U.S. Navy Quartermaster SEAMAN Richard Armstrong uses a sextant on the bridge of the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) as the Aircraft Carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) sails alongside his ship during turnover operations in the Red Sea on Oct. 31, 2006. EISENHOWER is currently deployed in support of maritime security operations in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST 3rd Class Matthew D. Leistikow) (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.