http://www.navalcovermuseum.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Page_Design_Ship_Prefix_ListPage Design Ship Prefix List - Revision history2026-04-08T09:16:56ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.44.0http://www.navalcovermuseum.org/w/index.php?title=Page_Design_Ship_Prefix_List&diff=239770&oldid=prevNCMSysop: created page2024-09-10T02:51:32Z<p>created page</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>Before a ship's name there may be a prefix code such as 'USS' used by the U.S. Navy or 'HMS' used by the British Navy.<br/><br />
You may find different prefixes used by various sources but we use a more limited set of prefixes, and sometimes none at all.<br/><br/><br />
With regard to the U.S. Navy, the 'USS' prefix is only applied to a ship when it is in commission. That is why you might see a name with the 'USS' prefix and then the next incarnation has the name without the 'USS' prefix.<br/><br/><br />
Here is the list of prefixes currently used by the Museum.<br />
Included in the list are some common prefixes that we do not use and they are marked as such.<br/><br/><br />
<table><br />
<tr><br />
<td><br />
ARA <br/><br />
ARC <br/><br />
ARM <br/><br />
ARV <br/><br />
BAE <br/><br />
BAP <br/><br />
BNS <br/><br />
BRP <br/><br />
CG <br/><br />
CSS <br/><br />
CT <br/><br />
DSSV <br/><br />
DSV <br/><br />
FGS <br/><br />
FV or F/V <br/><br />
HHMS <br/><br />
HM <br/><br />
HMAS <br/><br />
HMBS <br/><br />
HMCS <br/><br />
HMFS <br/><br />
HMNZS <br/><br />
HMS <br/><br />
HNLMS <br/><br />
HNS [invalid] <br/><br />
HS <br/><br />
HSV <br/><br />
HTMS <br/><br />
IIS <br/><br />
IJN <br/><br />
INS <br/><br />
INS <br/><br />
IRIS <br/><br />
ITS <br/><br />
JDS <br/><br />
JS <br/><br />
KD <br/><br />
KDM <br/><br />
KNM <br/><br />
KRI <br/><br />
MT <br/><br />
MV or M/V <br/><br />
NAE <br/><br />
NMM <br/><br />
NNS <br/><br />
NOAAS <br/><br />
NRP <br/><br />
NS <br/><br />
ORP <br/><br />
OSV <br/><br />
PNS <br/><br />
PRVSN <br/><br />
RFA <br/><br />
RFNS <br/><br />
RFS <br/><br />
RHS <br/><br />
ROCS <br/><br />
ROKS <br/><br />
RPS <br/><br />
RSS <br/><br />
RV or R/V <br/><br />
RVNS <br/><br />
SMS <br/><br />
SS <br/><br />
TCG <br/><br />
TS or T/S <br/><br />
USACS <br/><br />
USAFS <br/><br />
USAHS <br/><br />
USAMP <br/><br />
USAPRS <br/><br />
USARS <br/><br />
USAS <br/><br />
USAT <br/><br />
USC&GS <br/><br />
USCG <br/><br />
USCGC <br/><br />
USCGD <br/><br />
USF <br/><br />
USLHS <br/><br />
USNS <br/><br />
USRC <br/><br />
USS <br/><br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
Argentine Naval Service<br/><br />
Colombian Naval Service<br/><br />
Mexican Naval Service<br/><br />
Venezuelan Naval Service<br/><br />
Ecuadoran Naval Service<br/><br />
Peruvian Naval Service<br/><br />
Bangladesh Naval Service<br/><br />
Philippine Naval Service Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas; in use since 1 July 1980 <br/><br />
Coast Guard (United States)<br/><br />
Confederate States of America (civil war era)<br/><br />
Brazilian Naval Service (Destroyer - see list below for other Brazil prefixes)<br/><br />
Deep Submergence Search Vehicle<br/><br />
Deep-Submergence Vehicle<br/><br />
Federal German Ship (NATO designation only - prefer not to use this)<br/><br />
Fishing Vessel - not used by NCM except for rare cases<br/><br />
Greek Naval Service (His Hellenic Majesty’s Ship) Royal Hellenic Navy<br/><br />
British Naval Service (His/Her Majesty's)<br/><br />
Australian Naval Service<br/><br />
Bahamas Naval Service<br/><br />
Canadian Naval Service<br/><br />
Fiji Naval Service (prior to Oct 10, 1970)<br/><br />
New Zealand Naval Service<br/><br />
British Naval Service (His/Her Majesty's Ship)<br/><br />
Dutch Naval Service<br/><br />
Greek Naval Service [DO NOT USE - not used by Greece or NATO. Used by NavSource and Wikipedia but not valid]<br/><br />
Greek Naval Service (Hellenic Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification, as prefix indicates ship type internally.) prefer not to use this<br/><br />
High Speed Vessel<br/><br />
Thailand Naval Service<br/><br />
Iranian Naval Service (Imperial) - (see IRIS for Islamic navy from 1979 to present)<br/><br />
Japanese Naval Service (Imperial)<br/><br />
Indian Naval Service<br/><br />
Israeli Naval Service<br/><br />
Islamic Republic of Iran Naval Service (from 1979 to present)<br/><br />
Italian Naval Service (NATO designation only - prefer not to use this))<br/><br />
Japanese Naval Service (post WWII to 2008)<br/><br />
Japanese Naval Service (2008 to present)<br/><br />
Malaysian Naval Service ((Malay : Kapal Di-Raja, literally "Royal Ship"))<br/><br />
Danish Naval Service (Kongelige Danske Marine)<br/><br />
Norwegian Naval Service<br/><br />
Indonesian Naval Service<br/><br />
Motor Tanker - not used by NCM<br/><br />
Motor Vessel - not used by NCM except for rare cases<br/><br />
Brazilian Naval Service (Aircraft Carrier - see list below for other Brazil prefixes)<br/><br />
Italian Naval Service (Nave Marina Militare)<br/><br />
Nigerian Naval Service<br/><br />
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Government)<br/><br />
Portuguese Naval Service<br/><br />
Nuclear Ship<br/><br />
Polish Naval Service<br/><br />
Oceanographic Survey Vessel<br/><br />
Pakistani Naval Service<br/><br />
Vietnam Naval Service<br/><br />
British Naval Service - Royal Fleet Auxiliary<br/><br />
Republic of Fiji Naval Service (from Oct 10, 1970 to present)<br/><br />
French Naval Service<br/><br />
Greek Naval Service<br/><br />
Taiwanese Naval Service<br/><br />
South Korean Naval Service<br/><br />
Philippine Naval Service Republic of the Philippines Ship (Obsolete); before 1 July 1980 <br/><br />
Singapore Naval Service<br/><br />
Research Vessel - not used by NCM except for rare cases<br/><br />
South Vietnam Naval Service<br/><br />
"Seiner Majestät Schiff" (German: His Majesty's Ship)<br/><br />
Steamship (generalized to ships in Commercial Service) - not used by NCM except for rare cases<br/><br />
Turkish Naval Service<br/><br />
Training Ship - not used by NCM except for rare cases<br/><br />
United States Army Cable Ship<br/><br />
United States Air Force Ship<br/><br />
United States Army Hospital Ship<br/><br />
United States Army Mine Planter<br/><br />
United States Army Port Rehabilitation Ship<br/><br />
United States Army Repair Ship<br/><br />
United States Army Ship<br/><br />
United States Army Transport<br/><br />
United States Coast & Geodetic Survey<br/><br />
United States Coast Guard<br/><br />
United States Coast Guard Cutter<br/><br />
United States Coast Guard Destroyer<br/><br />
United States Frigate<br/><br />
United States Lighthouse Service<br/><br />
United States Naval Ship (Military Sealift Command)<br/><br />
United States Revenue Cutter<br/><br />
United States Naval Service<br/><br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
<br/><br />
The Brazilian Navy uses varying name prefixes indicating the type of ship. In this case the prefix is:<br/><br />
"CT" = Contra-torpedeiro (destroyer)<br/><br />
"NAe" = Navio-aeródromo (aircraft carrier)<br/><br />
"NB" = Navio-balisador (buoy tenders)<br/><br />
"NE" = Navio-escola (training vessels)<br/><br />
"NH" = Navio-hidrográfico (survey ships)<br/><br />
"NP" = Navio-patrulha (patrol craft)<br/><br />
"NT" = Navio-tanque (tankers)<br/><br />
<p>&nbsp;</p><br />
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