A US Navy F/A-18C Hornet aircraft, assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron 146, launches from the flight deck onboard the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) during flight operations in the Pacific Ocean. The STENNIS and embarked Carrier Air Wing 9 are operating together for the first time during a Composite Training Unit Exercise.(U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST 2nd Class Michael Hight) (Released)

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.