Members of the newly "gender integrated" crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) look out at the skyuline of the city as the ship prepares to take part in the week long celebration known as "SeaFair '94"

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.