A left side view of an F/A-18A Hornet aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192) in flight over Mihara volcano on the island of O-shima off central Japan. VFA-192, which is based at Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan, is part of the air wing assigned to the aircraft carrier USS MIDWAY (CV 41)

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.