An overhead view of the US Navy (USN) Ticonderoga Class Aircraft Carrier USS VALLEY FORGE (CVA 45) underway, with F-9F-2B Panther, F2H-2 Banshee, and F8F Bearcat aircraft on the deck. The exact date image taken unknown. Note: In the future this area will be the US Navy (USN) Naval Air Station Miramar. (SUBSTANDARD)

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.