A Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) F-14A Tomcat aircraft is refueled by a KC-135E Stratotanker aircraft from the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Aerial Refueling Wing during Operation Desert Storm. VF-41 is embarked aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71).

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.