Participants in the keel laying ceremony for the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72), are, from left to right, Mr. J. Graham, vice president for construction; Mr. W.E. Morgan; Mr. T. Paris, authenticator; A.B. Mitchell, matron of honor; and Mr. W.T. O'Neill, executive vice president

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.