A U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 103 (VFA-103,"Jolly Rogers") F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft sits chained to the flight deck of the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) on Dec. 1, 2006, while the EISENHOWER is underway in the Arabian Sea in support of maritime security operations in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST 3rd Class Jason Johnston) (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.