U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (VFA-25,"Fist of the Fleet") Aviation Ordnancemen huddle around a bomb rack on the flight deck of the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) during a storm on Jan. 30, 2007, while the REAGAN and its strike group are currently underway on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations in the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST 2nd Class Christopher D. Blachly) (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.