Ship prefix
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A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.
Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often used inconsistently, and frequently not at all. Sometimes a slash is used to separate the letters, as in "M/S".
Naval prefixes came into use as abbreviations for longer titles, such as "His/Her Majesty's Ship" in the Royal Navy, abbreviated "H.M.S" and then "HMS". Earlier uses often included the type of vessel, as for instance "U.S.F." ("United States Frigate") for frigates of the United States Navy. Today the common practice is to use a single prefix for all warships of a nation's navy, and other prefixes for auxiliaries and ships of allied services, such as coast guards.
The use of ship prefixes is not universal; in particular neither the Third Reich's Kriegsmarine nor the Imperial Japanese Navy used ship prefixes. Some English-language writers use prefixes like "DKM" (for "Deutsche Kriegsmarine") and "HIJMS" (for "His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship") or "IJN" (for "Imperial Japanese Navy", a translation of 大日本帝国海軍 dai-nippon teikoku kaigun) for consistency with "HMS" and "USS". Other writers follow the practice of the navy and omit any prefix.
From the 20th century onwards, most navies identify ships by hull numbers — identification codes typically 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 and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth use pennant numbers.
Table of ship prefixes
This table lists both current and historical prefixes known to have been used.
| Country | Service | Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| generic | all | AHT | Anchor Handling Tug |
| generic | all | AHTS | Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel |
| generic | all | DB | Derrick Barge |
| generic | all | DCV | Deepwater Construction Vessel |
| generic | all | DSV | Diving Support Vessel/ Deep Submergence Vehicle |
| generic | all | FPV | Free Piston Vessel |
| generic | all | FV | Fishing Vessel |
| generic | all | GTS | Gas Turbine Ship |
| generic | all | HLV | Heavy Lift Vessel |
| generic | all | HSC | High Speed Craft |
| generic | all | MS | Motor Ship |
| generic | all | MSY | Motor Sailing Yacht |
| generic | all | MT | Motor Tanker |
| generic | all | MV | Motor Vessel |
| generic | all | NS | Nuclear Ship |
| generic | all | OSV | Offshore Support Vessel |
| generic | all | PS | Paddle Steamer |
| generic | all | PSV | Platform Supply Vessel |
| generic | all | RV | Research Vessel |
| generic | all | SB | Sailing Barge |
| generic | all | SS | Steamship |
| generic | all | SSCV | Semi-Submersible Crane Vessel |
| generic | all | SV | Sailing Vessel |
| generic | all | TS | Turbine Steamer |
| Argentina | Argentine Navy | ARA | Navy of the Argentine Republic (Spanish: Armada de la Republica Argentina) |
| Australia | Royal Australian Navy | HMAS | His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship |
| Australia (Victoria) | Royal Navy | HMVS | His/Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (obsolete) |
| Bahamas | Bahamian Defense Force | HMBS | His/Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Navy | BNS | Bangladesh Naval Ship |
| Barbados | Barbadan Defence Force | HMBS | His/Her Majesty's Barbadian Ship |
| Belgium | Belgian Navy | BNS | Belgium Naval Ship (NATO prefix) |
| Canada | Canadian Forces Maritime Command | HMCS | His/Her Majesty's Canadian Ship |
| Canada | Canadian Coast Guard | CCGS | Canadian Coast Guard Ship |
| Canada | Canadian Coast Guard | CCGC | Canadian Coast Guard Cutter |
| Colombia | Armada Nacional | ARC | Armada de la Republica de Colombia |
| Confederate States of America | Confederate States Navy | CSS | Confederate States Ship |
| Denmark | Royal Danish Navy | HDMS (Danish: KDM) | His/Her Danish Majesty's Ship (Danish: Kongelige Danske Marine) |
| Ecuador | ?? | BAE | Buque de la Armada de Ecuador |
| Estonia | Estonian Navy | ENS (Estonian: EML) | Estonian Naval Ship (NATO designation) |
| Estonia | Estonian Coast Guard | ECGS | Estonian Coast Guard Ship (NATO designation) |
| Fiji | ?? | RFNS | Republic of Fiji Naval Ship |
| Finland | Finnish Navy | FNS | Finnish Navy Ship |
| France | French Navy | FS | French Ship (NATO designation); France does not use prefixes internally |
| German Empire | Kaiserliche Marine | SM U## | Seiner Majestät Unterseeboot (English: His Majesty's Submarine) |
| German Empire | Kaiserliche Marine | SMS | Seiner Majestät Schiff (English: His Majesty's Ship) |
| Germany (Third Reich) | Kriegsmarine | — | (no prefix; some authors use "DKM" for "Deutsche Kriegsmarine") |
| Germany (West Germany) | Bundesmarine | FGS | Federal German Ship (NATO designation); Germany does not use prefixes internally |
| Germany (reunited) | Deutsche Marine | FGS | Federal German Ship (NATO designation); Germany does not use prefixes internally |
| Greece | Hellenic Navy | HS | Hellenic Ship (NATO designation) |
| Guyana | ?? | GDFS | Guyanan Defense Forces Ship |
| Iceland | Icelandic Coast Guard | M/s | ??? |
| Iceland | Icelandic Coast Guard | V/s | Varðskip (Icelandic for Guard ship) |
| India | Indian Navy (pre-Republic) | HMIS | His/Her Majesty's Indian Ship |
| India | Indian Coast Guard | CGS | Coast Guard Ship |
| India | Indian Navy | INS | Indian Naval Ship |
| Indonesia | Indonesian Navy | KRI | Kapal Republik Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia Ship) |
| Ireland, Republic of | Irish Naval Service | LÉ | Long Éireannach — Irish ship |
| Israel | Israeli Sea Corps | INS | Israeli Naval Ship |
| Italy, Kingdom (until 1946) | Regia Marina | RN | Regia Nave -- Royal Ship |
| Italy, Kingdom (until 1946) | Regia Marina | RS | Reale Sottomarino -- Royal Submarine |
| Italy, Republic (since 1946) | Marina Militare | NMM | Nave Marina Militare -- Navy Ship |
| Japan | Imperial Japanese Navy | — | (no prefix; some authors use "HIJMS" for "His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship") |
| Japan (after WWII) | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | JDS | JMSDF Defense Ship |
| Kenya | ? | KNS | Kenyan Naval Ship |
| Latvia | Latvian Navy | LVS | Latvian Ship (NATO designation) |
| Lithuania | Lithuanian Navy | LNS | Lithuanian Ship (NATO designation) |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysian Navy | KD | Kapal Di-Raja — Royal Ship |
| Mexico | Armada de México | ARM | Armada de la República Mexicana |
| Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Navy | HNLMS (Dutch: Hr.Ms. or Zr.Ms.) | His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship (Dutch: Harer Majesteits or Zijner Majesteits) |
| New Zealand | Royal New Zealand Navy | HMNZS | His/Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship |
| Nigeria | ? | NNS | Nigerian Naval Ship |
| Norway | Royal Norwegian Navy | HNoMS (Norwegian: KNM) | His Norwegian Majesty's Ship (Norwegian: Kongelige Norske Marine) |
| Norway | Norwegian Coast Guard | NoCGV (Norwegian: KV) | Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel (Norwegian: Kongelig Vakttjeneste) |
| Oman | ? | SNV | Sultanate Naval Vessel |
| Pakistan | Pakistani Navy | PNS | Pakistani Naval Ship |
| Papua New Guinea | ? | HMPNGS | His/Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship |
| Peru | Peruvian Navy | BAP | Peruvian Navy Ship (Spanish: Buque Armada Peruana) |
| Peru | Peruvian Navy | BIC | Scientific Research Ship (Spanish: Buque de Investigación Científica) |
| Philippines | Philippine Navy | BRP | Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (Ship of the Republic of the Philippines) |
| Poland | Polish Navy | ORP | Vessel of the Polish Republic (Polish: Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) |
| Portugal | Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa | NRP | Portuguese Republic Ship (Navio da República Portuguesa) |
| Russia | Russian Navy | RFS | Russian Federation Ship; Russia does not use prefixes internally |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Navy | HMS | His Majesty's Ship — the same as the Royal Navy |
| Singapore | Republic of Singapore Navy | RSS | Republic of Singapore Ship |
| South Africa | South African Navy | SAS | South African Ship |
| Spain | Armada Española | SPS | Spanish Naval Ship |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan Navy | SLNS | Sri Lanka Naval Ship |
| Sweden | Royal Swedish Navy | HMS | Hans/Hennes majestäts skepp — the same as the Royal Navy but in swedish |
| Taiwan (Republic of China) | Republic of China Navy | ROCS (older usage: CNS) | Republic of China Ship (older usage: Chinese Navy Ship) |
| Thailand | Royal Thai Navy | HTMS | His Thai Majesty's Ship |
| Turkey | Turkish Navy | TCG | Ship of the Turkish Republic (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Gemisi) |
| Trinidad & Tobago | ? | TTS | Trinidad & Tobago Ship |
| United Kingdom | Ships carrying mail | RMS | Royal Mail Steamer/Ship |
| United Kingdom (Scotland) | Fishery protection vessels | FPV | Fisheries Protection Vessel |
| United Kingdom | Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships | RFA | Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
| United Kingdom | Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service ships | RMAS | Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service |
| United Kingdom | Hospital ships | HMHS | His/Her Majesty's Hospital Ship |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMS | His/Her Majesty's Ship/Submarine |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMSm | His/Her Majesty's Submarine |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMT | His/Her Majesty's Tug (or Troopship - not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Bark | HMB | His/Her Majesty's Bark (archaic) |
| United Kingdom | British Army | HMAV | His/Her Majesty's Army Vessel (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | HMAFV | His/Her Majesty's Air Force Vessel (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMY | His/Her Majesty's Yacht (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMMGB | His/Her Majesty's Motor Gun Boat (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HMM | His/Her Majesty's Monitor (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Trinity House | THV | Trinity House Vessel (Lighthouse and Buoy Tender) |
| United Kingdom | British Army | RCLV | Royal Corps of Logistics Vessel (not currently in use) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Navy | HBMS | His/Her Britannic Majesty's Ship (archaic) |
| United Kingdom | Government research ships | RRS | Royal Research Ship (not currently in use) |
| United States | U.S. Army | USAV | United States Army Vessel |
| United States | U.S. Army | USAT | United States Army Transport (not currently in use) |
| United States | U.S. Army | USAHS | United States Army Hospital Ship (not currently in use) |
| United States | U.S. Navy | USF | United States Frigate (obsolete) |
| United States | U.S. Navy | USFS | United States Flagship (obsolete) |
| United States | U.S. Navy | USS | United States Ship |
| United States | U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command | USNS | United States Naval Ship |
| United States | U.S. Coast Guard | USCGC | United States Coast Guard Cutter |
| United States | United States Revenue Cutter Service | USRC | United States Revenue Cutter (obsolete) |
| Uruguay | Uruguay Navy | ROU | Republica Oriental del Uruguay |
| Venezuela | Venezuelan Navy | ARV | Armada Republica Venezolana |
In the Royal Netherlands Navy, "HNLMS" is the prefix in English, a translation of the Dutch original "Hr.Ms." or "Zr.Ms.". "Hr.Ms." should preferably not be used 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.
In the United States Navy, all prefixes other than "USS," "USNS" and "USCGC" were obsoleted in 1901 when President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law a bill fixing American naval nomenclature.
A United States ship that has not yet been commissioned in the Navy does not hold the title of USS, it holds the title of PCU (Pre-commissioned unit). For example, say a shipyard is building a new aircraft carrier:—the Flattop. From the date the keel is laid to the date it is commissioned, it is called the PCU Flattop. Only after it enters active service in the fleet and is commissioned will it be referred to as the USS Flattop. In Australia, the prefix NUSHIP is used to denote ships that have yet to be commissioned into the fleet.
Note that while calling a US ship "the USS Flattop" may make grammatical sense, the preliminary article "the" is deprecated by nearly all style guides. Its British equivalent ("the HMS Flattop") is also deprecated, since "the Her Majesty's Ship" would be grammatically incorrect.
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