An EA-6B Prowler aircraft from the "Patriots" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron One Four Zero (VAQ 140) patrols the skies over Bosnia and Herzegovina. VAQ 140 is part of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW 7), embarked on board the US Navy's nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) (not shown). The George Washington is on a scheduled six-month deployment to the Mediterranean, and has been operating in the Adriatic Sea in support of the NATO-led Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR

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.