US Navy to Name New Aircraft Carrier USS Musk

By Staff, Agencies

The US Navy’s next aircraft carrier will be named the USS Musk, according to an executive order set to be issued later today.

The vessel, originally designated as the USS Enterprise [CVN 80], is being constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] and is expected to launch in November. It will be the first carrier named after a serving Senior Advisor to the President.

The decision follows a draft order issued in February titled “Make Shipbuilding Great Again,” which aimed to address the imbalance between US and Chinese ship production. President Donald Trump previously stated, “We used to make so many ships. We don’t make them anymore very much, but we’re going to make them very fast, very soon.”

As the third Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, the USS Musk will replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower [CVN 69] in 2029. The renaming is seen as part of broader efforts to counter perceived "wokeness" in the military.

Ford-class carriers are among the world’s largest, displacing approximately 100,000 tons, with a crew of 2,600 and the capacity to carry 75 aircraft.

The ship will feature an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System [EMALS], a technology aligned with the new namesake’s focus on electric innovations.

However, Trump has previously criticized EMALS, advocating for a return to steam catapults, arguing that “the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good.”

In addition to the USS Musk, reports suggest that a new Signals Intelligence [SIGINT] ship could be named after War Secretary Hegseth, though this has been denied by the White House press secretary. The administration has dismissed speculation based on unclassified sources.

Meanwhile, the Navy is reportedly considering retiring its oldest commissioned vessel, the USS Constitution.

Officials argue that the wooden warship is no longer fit for modern naval warfare, with a spokesperson stating that “wooden ships have no place in modern combat.”

The move would also allow for the commercial use of the Navy’s oak forests.