An SH-3 Sea King helicopter from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 9 (HS-9) lifts off the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) during the NATO exercise Display Determination '81. In the foreground is an A-6A Intruder aircraft (with folded wings) from Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8)

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.