5 U.S. Navy Ships Named After American Presidents

Names have power. It's common practice for the U.S. Navy to name its warships after the country's principles, such as Freedom or Independence, or admirable character traits like Diligence. These names evoke certain images and emotions. Naming a ship seems like a simple task, but a name can tell a whole story, and the Navy wants to tell the right one. Using the name of a significant person, such as the president, is oftentimes the right one. It's only natural that the U.S. Navy would name its ships after individuals who had an impact on the country. Using a person's name is a tradition that spans back to the continental era.

The Continental Navy started it by naming its vessels in such a way that showed pride in its British origins. Its first ship was named after Alfred the Great, the king of Wessex. While the image of the United States military is one of intimidation for its world adversaries, it's also one of honor. It likes to honor historical figures who made an impact on the country in one way or another by naming ships after them. One type of historic figure perfect for a naval vessel is the President of the United States.

Of the 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, seven are named after a U.S. president, and the Ford-class carriers continue this tradition. However, it's not just carriers. Submarines, both attack and ballistic missile ones, have been named after some of the most memorable presidents, with destroyers bearing their names, as well.

While George Washington's name has been used for a number of aircraft carriers, it was also the moniker for the first ballistic missile submarine of its class, SSBN-598. The U.S. Navy commissioned the USS George Washington on December 30, 1959, and by July of the following year, it made history, launching the first Polaris missile from a submerged submarine. After duplicating the test with its second crew or gold crew, the George Washington was loaded up with 16 Polaris missiles and embarked on its first patrol, where it remained submerged for 66 days before returning to port. The George Washington's power plant was a S5W Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactor that powered two turbines.

Those turbines produced 15,000 shaft horsepower through a single propellor that got the submarine to travel up to 20 knots when surfaced and 25 knots submerged. On top of the 16 missile tubes, the George Washington also had 21 torpedo tubes. Because of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II (SALT II), the Navy changed the submarine's designation from SSBN-598 to SSN-598, a fast attack submarine. 

The ballistic missiles it carried were removed in 1983, and two years later, the Navy decommissioned it. After roughly 25 years of service and conducting classified patrols, the Navy scrapped the bulk of the ship but saved its conning tower to display at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut.

It might have been the fifth ballistic submarine in the George Washington class, but SSBN-602 was the first U.S. Navy ship to bear the 16th president's entire name. Like its sister ships, it had an S5W Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactor that powered two geared turbines, kicking 15,000 shaft horsepower through one propeller. The Navy commissioned this 381-foot-long and 33-foot-wide submarine in 1961 in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It operated out of Holy Loch, Scotland, for its first four years of service. During a scheduled upkeep that was to take four weeks, the USS Abraham Lincoln received orders to deploy as soon as possible and deployed for a 65-day patrol.

Its service primarily consisted of a combination of roughly 60-day patrols and traversing the ocean from the U.S. to Scotland, back to the U.S., and from the eastern seaboard to the continental west coast via the Panama Canal. After receiving a refuel and overhaul in Vallejo, California, the Lincoln returned to Florida for weapons testing and then returned right back to the Pacific, where Pearl Harbor became its new homeport. It performed a number of deterrent patrols around Guam from 1974 to 1979.

It might seem like the USS Abraham Lincoln led an otherwise uneventful career, but there's no telling exactly what it encountered on any of its 50 patrols, the first SSBM to conduct that many. Even though it was commissioned after the lead in the class, it completed its last patrol in 1979 and was decommissioned in February 1981.

The largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy's fleet and the first of its class is the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which is gradually replacing the aging Nimitz-class carriers. CVN-78 is the first naval vessel to honor the 38th president's name, which is fitting since he served in the United States Navy during World War II. He specifically served on the light carrier USS Monterey. He attained the rank of lieutenant commander before retiring from the military to enter the political arena. 

The USS Gerald R. Ford and its entire class is a more advanced carrier than its predecessor and succeeds the Nimitz-class carriers, ushering in a new generation of carriers that come with 23 new or upgraded systems, some of which allow it to operate with roughly 700 fewer personnel. Between its flight deck and hangars below deck, the 1,092-foot long and 256-foot wide carrier can carry up to 90 aircraft and holds a crew of 4,539. It's the first carrier to employ electric utilities, abandoning steam power. 

This switch reduces the chances of corrosion, which means maintenance isn't needed as frequently. Two Northrop Grumman-designed nuclear reactors provide the carrier power and propulsion that can get it up to a speed of 30 knots, which is roughly 35 mph. With the upgraded systems, the Ford can launch around 160 sorties in a day, compared to its predecessors 140 a day.

America's 39th president, Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100 years of age, was honored with one of the rarest and most sophisticated submarines in the U.S. fleet. Only three Seawolf-class nuclear-powered attack submarines were ever made due to their cost. USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is a notch above its two sister subs as it underwent some modifications that allow it to accommodate naval special warfare, tactical surveillance, and mine warfare operations. While the USS Seawolf (SSN-21) and USS Connecticut (SSN-22) are both 353 feet long, the Jimmy Carter is 100 feet longer thanks to an $887 million extension known as the "wasp waist."

Officially, it's known as a Multi-Mission Platform (MMP), and it comes with the unique ability to deploy and retrieve divers, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and special operation equipment without using torpedo tubes. It can also be used as an underwater splicing chamber where intelligence specialists can tap undersea fiber optic cables and eavesdrop on America's biggest adversaries. Like its sister subs, a single Westinghouse S6W nuclear reactor that produces 57,000 shaft horsepower powers it. Its maximum speed submerged is 35 knots, and it can run silent at 20.

It's outfitted with eight 26-inch torpedo tubes for its arsenal of Mk48 torpedoes. It can also carry up to 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles that can target both sea and land-based targets. Jimmy Carter's patrols might be top secret, but eagle-eyed onlookers will know when they return from a successful mission because the crew will fly a Jolly Roger flag to signal their success.

The Zumwalt-class destroyers met the same fate as Seawolf submarines. The Navy intended to order a couple dozen of them but eventually cut those orders down to three. The U.S. Navy says Zumwalts "... feature a state-of-the-art electric propulsion system, wave-piercing tumblehome hull, stealth design and are equipped with the most advanced warfighting technology and weaponry." The USS Lyndon B. Johnson was the third and last of the order. The challenge and costs of producing these destroyers put the LBJ on the chopping block, but the Defense Department determined it would be more expensive to cancel its delivery so late in the construction process.

It started construction sometime after 2011, and while it's complete in the sense that it can sail, the USS Lyndon B. Johnson has not been commissioned by the U.S. Navy as it's still undergoing trials. It's set to be commissioned by 2027. This is a unique-looking destroyer with its sharp corners and smooth surfaces, taking on a new appearance compared to destroyers of the past to accommodate stealth capabilities. It, along with its sister ship, the USS Michael Monsoor, is being fitted with a large vertical missile launch system as well as a Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapons system.