USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the sole member of her own class. The future USS Enterprise (CVN-80) is instead the third Gerald R. Ford-class carrier. Calling a one-ship design the Enterprise class is technically possible but less informative than it would be for a multi-ship class. The Enterprise name carries across ships even when their hull designs and class identities do not.
Notable Point · 25:50-26:26
CVN-65, CVN-80, and the Enterprise class-name question
CVN-65 was a unique single-ship class, whereas CVN-80 carries the Enterprise name within the Gerald R. Ford class.