A U.S. Navy Sailor, and member of the Honor Guard, stands by for the signal to commence a gun salute during a burial at sea ceremony aboard the Nimitz Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) on Jan. 30, 2007, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Two Navy Veterans are being committed to their final resting place. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST 3rd Class Joanna M. Rippee) (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.