A right side view of a Soviet Tu-16 Badger-C aircraft, background, being escorted by an F-14A Tomcat aircraft from Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), based aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). 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.