By Riley Ceder | Military Times
The Navy announced Monday it will name a pair of future vessels after two previous commanders in chief.
During a private White House ceremony Jan. 3, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro introduced two future Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers that will bear the names USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush, after the 42nd and 43rd U.S. presidents.
“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,“ Del Toro said in a press release.
The ships will be the fifth and sixth of the Navy’s new Ford-class carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford is the only ship currently in operation, while three others are under construction: the USS John F. Kennedy, USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller.