PH2 Tracy Lee Didas Atlantic Ocean....Two flight deck crewmen bundled up against the weather stand out of the rain for a moment near the island of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). The Eisenhower is conducting carrier qualifications off the Virginia Capes. OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO (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.