Doris Miller, hero of the attack on Pearl Harbor. [7 décembre 1941] and first African American to receive the Navy Cross, on the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier [CVN-81].
Currently, the second in the series, the USS John F. Kennedy is due to be handed over to the US Navy later this year, while, having been the subject of a group order, the USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller, are still under construction, with delivery scheduled for 2028/29 and 2032 respectively, which will replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS John C. Stennis.
As for the six other planned aircraft carriers, they have not yet been ordered by the US Navy. However, the fifth and sixth in the series already have their name. Indeed, a press release issued by the White House on January 13 announced that Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro had just decided that they would be named “USS William J. Clinton” and “USS George W. Bush “.
“President Clinton [1993-2001] and President Bush [2001-2009] guided the United States through some of the most difficult periods in American history,” Del Toro said. “Their legacy will live on through these aircraft carriers, which provide formidable platforms dedicated to safeguarding our national security and strengthening our resolve to protect this nation against anyone who threatens our freedoms and our way of life,” he said. he added.
Across the Atlantic, the choice of names to give to ships falls to the Secretary of the Navy. In France, the procedure is different: it is up to the Minister of the Armed Forces to decide, on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. [CEMA]informed by an opinion rendered by the Defense Historical Service.
-“When I personally broke the news to Bill and George, they were deeply touched. Each of them knows the weight of responsibilities that come with being commander in chief,” commented President Biden during the announcement made by the White House.
“Construction of the future USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush will begin in the coming years. Once completed, they will join the most capable, flexible, and professional Navy that has ever put to sea. They will be crewed by sailors from all corners of the United States, who will lead these ships at great personal risk. life, defending our interests abroad and our security here at home,” continued the head of the White House.
However, the terms relating to the acquisition of these two aircraft carriers have not yet been decided. As with the USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller, it is possible that they will be the subject of a group purchase, in order to reduce the price of the materials necessary for their construction and to optimize labor costs.
As a reminder, built by the Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News shipyard [HII-NNS]the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers have a displacement of 97,000 tonnes at full load for a length of 337 meters and a beam of 78 meters. Equipped with latest generation sensors, four electromagnetic catapults [EMALS]nuclear boiler rooms three times more powerful than those of their Nimitz class predecessors, they have electromagnetic shielding [le DAPS – Dynamic Armor Protection System] supposed to protect them from the effects of a shaped charge munition.
Operated by a crew reduced to 4,460 sailors, these aircraft carriers are optimized to increase the pace of air operations, with 160 sorties per day, or 25% more compared to a Nimitz class vessel.
