Product Code Database
Example Keywords: suit -pokimon $6-181
barcode-scavenger
   » Wiki: Ship Prefix
Tag Wiki 'Ship Prefix'.
Tag

A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/nationality. In the modern environment, prefixes are cited inconsistently in civilian service, whereas in government service a vessel's prefix is seldom omitted due to government regulations dictating that a certain prefix be used. Today the common practice is to use a single prefix for all of a nation's navy, and other prefixes for auxiliaries and ships of allied services, such as . For example, the modern navy of Japan adopts the prefix "JS" – Japanese Ship, or the US navy has adopted the USS prefix. However, not all navies use prefixes. Among the ,

(2025). 9783662471272, Springer.
those of France, Brazil, China, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, and Spain do not use ship prefixes. NATO designations such as FS (French Ship), FGS (Federal German Ship), and SPS (Spanish Ship) can be used if needed.


Usage
Historically, prefixes for civilian vessels often identified the vessel's mode of propulsion, such as "MV" (), "SS" (; often cited as "steam ship"), or "PS" ().
(2025). 9781445665580, Amberley Publishing.

These days, general civilian prefixes are used inconsistently, and frequently not at all. In terms of abbreviations that may reflect a vessel's purpose or function, technology has introduced a broad variety of differently named vessels onto the world's oceans, such as "LPGC" (liquified petroleum gas carrier), or "TB" (tug-boat), or "DB" (derrick barge). In many cases though, these abbreviations are used for purely formal, legal identification and are not used colloquially or in the daily working environment. Prefixes indicating a vessel's purpose (e.g., "RMS" for a Royal Mail ship or "RV" for ) are also used.

Prefixes used for naval ships primarily reflect ownership, but may also indicate a vessel's type or purpose as a sub-set. Historically, the most significant navy was Britain's , which has usually used the prefix "HMS", standing for "His/Her Majesty's Ship". The Royal Navy also adopted nomenclature that reflected a vessel's type or purpose, e.g. HM . Commonwealth navies adopted a variation, with, for example, HMAS, HMCS, and HMNZS pertaining to Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, respectively.

In the early days of the United States Navy, abbreviations often included the type of vessel, for instance "USF" (United States ), but this method was abandoned by President Theodore Roosevelt's Executive Order No. 549 of 1907, which made "United States Ship" (USS) the standard signifier for USN ships on active commissioned service. United States Navy prefixes officially only apply while a ship is in active commission, with only the name used before or after a period of commission and for all vessels "in service" rather than commissioned status.

However, not all navies used prefixes; this includes the significant navies of China, France and Russia.

From the 20th century onwards, most navies identify ships by letters or (pennant numbers) or a combination of such. These identification codes were, and still are, painted on the side of the ship. Each navy has its own system: the United States Navy uses hull classification symbols, and the Royal Navy (e.g. 'D35' is destroyer 35 – HMS Dragon) and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth use .

These tables list both current and historical prefixes known to have been used.

(2025). 9781574092394, Sheridan House, Inc.. .


Generic (merchant navy) prefixes
These prefixes are generally used for of any nationality unless specified.

AE
AFSCombat stores ship
AHTAnchor handling tug
AHTSAnchor handling tug supply vessel
AOUnited States Navy oiler
AOGGasoline tanker
AORAuxiliary replenishment oiler
AOT
ASDSAutonomous Spaceport Drone Ship
ATBArticulated Tug Barge
CRVCoastal Research Vessel
C/FCar ferry
CS or
DB
DEPVDiesel Electric Paddle Vessel
DLBDerrick Lay Barge
DCVDeepwater Construction Vessel
DSVDiving support vessel or
deep-submergence vehicle
DV
ERRVEmergency Response Rescue Vessel
EVExploration Vessel
FPSOFloating production storage and offloading vessel
FPVFree Piston Vessel
FPVFishery Protection Vessel
FT
FV
GTSGas Turbine Ship
HLVHeavy lift vessel
HMTHired military transport (not currently in use)
HMHSHis(/Her) Majesty's Hospital Ship
HSCHigh Speed Craft
HSFHigh Speed Ferry
HTV
IRVInternational Research Vessel
ITBIntegrated Tug barge
LB
LNG/C
LPG/C
MF
MFVMotor fishing vessel (mainly UK Royal Naval Reserve)
MS (M/S) (interchangeable with MV)
MSVMultipurpose support/supply vessel
MSY
MT
MTSMarine towage and salvage/
MV (M/V) (interchangeable with MS)
MY (M/Y)
NB
NRVNATO Research Vessel
NSNuclear ship
OSVOffshore supply vessel
PS
PSVPlatform supply vessel
QSMVQuadruple motor vessel
QTEVQuadruple turbo electric vessel
RMPRoyal Mail
RMSRoyal Mail Ship or Royal Mail Steamer
RMVRoyal Mail Vessel
RNLBRoyal National Lifeboat
RNMBRoyal Navy Motor Boat
RRSRoyal Research Ship
RV / RSV/Research Survey Vessel RSV Aurora Australis 1989–2020 Australian Antarctic Division, 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
SB
SL
SS (S/S)
(also used as generic term for any steam-powered ship)
SSCVSemi-submersible crane vessel
SSS
SSVSailing School Vessel, or
Submarine and Special Warfare Support Vessel
ST or
STS
STV or
Steam Turbine Vessel
SV (S/V)
SY (S/Y) or
TB
TIVTurbine Installation Vessel
TEV
TrSSTriple-screw or steamer
TS or
turbine or turbine steam ship
Tr.SMVTriple-Screw
TSMVTwin-Screw
TSMSTwin-Screw
TSSTwin-screw steamship or steamer
TSTTwin-screw tug
TT (T/T)"Tender to" ..., the prefix is placed on the tender followed by the name of the ; or
TV
ULCCUltra Large Crude Carrier
VLCCVery Large Crude Carrier
YD
YTYard Tug
YMTYard Motor Tug
YTBYard Tug Big
YTLYard Tug Little
YTMYard Tug Medium
YWWater barge, self-propelled
YWNWater barge, non-propelled


National or military prefixes
Albanian Naval ForceALSAlbanian Ship (NATO prefix)
Algerian National NavyANSAlgerian Navy Ship
ARANavy of the Argentine Republic ()
Argentine Coast GuardGCArgentine Coast Guard Ship ( )
Royal Australian NavyHMASHis Majesty's Australian Ship/Submarine/Station
NUSHIPNew Ship/Submarine (Yet to be commissioned)
ADVAustralian Defence Vessel (non-commissioned naval-operated ships)
MSAMinesweeper Auxiliary
Australian Customs and Border Protection ServiceACVAustralian Customs Vessel
Australian Border ForceABFCAustralian Border Force Cutter
(pre-Federation)Colonial navies of AustraliaHMCSHis Majesty's Colonial Ship
HMQSHis Majesty's Queensland Ship (Queensland Maritime Defence Force)
HMVSHis Majesty's Victorian Ship (Victorian Naval Forces)
Austro-Hungarian NavySMSSeiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship)
ARGAzərbaycan Respublikasının hərbi Gəmisi (Warship of the Republic of Azerbaijan)
Royal Bahamas Defence ForceHMBSHis Majesty's Bahamian Ship
Royal Bahrain Naval ForceRBNSRoyal Bahrain Naval Ship
Bangladesh Coast GuardCGSCoast Guard Ship
Bangladesh NavyBNSBangladesh Navy Ship
Barbados Coast GuardBCGSBarbados Coast Guard Ship
BNSBelgian Naval Ship (NATO prefix)
(No Official Prefix)Brazilian naval prefix indicates ship type.
Royal Indian Marine (1892–1934)RIMSRoyal Indian Marine Ship
Royal Indian Navy (1934–1950)HMISHis Majesty's Indian Ship
Royal Brunei NavyKDBKapal Di-Raja Brunei (Royal Brunei Ship)
BNGNATO Designation
Royal Canadian Navy
(formerly Canadian Forces Maritime Command)
HMCS
NCSM
His Majesty's Canadian Ship
()
CFAV
NAFC
Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel
()
Canadian Coast GuardCCGS
NGCC
Canadian Coast Guard Ship
()
CCGC
CGCC
Canadian Coast Guard Cutter
()
(no longer used)
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, , and predecessor departmentsCGSCanadian Government Ship
(no longer used)
CSSCanadian Survey Ship
(no longer used)
DGSDominion Government Ship
(no longer used)
Royal Canadian Sea CadetsSCTV
NECM
Sea Cadet Training Vessel
()
People's Liberation Army Navy(No Official Prefix)
Armada NacionalARCArmada de la República de Colombia (Navy of the Republic of Colombia)
Confederate States NavyCSSConfederate States Ship
Cook Islands PoliceCIPPBCook Islands Police Patrol Boat
Royal Danish NavyHDMS ()His/Her Danish Majesty's Ship ( )
HDMY ()His/Her Danish Majesty's Yacht, crewed by Royal Danish Navy
Armada EcuatorianaBAEBuque de la Armada de Ecuador (Ecuadorian Navy Ship)
EMLEesti Mereväe Laev (Estonian Naval Vessel)
ECGSEstonian Coast Guard Ship (NATO designation)
Republic of Fiji NavyRFNSRepublic of Fiji Naval Ship
FNSFinnish Navy Ship; Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally.
FSFrench Ship (NATO designation); Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally.
Kaiserliche MarineSMSSeiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship)
SMUSeiner Majestät Unterseeboot (His Majesty's Submarine)
KMS / DKM (No Official Prefix)Kriegsmarine Schiffe/Deutsche Kriegsmarine (Navy Ship/German Navy)
FGSFederal German Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification and never used internally.
FGSFederal German Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification and never used internally.
Royal Hellenic NavyVP ()"Royal Ship" (); Some English Language authors uses RHNS for Royal Hellenic Navy Ship or HHMS for His Hellenic Majesty's Ship.
HSHellenic Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification, as prefix indicates ship type internally.
Guyanese Coast GuardGDFSGuyanese Defence Forces Ship
HHMSHis Hawaiian Majesty's Ship; the only one being
Icelandic Coast GuardICGV (Icelandic: VS)Icelandic Coast Guard Vessel, (Icelandic: Varðskip)
Indian Coast GuardICGSIndian Coast Guard Ship
Indian NavyINSIndian Naval Ship
Indonesian NavyRIRepublik Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia). Obsolete prefix used until 1960s.
KRIKapal Republik Indonesia (Ship of the Republic of Indonesia)
KALKapal Angkatan Laut (Navy Ship). For small boats which length is less than 36 m.
ADRIAngkatan Darat Republik Indonesia (Indonesian Army)
ADAngkatan Darat (Army). For combat boats.
Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard UnitKNKapal Negara (State Ship)
Indonesian Maritime Security Agency
Indonesian Water and Aviation Police CorpsKPKapal Polisi (Police Ship)
Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources SurveillanceKPKapal Pengawas (Overseer Ship)
National Search and Rescue AgencyKN SARKapal Negara (State Ship) Search and Rescue
Directorate General of Customs and ExciseBCBea Cukai (Customs–Excise)
Directorate of Sea TrafficKMKapal Motor (Motor Vessel)
Imperial Iranian NavyIIS
(1979). 9780354005876, Jane's Yearbooks.
Imperial Iranian Ship ()
Islamic Republic of Iran NavyIRISIslamic Republic of Iran ship ()
Irish Naval ServiceLong Éireannach (Irish ship)
Commissioners of Irish LightsILVIrish Lights Vessel (Lighthouse tender)
Israeli Sea CorpsINSIsraeli Naval Ship (Internally Hebrew acronym אח"י (A.Ch.Y.) is used standing for אניית חיל הים (Oniyat Heyl HaYam – Sea Corps Ship)
RNRegia Nave – Royal Ship
R.Smg.Regio Sommergibile – Royal Submarine
ITSItalian Ship (NATO designation); Italy no longer uses prefixes
Jamaica Defence ForceHMJSHis Majesty's Jamaican Ship
Imperial Japanese NavyHIJMS (obsolete) / IJN (unofficial)His Imperial Japanese Majesty Ship (Used externally, between the and the Washington Naval Treaty. Though abandoned later on, Japanese vessels were still referred as such during World War II. The unofficial name IJN stands for "Imperial Japanese Navy" is frequently used in various sources and media.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense ForceJDS or JSJapanese Defense Ship or Japanese Ship
Kenyan NavyKNSKenyan Naval Ship
Kiribati Police ForceRKSRepublic of Kiribati Ship
Korean People's Navy(No Official Prefix)Does not use any prefixes at all, either for international identification or for ship type indication.
Kuwait Naval ForceKNSKuwait Navy Ship
Imperial Korean NavyKISKorean Imperial Ship
Republic of Korea NavyROKSRepublic of Korea Ship
LVNSLatvian Naval Ship (NATO designation)
LKLLietuvos Karinis Laivas (Lithuanian Military Ship)
LNSLithuanian Ship (NATO designation)
Royal Malaysian NavyKDKapal Di-Raja – His Majesty's Ship, literal: Royal Ship.
KLDKapal Layar Di-Raja - His Majesty's Sailing Ship, literal: Royal Sailing Ship. (Used by KLD Tunas Samudera)
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement AgencyKMKapal Maritim – Maritime Ship
Marshall Islands PoliceRMISRepublic of the Marshall Islands Ship
FSM National PoliceFSMFederated States of Micronesia
ARMArmada de la República Mexicana (Navy of the Republic of Mexico)
UMSUnion of Myanmar Ship ( )
NSNamibian Ship
Royal Netherlands NavyHNLMS ()His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship ()
Royal New Zealand NavyHMNZSHis Majesty's New Zealand Ship
NNSNigerian Naval Ship
Royal Norwegian NavyHNoMS ()His Norwegian Majesty's Ship ( ), in use since 1946.
HNoMY ()His Norwegian Majesty's Yacht ( ). The only vessel with the prefix, , is owned by the King but crewed by his Navy since 1948.
King of NorwayKSJKing's Sloop Used on two small motorised pleasure vessels named & owned by the King from 1899-1940 and 1945-present.
Norwegian Coast GuardNoCGV ()Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel ( )
Royal Navy of OmanSNVSultanate Naval Vessel
PNSPakistan Naval Ship
Pakistan Maritime Security AgencyPMSSPakistan Maritime Security Ship
Palau PolicePSSPalau State Ship
Papua New Guinea Defence ForceHMPNGSHis/Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship
ARPArmada de la República del Paraguay (Navy of the Republic of Paraguay)
BAPPeruvian Navy Ship (Spanish: Buque Armada Peruana), Since 1921
BICScientific Research Ship (Spanish: Buque de Investigación Científica)
, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic ResourcesBRPBarko ng Republika ng Pilipinas; in use since 1 July 1980
(Ship of the Republic of the Philippines)
RPSRepublic of the Philippines Ship (Obsolete); before 1 July 1980
ORPOkręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
(Warship of the Republic of Poland)
NRPNavio da República Portuguesa (Ship of the Portuguese Republic)
PNSPortuguese Navy Ship ( designation); Never used internally.
UAMUnidade Auxiliar da Marinha – Navy Auxiliary Unit (used by non-military ships of Portuguese Navy)
SMSSeiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship)
Royal Romanian NavyNMSNava Majestăţii Sale (His/Her Majesty's Ship)
ROSRomanian Ship ( designation); Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally.
SMRServiciul Maritim Român (Romanian Maritime Service); used by transport ships
Imperial Russian Navy(No Official Prefix)Some authors use "HIRMS" for "His Imperial Russian Majesty's Ship" to identify them.
RFSRussian Federation Ship (NATO designation; Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally.
Saudi NavyHMSHis Majesty's Ship (Same as the )
Republic of Singapore NavyRSSRepublic of Singapore Ship
SNSSlovenian Naval Ship (NATO prefix)
Royal Solomon Islands PoliceRSIPVRoyal Solomon Islands Police Vessel
South African NavySASSouth African Ship/Suid-Afrikaanse Skip (previously HMSAS – His/Her Majesty's South African Ship)
SATSSouth African Training Ship
(No Official Prefix)Some authors use "USSRS" for "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Ship" ().
Armada EspañolaESPS Buque de la ASpanish Navy Ship (Spain does not use prefixes internally. ESPN or SPS are no longer used)
Sri Lankan NavySLNSSri Lanka Naval Ship
Sri Lanka Coast GuardSLCGSri Lanka Coast Guard
HMS (English: HSwMS)Hans/Hennes Majestäts Skepp (His/Her Majesty's Ship)
HSwMS (His/Her Swedish Majesty's Ship) is used in English to avoid confusion with ships
Swedish Coast GuardKBVSwedish Coast Guard Vessel (Swedish: Kustbevakningen)
Republic of China NavyROCSRepublic of China Ship; CNS for "Chinese Navy Ship" was used before 1949
Royal Thai NavyHTMSHis Thai Majesty's Ship
Timor Leste Defense ForceNRTLNavio da República de Timor Leste (Ship of the Timor Leste Republic)
Tonga Defence ServicesVOEAVaka O Ene Afio (His Majesty's Vessel)
TCGShip of the Turkish Republic (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Gemisi.)
Tuvalu Police ForceHMTSSHis/Her Majesty's Tuvalu Surveillance Ship
Trinidad and Tobago Defence ForceTTSTrinidad and Tobago Ship
Ships carrying mailRMS Steamer/Ship
Cable shipCSHis Majesty's Telegraph Vessel
Motor ShipMS. Cruise ships such as the MS Queen Elizabeth, which do not carry
Fishery protection vesselsFPVFisheries Protection Vessel
Royal Air ForceHMAFVHis Majesty's Air Force Vessel (not currently in use)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary shipsRFARoyal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Maritime Auxiliary
Service ships
RMASRoyal Maritime Auxiliary Ship (now obsolete)
Royal Naval Auxiliary ServiceXSVAuxiliary Service Vessel (now obsolete)
HM SloopHis Majesty's Sloop (now obsolete)
HMSHis Majesty's Ship/Submarine
HMSmHis Majesty's Submarine (not currently in use)
HMTHired Military Transport (not currently in use)
His Majesty's Transport/Troopship/Trawler/Tug
HMAVHis Majesty's Armed Vessel (not currently in use)
HMYHis Majesty's Yacht (not currently in use)
HMMGBHis Majesty's Motor Gun Boat (not currently in use)
HMMHis Majesty's Monitor (not currently in use)
HMSMLHis Majesty's Survey Motor Launch
HBMSHis Britannic Majesty's Ship (archaic)
HMHis Majesty's, then used with the type of ship in military use (e.g. "HM Trawler" or "HM Rescue Tug")
Hospital ShipsHMHSHis Majesty's
Joint Services Sail Training Yachts (JSASTC)HMSTCHis/Her Majesty's Sail Training Craft
THVTrinity House Vessel (Lighthouse and Buoy Tender)
Northern Lighthouse BoardNLVNorthern Lighthouse Vessel (Lighthouse tender)
Commissioners of Irish LightsILVIrish Lights Vessel (Lighthouse tender)
HMAVHis/Her Majesty's Army VesselHabesch, The Army's Navy, p. 154
RCLVRoyal Corps of Logistics Vessel (not currently in use)
Government research shipsRRSRoyal Research Ship
HM Revenue and Customs/HMCC, HMCHis Majesty's Customs Cutter shortened to His Majesty's Cutter after being transferred to
HM Customs and Excise (replaced by HMRC, above)HMRCHis Majesty's Revenue Cutter (not used since 18 April 2005). Also His Majesty's Revenue Cruiser (as per HMRC Vigilant 1947. Not used since ca. 1960)
United States Air ForceUSAF, USAFSUnited States Air Force ship (not currently in use)
United States Army (modern)USASUnited States Army Ship (modern)
USAVUnited States Army Vessel (modern)
United States Army (historical)
USATUnited States Army Transport (large Army owned troop or cargo transports, not in use after 1950)
USACTUnited States Army Chartered Transport (usage WW I only for time or voyage chartered ships; eg: Artemis 1917—1919)
USAMP (not currently in use)
USAJMPU.S. Army Junior Mine Planter (not currently in use)
U.S. ArmyVessels not otherwise designated: , , Q, P etc. (not currently in use)
USAHSUnited States Army Hospital Ship (not currently in use)
United States NavyUSFUnited States Frigate (obsolete)
USFSUnited States Flagship (obsolete)
USSUnited States Ship – Commissioned warships only.
USNVUnited States Naval Vessel (Small utility vessels, not MSC, operated by local commands)
U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC)USNSUnited States Naval Ship (USN-owned, civilian crews)
United States Coast GuardUSCGCUnited States Coast Guard Cutter
USCGDUnited States Coast Guard Destroyer (not currently in use)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNOAASNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ship
United States Coast and Geodetic SurveyUSC&GSUnited States Coast and Geodetic Survey (obsolete); occasionally a second "S" for "survey ship" was used
United States Environmental Protection AgencyUS EPAUnited States Environmental Protection Agency; no "S" for "ship" is used
United States Commission of Fish and FisheriesUSFCUnited States Fish Commission (obsolete); commonly used informal name for the Commission; no "S" for "ship" was used
United States Bureau of FisheriesUSFSUnited States Fisheries Service (obsolete); alternative informal name for the Bureau; no "S" for "ship" was used
United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS FWSUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service; no "S" for "ship" used
United States Lighthouse ServiceUSLHTUnited States Lighthouse Tender (obsolete)
United States Public Health ServiceUSPHSUnited States Public Health Service; no "S" for "ship" used
United States Revenue-Marine (1790–1894) and United States Revenue Cutter Service (1894-1915)USRCUnited States Revenue Cutter (obsolete)
Uruguayan NavyROURepública Oriental del Uruguay
Ukrainian NavyUNSUkrainian Navy Ship
Vanuatu Police ForceRVSRepublic of Vanuatu Ship
FNVFuerzas Navales de Venezuela Not in use since 1949
ARVArmada República de Venezuela Not in use 1999
ARBVArmada República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Vietnam People's NavyVPNSVietnam People's Navy Ship. The Vietnam People's Navy does not internally and formally use this designation despite its unofficial but frequent usage by foreign media at international events. Since a major portion of the Vietnamese fleet is not named literally and only has standardized non-prefixed , the VPNS prefix is sometimes used with the ship's hull number (for example, ) to make it look cosmetically more synchronous and consistent with other navies' prefixed in international activities.
Republic of Vietnam NavyRVNSRepublic of Vietnam Navy Ship or Republic of Viet-Nam Ship (obsolete)
Royal Yugoslav NavyKB(English: Royal Ship)


Jugoslovenska Ratna Mornarica JRM (English: Yugoslavia war navy) 1969–1992 Ratna Mornarica Vojske Jugoslavije RМVЈ (English: War navy of Yugoslavia Armed Forces) 1992–2003RTOPRaketna Topovnjača or Ракетна Топовњача (English: Rocket gunship), named by Yugoslavia peoples heroes
Raketni Čamac or Ракетни Чамац (English: Rocket boat), 1969–1992, named by Yugoslavia peoples heroes
VPBRVeliki Patrolni Brod or Велики Патролни Брод (English: Big patrol ship), 1969–1992, named by Yugoslavia coastal towns
Torpedni Čamac or Торпедни Чамац (English: Torpedo boat), 1969–1992
Patrolni Čamac or Патролни Чамац (English: Patrol boat), 1969–1992, named by mountains
POPomoćni Oružar or Помоћни Оружар (English: Auxiliary аrmourer), 1969–1992
RMLRečni minolovac or Речни миноловац (English: River minesweepers), 1969–1992, named by places of WWII battles
RPBRečni patrolni brod or Речни патролни брод (English: River patrol boat), 1969–1992
PPodmornica or Подморница (English: Submarine), 1969–1992, named by rivers or human qualities
Razarač Eskortni or Разарач Ескортни (English: Escort destroyer), 1969–1992
PTPomoćni transportni or Помоћни транспортни (English: Auxiliary transport), 1969–1992
Desantni čamci or Десантни чамци (English: Landing craft), 1969–1992


Prefix conventions
The designations for United Kingdom ships applied at the time of the , before the establishment of separate navies for the Dominions.

In the Royal Netherlands Navy, "" is the prefix in English, a translation of the Dutch original "Hr.Ms." or "Zr.Ms.". "Hr.Ms." should preferably not be used in English-language documents; nevertheless it is often seen on the World Wide Web. Until the moment a Dutch naval ship officially enters active service in the fleet, the ship's name is used without the prefix.Circulaire Zeemacht 1569cc (1988). Since King Willem-Alexander succeeded Queen Beatrix on 30 April 2013, "Hr.Ms." is replaced by "Zr.Ms.".

In Australia, the prefix NUSHIP is used to denote ships that have yet to be commissioned into the fleet.

In the United States, all prefixes other than "USS", "USNS", "USNV", and "USRC" were made obsolete in 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt issued an Executive order fixing American naval nomenclature. USRC was replaced by USCGC when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the United States Lifesaving Service to become the United States Coast Guard in 1915. USLHT also was replaced by USCGC when the United States Lighthouse Service became a part of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939. USC&GS was replaced by NOAAS when the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey merged with other U.S. Government scientific agencies to form the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1970. USFC was replaced by USFS when the United States Commission on Fish and Fisheries was reorganized as the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in 1903, and USFS in turn was replaced in 1940 by US FWS when the Bureau of Fisheries merged with the United States Department of the Interior's Division of Biological Survey to form the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service (which in 1956 was reorganized as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service). Seagoing ships Fish and Wildlife Service ships with the prefix US FWS that were transferred to NOAA when NOAA was created in 1970 switched to the NOAAS prefix.

A United States Navy ship that is not in active commission does not hold the title of United States Ship with simply the name without prefix used before and after commissioned service. Vessels, such as yard and harbor craft that are not commissioned and "in service" are officially referred to by name or hull number without prefix. Prior to commissioning, ships may be described as a pre-commissioning unit or PCU; for example, USS Gerald R. Ford was described as the "pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Gerald R. Ford" prior to her commissioning in 2017. Military Sealift Command (MSC) civilian crewed ships "in service" are given the prefix United States Naval Ship (USNS).

When it is stricken from the fleet list, a ship typically has the prefix "ex-" added to its name, to distinguish it from any active ships bearing the same name. For example, after USS Constellation (CV-64) was retired in 2003, she became referred to as ex- Constellation.


In science fiction
Fictional equivalents of tri-letter prefixes frequently appear in English-language science fiction works, applied to seafaring and spaceborne ships alike.
  • – the United Federation of Planets uses the prefix "USS" for its starships. Dialogue in earlier episodes of the series indicated that it referred to "United Space Ship".Star Trek episode "Space Seed", Season 1 Ep 22, scene with McCoy and Khan in sickbay (1967-02-16). In the alternate "", the Terran Empire use an "ISS" prefix instead. Other races use different prefixes for their ships:
    • use IKS (Imperial Klingon Ship) or IKC (Imperial Klingon Cruiser).
    • vessels typically receive the prefix IRW (Imperial Romulan Warbird), or RIS where some speculate that it means "Romulan Imperial Ship", and ChR. (ChR is from novelist imagining of the Star Trek Universe, in which the Romulans refer to their home planet as "Ch'Rihan". Though Duane's version has a loyal following among many fans, it is not considered official Star Trek canon; similarly, the designation of FMS, and the CDS, are also not canon.)
  • – The Galactic Empire sometimes uses the prefix ISD for Imperial Star Destroyer.
  • Babylon 5 – The Earth Alliance uses the prefix "EAS" for "Earth Alliance Ship". Some fan material also uses it for "Earth Alliance Station".
  • – The Federation uses the prefix "FNS" (Federal Navy Ship) for some military ships. The Empire uses "INV" (Imperial Navy Vessel). The Alliance lacks a prefix, owing to its decentralized nature.
  • Firefly – Vessels in the Union of Allied Planets fleet are given the prefix "IAV", for Interstellar Alliance Vessel.
  • Wing Commander – The Terran Confederation uses TCS (Terran Confederation Ship) for its vessels.
  • Halo – United Nations Space Command spacecraft use the prefix "UNSC". Several other prefixes are also in use, including "ONI" for ships of the UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence and "URF" for ships of the United Rebel Front.
  • Mass Effect – features several prefixes, primarily "SSV" for "Systems Alliance space vehicle"In-Game Codex, entry for SSV Normandy. and "MSV" for "Merchant Space Vehicle", used on numerous human commercial ships, as well as "PFS" for a Turian Hierarchy naval craft, and a freighter AML Demeter of unknown affiliation.
  • Dead Space – "USG", standing for "United Spacefaring Guild", which oversees civilian spacecraft operation, including the planet-cracker class leader USG Ishimura of the Concordance Extraction Corporation; "USM" for the Earth Defense Force of EarthGov; and "CMS" for its predecessor, the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces.
  • – The United Earth Directorate uses DSS (presumably for Directorate Space Ship, e. g. DSS Aleksander); the Terran Confederacy used CSF (Confederate Space Fleet, e. g. CSF Ragnorak) for their battlecruisers.
  • Killzone – The Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) uses "ISC", for Interplanetary Strategic Cruiser.
  • The Moon is a Harsh Mistress – The Federated Nations use "FNS", presumably meaning "Federated Nations Ship".
  • Alien – A number of commercial vessels use the prefix "USCSS" for "United States Commercial Spaceship" including the Nostromo, Prometheus, and Covenant. United States Colonial Marines warships such as Sulaco use the existing prefix USS.
  • The Lost Fleet – The Alliance use the prefix "ASN" for "Allied Systems Navy" (or possibly "Alliance of Systems Navy"), the Syndicate Worlds do not use prefixes.
  • – CoDominium vessels use the prefix "CDS" for CoDominium Ship.
  • – The Manticoran kingdom uses "HMS" as a prefix, the Graysons use "GNS"(Grayson Navy Ship), and the Havenite ships use "PNS" (People's Navy Ship) and later "RHNS" (Republic of Haven Navy Ship), being reflections of actual ship prefixing traditions, and mirroring the Napoleonic wars. The Solarian League uses "SLNS" (Solarian League Navy Ship) and the Andermani Empire uses "IANS" for Imperial Andermani Navy Ship.
  • – Ships are identified by a three-letter prefix denoting class (such as GSV for "General Systems Vehicle" or ROU for "Rapid Offensive Unit"), followed by their personal name.
  • The Expanse – Ships of the United Nations Navy use the prefix "UNN," while ships of the Martian Congressional Republic Navy are prefixed with "MCRN". The Nauvoo, a commissioned by the Church of Latter Day Saints was prefixed with "LDSS" for "Latter Day Saints' Ship", and later changed to "OPAS" and re-christened as the "OPAS Behemoth" representing the Outer Planets Alliance.
  • Unreal Tournament – Ships mentioned there have prefixes such as ITV ("Interstellar Transport Vessel", the first non-tutorial match in the tournament happens on board of ITV Oblivion) and ISV ("Interstellar Science Vessel", ship's name being ISV-Kran from Unreal).
  • – ISV ( ISV-Kran) and UMS ("Unified Military Services", a prefix for warships).
  • —The Planetary Union uses the prefix "USS", presumably for "Union Space Ship" (in homage to Star Trek).
  • - The Terran Empire uses the prefix RLS, which stands for Royal Light Ship; this is also a direct homage to Robert Louis Stevenson, author of the original . The Procyon Expanse uses the prefix PSR, which stands for Procyon Star Runner.
  • - the Grand Alliance uses the "USS" prefix, since all Allied warships are run by the Americaan (sic) Clan. The Alliance's only airship is given the prefix "UHAS" (United Homes Air Ship). The Empire of New Britain Isles uses "HIMS" (His/Her Imperial Majesty's Ship). The Republic of Real People uses "RRPS" (Republic of Real People Ship). The New United States uses "NUSS" (New United States Ship). Neither the Holy Dominion nor the League of Tripoli use prefixes, although the KMS Hessen is mentioned once, it is not clear if the prefix is internally used or not.
  • - The Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, the main antagonists of the series, use the "IMS" prefix. The origin of this prefix is unknown.
  • - Various ship prefixes are used depending on the species, faction allegiance, and class of the vehicle. Prominent examples include: "GT" and "GV" for "Galactic Terran" and "Galactic Vasudan" respectively, "NT" for "Neo-Terran," "PV" for "Parliamentary Vasudan," and just "S" for "Shivan." These are then further supplemented with a type of ship identifier following the species and faction prefixes, such as "B" for "Bomber," "C" for "Cruiser," "Cv" for "Corvette," "D" for "Destroyer," and "F" for "Fighter," among many examples. As such, "PVD" would indicate a "Parliamentary Vasudan Destroyer," "NTF" would indicate a "Neo-Terran Fighter," "GTC" would indicate a "Galactic Terran Cruiser", "GVCv" would indicate a "Galactic Vasudan Corvette," and "SB" would indicate a "Shivan Bomber."
  • Helldivers 2 - "SES" is used for "Super Earth Ship".


Sources

External links

Page 1 of 1
1
Page 1 of 1
1

Account

Social:
Pages:  ..   .. 
Items:  .. 

Navigation

General: Atom Feed Atom Feed  .. 
Help:  ..   .. 
Category:  ..   .. 
Media:  ..   .. 
Posts:  ..   ..   .. 

Statistics

Page:  .. 
Summary:  .. 
1 Tags
10/10 Page Rank
5 Page Refs
1s Time