An air to air right side view of a restored PBY Catalina aircraft over Naval Air Station, Pensacola, during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of naval aviation. The training aircraft carrier USS LEXINGTON (AVT 16) is in the background

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.