US Navy (USN) SEAMAN Journalist (SNJO) Kat Smith (foreground), wears his firefighting equipment as he responds to simulates fire during a General Quarters Drill, conducted onboard the USN Aircraft Carrier, USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75), during the ships Tailored Ships Training Availability (TSTA) exercise

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.