US Navy (USN) Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handler) 2nd Class (AB2) Daniel Thornley signals an F-18 Hornet into position onto one of the four steam-powered catapults on the flight deck of the USN Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75) prior to launching it to provide Close Air Support (CAS) and conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions over Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)

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.