An aerial view of the aircraft carrier USS CORAL SEA (CV 43), the battleship USS IOWA (BB 61) and the guided missile destroyer USS SCOTT (DDG 995) moored at Pier No. 11, and the nuclear-powered aircraft carriers USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) and USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) moored at Pier No. 12

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.