The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) comes alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) for a refueling at sea.
Summary
PACIFIC OCEAN (Apr. 07, 2010) The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) comes alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) for a refueling at sea. Freedom is conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations and Carl Vinson is supporting Southern Seas 2010. Southern Seas is a U.S. Southern Command-directed operation that provides U.S. and international forces the opportunity to operate in a multi-national environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ashley Van Dien/ Released) File# 100407-N-0808V-229
Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.