ISTANBUL 

Naval News on Tuesday has confirmed that its earlier report about the US Navy naming its next aircraft carrier after US billionaire Elon Musk was an April Fool’s Day joke.

The original story, which claimed that the Gerald R. Ford-class warship set to launch in November would be named the "USS Musk" instead of the USS Enterprise, was entirely made up.

The article suggested that US President Donald Trump had issued an executive order to rename the carrier in recognition of Musk’s contributions to government initiatives and his role as a top campaign donor.

The piece also claimed that this would mark the first time a serving White House advisor had a carrier named after them, while referencing Musk’s involvement in efforts to shrink the government.

Naval News has since clarified that no such plans exist to rename the upcoming aircraft carrier and that the USS Enterprise remains the intended name for the next Ford-class ship.