A US Navy (USN) EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare (EW) and jamming aircraft, Electronic Attack Squadron 140 (VAQ-140"Patriots"), Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW-7), climbs after its launch from the flight deck of the USN Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) while on station in the Persian Gulf conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the area in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM

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.