An aerial deck view, looking from bow to stern, of the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) docked in the harbor with the guided missile cruiser USS STERETT (CG-31), the destroyer USS INGERSOLL (DD-990), and the oilers USNS MISPILLION (T-AO-105) and USNS NAVASOTA (T-AO-106) docked at its stern. The destroyer USS O'BRIEN (DD-975) and the guided missile cruiser USS HALSEY (CG-23) are docked at the left

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.