A F/A-18 Hornet, from Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Five (VFA-105), "Gunslingers", takes to flight over the Caribbean Sea during COMTUEX, Comprehensive Training Unit Exercise, while stationed on board USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). COMTUEX is designed to bring the aircraft carrier/carrier air wing team together as a cohesive fighting unit while giving the team "blue water" certification for operating at sea

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.