The list of hull classifications comprises an alphabetical list of the

hull classification symbol The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by ind ...

s used by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to identify the type of a ship. The combination of symbol and hull number identify a modern Navy ship uniquely. A heavily modified or repurposed ship may receive a new symbol, and either retain the hull number or receive a new one. Also, the system of symbols has changed a number of times since it was introduced in 1907, so ships' symbols sometimes change without anything being done to the physical ship. Many of the symbols listed here are not presently in use. The

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

maintains an online database of U.S. Navy ships. The 1975 ship reclassification of cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts brought U.S. Navy classifications into line with other nations' classifications, and eliminated the perceived "cruiser gap" with the Soviet Navy. If a ship's hull classification symbol has "T-" preceding it, that symbolizes that it is a ship of the Military Sealift Command, with a primarily civilian crew.

A

* AALC: Amphibious Assault Landing Craft * AARCS: Air Raid Report Control Ship * AASGP:

Amphibious Assault Ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, a ...

, General Purpose * AB: Crane Ship * ABD: Advance base dock * ABSD: Advance base section dock * ABU: Boom defence vessel * AC: Collier * ACM: Auxiliary Mine Layer * ACR:

Armored cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast eno ...

(pre-1920) * ACS: Auxiliary crane ship * ACV: Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier ( Escort carrier) (1942) * AD:

Destroyer tender A destroyer tender or destroyer depot ship is a type of depot ship: an auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of ...

* ADC: Ammunition Storage Cargo ship * ADG: Degaussing/

Deperming Degaussing is the process of decreasing or eliminating a remnant magnetic field. It is named after the gauss, a unit of magnetism, which in turn was named after Carl Friedrich Gauss. Due to magnetic hysteresis, it is generally not possible to redu ...

Ship (ADG = Auxiliary Degaussing/

General) * ADS: Air Defense Ship * AE: Ammunition ship * AEFS: Fleet

replenishment ship A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. Th ...

* AEM: Ammunition Ship, Missile (retired) * AF: Refrigerated ship * AFD: Auxiliary floating dry dock * AFDB: Large auxiliary

floating dry dock Floating may refer to: * a type of dental work performed on horse teeth * use of an isolation tank * the guitar-playing technique where chords are sustained rather than scratched * ''Floating'' (play), by Hugh Hughes * Floating (psychological p ...

* AFDL: Small auxiliary floating dry dock * AFDM: Medium auxiliary floating dry dock * AFDS: Auxiliary Fighter Directing Ship * AFS:

Combat Stores Ship Combat stores ships, or storeships, were originally a designation given to ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward that navies used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes. Today, the United States Navy and the Royal Navy ...

* AFSB: Afloat Forward Staging Base (also AFSB(I) for "interim", changed to ESB for Expeditionary Mobile Dock) * AG: Miscellaneous Auxiliary (AG = Auxiliary General) * AGB:

Icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

* AGC: Auxiliary general communication ship, or amphibious force flagship (now LCC) * AGCL: Auxiliary General Communication (ship), Light * AGD:

Dredge Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

Ship * AGDE: Testing Ocean Escort * AGDS: Deep Submergence Support Ship * AGE: General Purpose Experimental Ship (AGE = Auxiliary General Experimental) * AGEH: hydrofoil research ship * AGER: Environmental Research Ship * AGF: Miscellaneous

Command Ship Command ships serve as the flagships of the commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and their staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities. An auxiliary command ship features ...

* AGFF: Testing Frigate * AGH: Weather Ship (AGH = Auxiliary General Hydrometeorology) * AGHS: Hydroplane research ship * AGI: Intelligence Collecting Ship (

Spy ship A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship. Spy ...

, AGI = Auxiliary General Intelligence) * AGL: Mooring/

buoy tender A buoy tender is a type of vessel used to maintain and replace navigational buoys. This term can also apply to an actual person who does this work. The United States Coast Guard uses buoy tenders to accomplish one of its primary missions of main ...

* AGM:

Missile Range Instrumentation Ship A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for ...

* AGMR: Auxiliary Major Communication Relay Ship * AGOR:

Oceanographic Research Ship Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynami ...

* AGOS:

Ocean Surveillance Ship ''Stalwart''-class auxiliary general ocean surveillance ships ( T-AGOS) were a class of United States Naval Ship (USNS) auxiliary support Ocean Surveillance Ships commissioned between April 1984 and January 1990. Their original purpose was to c ...

* AGP: Patrol Craft Tender * AGR:

Radar Picket Ship A radar picket is a radar-equipped station, ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a nation or military (including naval) force to protect it from surprise attack, typically air attack, or from cr ...

(retired) * AGS: Survey ship * AGSC: Coastal survey craft * AGSL: Auxiliary General Satellite Launching ship * AGSS: Auxiliary Submarine * AGT:

Target ship A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used as a seaborne target for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing. Targets may be used with the intention of testing effectiveness of specific types of ammunit ...

(AGT = Auxiliary General Target) * AGTR: Technical research ship * AH:

Hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...

* AHC: Auxiliary

Helicopter carrier A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy ...

* AHP: Medical Evacuation Ship * AIRIS: Aviation store issue ship * AK: Cargo Ship * AKA:

Attack Cargo Ship Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Offensive (military) * Charge (warfare) * Attack (fencing) * Strike (attack) * Attack (computing) * Attack aircraft Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * ''Attack No. 1'', comic ...

* AKB: Cargo Ship, Barge * AKD: Cargo Ship, Dock (cargo dock ship) * AKE:

Underway Replenishment Replenishment at sea (RAS) ( North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Commonwealth of Nations) or underway replenishment (UNREP) ( U.S. Navy) is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. First devel ...

Dry Cargo Ship * AKF: Float-on/Float-off (flo-flo) Ship * AKFBM: Fleet ballistic missile trial ship * AKI: Store Issue Ship * AKL: Cargo Ship, Light * AKN: Cargo Ship, Net laying * AKR: Vehicle Cargo Ship (Cargo Ship, Roll-on/Roll-off) * AKS:

General stores issue ship General stores issue ship is a type of ship used by the United States Navy during World War II and for some time afterwards. The task of the general stores issue ship was to sail into non-combat, or rear, areas and disburse general stores, such a ...

* AKSS: Cargo submarine * AKV: Cargo Ship, Aircraft Transport * AKX:

Container ship A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermoda ...

* AL: Auxiliary

Lighter A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or ...

* AM:

Minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

or MCM tender * AMb: Harbor Minesweeper * AMc: Coastal Minesweeper * AMCU: Underwater Mine Locater * AMh: Harbor Minesweeper * AMS: Motor Minesweeper * AN:

Net Laying Ship A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship. A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid ...

* ANL: Net Laying Ship * AO: Fleet Oiler * AOE:

Fast Combat Support Ship The fast combat support ship (US Navy hull classification symbol: AOE) is the United States Navy's largest combat logistics ship, designed as an oiler, ammunition and supply ship. All fast combat support ships currently in service are operated ...

* AOG: Gasoline Tanker * AOR: Replenishment Oiler * AOS: Specialized Oiler/Tanker * AOSS: Submarine Oiler (retired) * AOT: Transport/Storage Oiler * AP:

Transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

* APA:

Attack Transport Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from the merchant fleet – that rely on ...

* APB: Self-Propelled

Barracks ship A barracks ship or barracks barge or berthing barge, or in civilian use accommodation vessel or accommodation ship, is a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for s ...

* APb: Base repair ship * APC: Transport, Coastal * APD: High Speed Transport * APF: Administrative flagship * APG: Coastal artillery supply ship * APH: Ambulance Transport * APL: Barracks Craft, non self-propelled * APM: Artillery Transport * APN: Artillery Transport, non Self-Propelled * APP: Troop Barge * APR: Cargo ship, rescue / med evac * APS: Minelaying Submarine (retired) * APSS: Transport Submarine (retired) * APT: Troop transport * APV: Aircraft transport * APY: Large Y-boat (large

Rigid-hulled inflatable boat A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are i ...

) * AR:

Repair ship A repair ship is a naval auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to warships. Repair ships provide similar services to destroyer, submarine and seaplane tenders or depot ships, but may offer a broader range of repair capability incl ...

* ARb: base repair ship * ARB: Repair Ship, Battle damage * ARC:

Cable Repair Ship A cable layer or cable ship is a deep-sea vessel designed and used to lay underwater cables for telecommunications, electric power transmission, military, or other purposes. Cable ships are distinguished by large cable sheaves for guiding cabl ...

* ARD: Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock * ARDC: Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock, Concrete * ARDM: Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock * ARG: Marine engine repair ship * ARH: Heavy repair ship (ARH = Auxiliary Repair, Heavy) * ARIS: Space exploration tracking ship * ARL: Small Repair Ship (ARL = Auxiliary Repair, Light) * ARM: Heavy machinery repair ship (ARM = Auxiliary Repair, Machinery, heavy) * ARR: Repair ship, radioactive * ARS: Rescue/

Salvage Ship A salvage tug, known also historically as a wrecking tug, is a specialized type of tugboat that is used to rescue ships that are in distress or in danger of sinking, or to salvage ships that have already sunk or run aground. Overview Few tugbo ...

* ARSD: Salvage Lifting Ship * ARST: Auxiliary Rescue Salvage Tender * ARV: Aircraft repair ship * ARVA: Aircraft repair ship, airframe * ARVE: Aviation engine repair ship * ARVH: Helicopter repair ship * AS:

Submarine tender A submarine tender is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines. Development Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and ...

* ASE: Submarine ammunition supply ship * ASPB: Assault Support Patrol Boat * ASR: Submarine Rescue Ship * ASSA: Cargo Submarine * ASSP: Transport Submarine (retired) * AT: Ocean Going Tug * ATA: Auxiliary Ocean Tug * ATC: Armored Troop Carrier * ATF: Fleet Ocean Tug * ATO: Auxiliary Tug, Old * ATR: Rescue tug (ATR = Auxiliary Tug, Rescue) * ATS:

Salvage and Rescue Ship Rescue and salvage ships (hull classification symbol ARS) are a type of military salvage tug. They are tasked with coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Their general mission capabilities include combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of gro ...

* AV: Seaplane Tender * AVB: Aviation Logistics Support Ship * AVC: Large catapult lighter (for launching seaplanes) * AVD: Seaplane Tender Destroyer (retired) * AVG: Auxiliary Aircraft Ferry (Escort carrier) (1941-2) * AVM: Missile trial ship * AVP: Seaplane Tender, light * AVR: Aircraft Rescue Ship * AVS: Helicopter training ship * AVT: Auxiliary Aircraft Landing Training Ship * AW: Distilling Ship * AWK: Water Tanker * AWT: Water Tanker * AX:

Training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

* AXS: Training ship, sail * AXT: Training ship tender * AZ:

Airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

Tender (retired)

B

*B: Battleship (pre-1920) *BB: Battleship *BM:

Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...

(retired)

C

* C: Cruiser (pre-1920 Protected Cruisers and Peace Cruisers) * CA: (first series) Cruiser (retired, composed all surviving pre-1920 Protected and Peace Cruisers) * CA: (second series)

Heavy Cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval T ...

, category later renamed Gun Cruiser (retired) * CAG: Heavy Cruiser, Guided Missile (retired) * CB: Large cruiser (retired) * CBC: Large Command Cruiser (retired, never used operationally) * CC: Battlecruiser (retired, never used operationally) * CC: (second usage) Command Cruiser (retired); cruiser * CG: Guided Missile Cruiser * CGN: Guided Missile Cruiser (Nuclear-Propulsion) * CL:

Light Cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to th ...

(retired) * CLAA: Antiaircraft Cruiser (retired) * CLG: Light Cruiser, Guided Missile (retired) * CLGN: Light Cruiser, Guided Missile (Nuclear propulsion) (retired) * CLK: Hunter-Killer Cruiser (abolished 1951) * CM: Minelayer * CMc: Coastal Minelayer * CS: Scout Cruiser (retired) * CSGN: Strike Cruiser (Proposed, never used operationally) * CV: Aircraft carrier * CVA: Attack Aircraft Carrier (retired) * CVB: Large Aircraft Carrier (category merged into CVA, 1952) * CVE:

Escort aircraft carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. 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 ...

(retired) (1943-retirement of type) * CVHA: Assault Helicopter Aircraft Carrier (retired in favor of various L-series

amphibious assault ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, a ...

hull codes) * CVHE: Escort Aircraft Carrier, Helicopter (retired) * CVL: Light aircraft carrier (retired) * CVN: Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear-Propulsion) * CVS:

Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier An anti-submarine warfare carrier (ASW carrier) (US hull classification symbol CVS) is a type of small aircraft carrier whose primary role is as the nucleus of an anti-submarine warfare hunter-killer group. This type of ship came into existen ...

(retired) * CVT: Training Aircraft Carrier (changed to AVT (Auxiliary)) * CVU: Utility Aircraft Carrier (retired)

D

* D: Destroyer (pre-1920) * DD: Destroyer * DDE:

Escort destroyer An escort destroyer with United States Navy hull classification symbol DDE was a destroyer (DD) modified for and assigned to a fleet escort role after World War II. These destroyers retained their original hull numbers. Later, in March 1950, t ...

(category abolished 1962) * DDG:

Guided missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers who have a prim ...

* DDH:

(used by Japan) * DDK: Hunter-Killer Destroyer (category merged into DDE, 4 March 1950) * DDR: Radar Picket Destroyer (retired) * DE:

Destroyer Escort Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships. Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...

(World War II, later became Ocean Escort) * DE: Ocean Escort (abolished 30 June 1975) * DEG: Guided Missile Ocean Escort (abolished 30 June 1975) * DER: Radar Picket Destroyer Escort (abolished 30 June 1975) * DL: Destroyer Leader (later Frigate) (retired) * DLG: Guided Missile Frigate (abolished 30 June 1975) * DLGN: Guided Missile Frigate (Nuclear-Propulsion) (abolished 30 June 1975) * DM: Destroyer Minelayer (retired) * DMS: Destroyer

(retired) * DSRV:

Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle A deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) is a type of deep-submergence vehicle used for rescue of downed submarines and clandestine missions. While DSRV is the term most often used by the United States Navy, other nations have different design ...

* DSV: Deep Submergence Vehicle

E

* ESD: Expeditionary Transfer Dock * ESB: Expeditionary Mobile Base (a variant of ESD, formerly AFSB) * EPF:

Expeditionary Fast Transport The ''Spearhead''-class expeditionary fast transport (EPF) is a United States Navy–led shipbuilding program to provide a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intra-theater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPFs can r ...

F

* FF: Frigate (retired) * FFG: Guided Missile Frigate * FFH: Fast Frigate Helo * FFL: Light frigate * FFR: Radar Picket Frigate (retired) * FFT: Frigate (Reserve Training) (retired) * FS: Corvette

I

* IX:

Unclassified miscellaneous vessel The IX (unclassified–miscellaneous) hull classification symbol is used for ships of the United States Navy that do not fit into one of the standard categories. Similar lists of 'miscellaneous' ships can found at : and :. Ship status i ...

* IXSS: Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine

J

*JHSV: Joint High Speed Vessel (changed to EPF)

L

* LB: Landing Boat * LBE: Landing Barge, Emergency repair * LBP: Landing Boat, Personnel * LBS: Landing Barge, Support * LBV: Landing Boat, Vehicle * LC: Landing Craft * LCA:

Landing Craft Assault Landing Craft Assault (LCA) was a landing craft used extensively in World War II. Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. ...

*LCA(HR) Landing Craft Assault (Hedgerow) * LCAC: Landing Craft, Air Cushioned * LCB: Landing Craft, Barge * LCC: Landing Craft, Command * LCE: Landing Craft, Emergency repair * LCEOP: Landing Craft, Engine Overhaul Party * LCF: Landing Craft, Flak * LCFF: Landing Craft, Flotilla Flagship * LCG: Landing Craft, Gun * LCGL: Landing Craft, Gun, Large * LCGM: Landing Craft, Gun, Medium * LCH: Landing Craft, Heavy * LCI: Landing Craft, Infantry * LCIFF: Landing Craft, Infantry, Flotilla Flagship * LCIFL: Landing Craft, Infantry, Flotilla Leader * LCIG: Landing Craft, Infantry, Gun * LCIL: Landing Craft, Infantry, Large * LCIM: Landing Craft, Infantry, Medium * LCIR: Landing Craft, Infantry, Rocket * LCL: Landing Craft, Logistic * LCM: Landing Craft Mechanized * LCN: Landing Craft, Navigation * LCOCU: Landing Craft, Obstacle Clearing Unit * LCP: Landing Craft, Personnel * LCPA: Landing Craft, Personnel, Air-Cushioned * LCPL: Landing Craft, Personnel, Large * LCPM: Landing Craft, Personnel, Medium * LCPN: Landing Craft, Personnel, Nested * LCPP: Landing Craft, Personnel, Plastic * LCPR: Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramped * LCPS: Landing Craft, Personnel, Survey * LCRL: Landing Craft, Rubber, Large * LCPR: Landing Craft, Rubber, Rocket * LCRS: Landing Craft, Rubber, Small * LCRU: Landing Craft, Recovery Unit * LCS:

Littoral Combat Ship The littoral combat ship (LCS) is either of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the United States Navy. It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeat ...

* LCSL: Landing Craft, Support (Large) (World War II era) * LCSM: Landing Craft, Support, Medium * LCSR: Landing Craft, Support, Rocket * LCSS: Landing Craft, Support, Small * LCT: Landing Craft, Tank (World War II era) * LCTA: Landing Craft, Tank, Armored * LCU: Landing Craft, Utility * LCV: Landing Craft, Vehicle * LCVP: Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel * LES: Landing boat, support * LFS: Amphibious fire support ship * LHA:

(General Purpose) * LHD: Amphibious Assault Ship (Multi-Purpose, i.e. added Landing Craft ability versus LHA) * LKA: Amphibious Cargo Ship (out of commission) * LPA: Landing Platform, Amphibious * LPD: Amphibious Transport, Dock (aka Landing Platform, Dock) * LPH: Landing Platform, Helicopter (out of commission) * LPR: Amphibious transport, small * LPSS: Amphibious Transport Submarine (retired) * LSA: Landing Ship, Assault * LSB: Landing Ship, Bombardment * LSD:

Landing Ship, Dock A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) is an amphibious warfare ship with a well dock to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet Ivan Rogov class, also hav ...

* LSF: Landing Ship, Flagship * LSFF: Landing Ship, Flotilla Flagship * LSH: Landing Ship, Heavy or Helicopter * LSHL: Landing Ship, Headquarter, Large * LSI: Landing Ship, Infantry * LSIG: Landing Ship, Infantry, Gun * LSIL: Landing Ship, Infantry (Large) (formerly LCIL) * LSIM: Landing Ship, Infantry, Medium * LSIR: Landing Ship, Infantry, Rocket * LSL: Landing Ship, Logistics * LSM: Landing Ship, Medium * LSMR: Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket * LSR: Landing Ship, Rocket * LSS: Landing Ship, Support * LSSL: Landing Ship, Support (Large) (formerly LCSL) * LST:

Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...

* LSTH: Landing Ship, Tank, Hospital * LSU: Landing Ship, Utility * LSV: Landing Ship Vehicle * LWT: Amphibious Warping Tug

M

* MB: Motor Boat * MCM:

Mine Countermeasures Ship A mine countermeasures vessel or MCMV is a type of naval ship designed for the location of and destruction of naval mines which combines the role of a minesweeper and minehunter A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destro ...

* MCS: Mine Countermeasures Support Ship * MHA: Minehunter, Auxiliary * MHC:

Minehunter A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destroys individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines. A vessel that combines both of these roles is known as a ...

, Coastal * MHI: Mine Hunter Inshore * MLC: Motorized Landing Craft * MLP: Mobile Landing Platform (changed to ESD) * MM: Minelayer * MMA: Minelayer, Auxiliary * MMC: Minelayer, Coastal * MMD: Minelayer, fast (formerly DM) * MMF: Minelayer, Fleet * MON:

* MS: Minesweeper or

Motor ship A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The names of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V. Engines for motorships were developed during the 1890s, and by th ...

* MSA: Minesweeper, Auxiliary * MSB: Minesweeping Boat * MSC: Minesweeper, Coastal * MSD: Minesweeping drone * MSF: Minesweeper, Fleet * MSI: Minesweeper, Inshore * MSL: Minesweeper, Launch * MSM: Minesweeper, Medium * MSO:

- Ocean * MSR: Minesweeper, Riverine * MSS: Minesweeper, Special * MV: Merchant Vessel

N

* NR: Submersible Research Vehicle

P

* PACV: Patrol craft, air cushioned vehicle * PB:

Patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

* PBR:

, River * PC: Patrol craft, originally

Sub chaser A submarine chaser or subchaser is a small naval vessel that is specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare. Many of the American submarine chasers used in World War I found their way to Allied nations by way of Lend-Lease in World War II. ...

* PCC: Patrol craft, coastal * PCC: Submarine Chaser, Control * PCE: Patrol Escort * PCEC: Patrol Escort, Coastal * PCER: Patrol Escort, Rescue * PCF: Vietnam

Patrol Craft Fast Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the United States Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the brown-wate ...

* PCH: Patrol craft, hydrofoil * PCS: Patrol Craft, Sweeper * PCSC: Patrol Craft, Submarine Chaser * PCV: Primary Control Vessel * PE: Eagle boat of World War I * PF: World War II frigate, based on British

River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

class. * PFG: Original designation of USS ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' (FFG-7) * PG: Gunboat, later

Patrol combatant A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Frenc ...

* PGH: Patrol Combatant, Hydrofoil * PHM: Patrol, Hydrofoil Missile * PM: River Monitor * PR: Riverine gun ship * PT: Patrol torpedo boat * PTC: Patrol torpedo boat subchaser * PTF: Patrol torpedo boat, fast * PY: Seagoing gun ship * PT: Motor Torpedo Boat (World War II)

S

* SC: Cruiser Submarine (retired) * SF: Fleet Submarine (retired) * SM: Submarine Minelayer (retired) * SP:

Shore Patrol Shore patrol are service members who are provided to aid in security for the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore.Cutler And Cutler, p 202 They are often temporar ...

* SS:

Attack Submarine An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called ...

(Diesel-Electric Power) * SSA: Auxiliary/Cargo Submarine (Diesel-Electric Power) * SSAN: Auxiliary/Cargo Submarine (Nuclear Power) * SSB: Ballistic Missile Submarine (Diesel Electric Power) * SSBN: Ballistic Missile Submarine (Nuclear-Powered) * SSC: Coastal Submarine (Diesel-Electric Power), over 150 tons * SSG: Guided Missile Submarine (Diesel-Electric Power) * SSGN: Guided Missile Submarine (Nuclear-Powered) * SSI: Attack Submarine (Diesel Air-Independent Propulsion) * SSK: Hunter-Killer/ASW Submarine (retired) * SSM: Midget Submarine, under 150 tons * SSN:

(Nuclear-Powered) * SSO: Submarine Oiler (retired) * SSP: Attack Submarine (Diesel Air-Independent Power) (alternate use), formerly Submarine Transport * SSQ: Auxiliary Submarine, Communications (retired) * SSQN: Auxiliary Submarine, Communications (Nuclear-Powered)(retired)28034_cov.fh
* SSR: Radar Picket Submarine (retired) * SSRN: Radar Picket Submarine (Nuclear-Powered) (retired) * SST: Training Submarine (Diesel-Electric Power)

T

* TCD: Small

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...

* TGB: Icebreaking Tug * TR: Torpedo Retriever * TWR: Torpedo Weapon Retriever

W

* W:

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

X

* X: Submersible Craft, Also used to denote experimental craft.

Y

* YA: Ash lighter * YAGR: Oceanic radar station * YAGT: Target barge * YC: Open Lighter * YCD: Oil storage barge * YCF:

Car Float A railroad car float or rail barge is a specialised form of lighter with railway tracks mounted on its deck used to move rolling stock across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go. An unpowered barge, it is towed by a t ...

* YCV: Aircraft Transportation Lighter * YD: Floating Crane * YDG: Degaussing tender * YDT: Diving Tender * YE: Ammunition storage barge * YF: Covered Lighter * YFB:

Ferry Boat A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

or Launch * YFD: Yard Floating Dry Dock * YFN: Covered Lighter (non-self propelled) * YFNB: Large Covered Lighter (non-self propelled) * YFND: Dry Dock Companion Craft (non-self propelled) * YFNX: Lighter (Special purpose) (non-self propelled) * YFP: Floating Power Barge * YFR: Refrigerated Cover Lighter * YFRN: Refrigerated Covered Lighter (non-self propelled) * YFRT: Range Tender * YFU: Harbor Utility Craft * YG: Garbage Lighter * YGN: Garbage Lighter (non-self propelled) * YH: Ambulance craft * YHB: House boat * YHLC: Heavy (salvage) lifting craft * YHT: Heading scow * YLA: Open lighter, landing * YLLC: Salvage Lift Craft * YM:

* YMN:

(non-self propelled) * YMS: Motor Minesweeper, Auxiliary * YMT: Motor tug * YN: Net tender * YND: net tender, district * YNG: Gate Craft * YNT:

Net Tender A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship. A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid ...

* YO: Fuel Oil

Barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...

* YOG: Gasoline Barge * YOGN: Gasoline Barge (non-self propelled) * YON: Fuel Oil Barge (non-self propelled) * YOS: Oil Storage Barge * YP: Patrol Craft, Training * YPD: Floating Pile Driver * YR: Floating Workshop * YRB: Repair and Berthing Barge * YRBM: Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge * YRDH: Floating Dry Dock Workshop (Hull) * YRDM: Floating Dry Dock Workshop (Machine) * YRR: Radiological Repair Barge * YRST: Salvage Craft Tender * YSD: Seaplane Wrecking

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

* YSR: Sludge Removal Barge * YT: Harbor Tug (craft later assigned YTB, YTM, or YTM classifications) * YTB: Large Harbor Tug * YTL: Small Harbor Tug * YTM: Medium Harbor Tug * YTR: Rescue tug * YTT: Torpedo Trials Craft * YV: UAV recovery craft * YW: Water Barge * YWD: distilling craft * YWN: Water Barge (non-self propelled)

Z

* ZMC: Airship Metal Clad * ZNN-G: G-Class Blimp * ZNN-J: J-Class Blimp * ZNN-L:

L-Class Blimp The L-class blimps were training airships operated by the United States Navy during World War II. In the mid-1930s, the Goodyear Aircraft Company built a family of small non-rigid airships that the company used for advertising the Goodyear name. ...

* ZNP-K:

K-Class Blimp The ''K''-class blimp was a class of blimps (non-rigid airship) built by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron, Ohio for the United States Navy. These blimps were powered by two Pratt & Whitney ''Wasp'' nine-cylinder radial air-cooled engin ...

* ZNP-M: M-Class Blimp * ZNP-N:

N-Class Blimp The N-Class, or as popularly known, the "Nan ship", was a line of non-rigid airships built by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron, Ohio for the US Navy. This line of airships was developed through many versions and assigned various designa ...

* ZPG-3W: surveillance patrol blimp * ZR:

Rigid Airship A rigid airship is a type of airship (or dirigible) in which the Aerostat, envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps (also called pres ...

* ZRS: Rigid Airship

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Hull Classifications Hull classifications Ship names Hull Z

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See also

References