An F/A-18 Hornet launches from one of four steam driven catapults on the flight deck of USS Constellation (CV 64).

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An F/A-18 Hornet launches from one of four steam driven catapults on the flight deck of USS Constellation (CV 64).

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Summary

Arabian Gulf (Mar. 21, 2003) An F/A-18 Hornet launches from one of four steam driven catapults on the flight deck of USS Constellation (CV 64) during night operations. Constellation and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) are conducting combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Felix Garza Jr. File# 030321-N-4142G-022

Carriers

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.