护航航空母舰（英语：escort carrier）是在第二次世界大战中出现的一种小型航空母舰，通常用于执行保护运输船队免受敌方水面舰艇及水下潜艇攻击的护航任务。护航航空母舰的出现起源于1930年代，当时英国皇家海军发现有必要为货运航线提供保护。此类航空母舰的特色是航速慢、飞机装载量少，且大部分由货轮（主要是自由轮）等其他用途的船舰改造而来。因为建造时间短，而又常因其量产快速的特色而被暱称为「周刊航母」。

在大西洋战区，护卫航空母舰的主要任务是护卫运输船团，避免运输舰遭轴心国海洋巡逻机或潜舰袭扰；在雷达技术成熟后则改组成猎杀支队，使用舰载机在大洋中猎杀潜舰。

The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the United States Navy in World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers. While they were slower, carried fewer planes and were less well armed and armored, escort carriers were cheaper and could be built quickly, which was their principal advantage. Escort carriers could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier (hull classification symbol CVL) was a similar concept to escort carriers in most respects, but were capable of higher speeds to allow operation alongside fleet carriers.