An F/A 18 Hornet assigned to the Marauders of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Two (VFA 82) refuels with a U.S. Air Force KC-10A Fuel Tanker assigned to the 380th Aerial Refueling Wing

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.