A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

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

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

s of a nation's navy, and other prefixes for auxiliaries and ships of allied services, such as coast guards. For example, the modern navy of Japan adopts the prefix "JS" – Japanese Ship. However, not all navies use prefixes. Among the blue-water navies, those of France, Brazil, China, Russia, Germany, 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" ( motor vessel), "SS" ( screw steamer; often cited as "steam ship"), or "PS" (

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

). 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" ( Royal Mail ship) or "RV" (

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicate ...

)) 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

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

, 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 Sloop. 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 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 ...

, abbreviations often included the type of vessel, for instance "USF" (United States

Frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...

), but this method was abandoned by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

'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 hull numbers (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 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 ...

s, and the Royal Navy (e.g. 'D35' is destroyer 35 – HMS ''Dragon'') and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth use

pennant number In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...

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

Generic (merchant navy) prefixes

These prefixes are generally used for

merchant vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

s of any nationality.

National or military prefixes

}'') , - ,

Argentine Coast Guard The Argentine Naval Prefecture ( es, Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA) is a service of Argentina's Security Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory. It therefore fulfills the functions of other countries' coa ...

, GC , Argentine Coast Guard Ship ('' es, Guardacostas'') , - , rowspan=6, , rowspan=4,

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...

, HMAS , His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship/Submarine/Station , - , NUSHIP , New Ship/Submarine (Yet to be commissioned) , - , ADV , Australian Defence Vessel (non-commissioned naval-operated ships) , - , MSA , Minesweeper Auxiliary , - , Australian Customs and Border Protection Service , ACV , Australian Customs Vessel , - , Australian Border Force , ABFC , Australian Border Force Cutter , - , rowspan=3,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

(pre-

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

) , rowspan=3, Colonial navies of Australia , HMCS , His/Her Majesty's Colonial Ship , - , HMQS , His/Her Majesty's Queensland Ship (Queensland Maritime Defence Force) , - , HMVS , His/Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (Victorian Naval Forces) , - , ,

Austro-Hungarian Navy The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...

SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...

, Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship) , - , ,

Azerbaijani Navy The Azerbaijan Navy ( az, Azərbaycan Hərbi Dəniz Qüvvələri) is the naval component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces operating in the Caspian Sea. History The inception of Azerbaijani Naval Forces dates back to August 5, 1919, when the gove ...

, ARG , Azərbaycan Respublikasının hərbi Gəmisi (Warship of the Republic of Azerbaijan) , - , , Royal Bahamas Defence Force , HMBS , His/Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship , - , ,

Royal Bahrain Naval Force The Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) (previously known as Bahrain Defense Force, Naval Branch) is the maritime branch of the Bahrain Defence Force. The current Commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force is Rear Admiral Mohammed Yousif al-Asam. ...

, RBNS , Royal Bahrain Naval Ship , - , rowspan=2, , Bangladesh Coast Guard , CGS , Coast Guard Ship , - ,

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of impor ...

, BNS , Bangladesh Navy Ship , - , ,

Barbados Coast Guard The Barbados Coast Guard is the maritime element of the Barbados Defence Force. Its responsibilities include territorial defence, patrolling Barbados' territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as well as conducting maritime law enforc ...

, BCGS , Barbados Coast Guard Ship , - , ,

Belgian Navy The Belgian Navy, officially the Belgian Naval Component ( nl, Marinecomponent; french: Composante marine; german: Marinekomponente ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy w ...

, BNS , Belgian Naval Ship (NATO prefix) , - , ,

Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= " Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship '' Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibio ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , Brazilian naval prefix indicates ship type. , - , rowspan="2", ,

Royal Indian Marine Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

(1892–1934) , RIMS , Royal Indian Marine Ship , - , Royal Indian Navy (1934–1950) , HMIS , His Majesty's Indian Ship , - , , Royal Brunei Navy , KDB , ''Kapal Di-Raja Brunei'' (Royal Brunei Ship) , - , , Bulgarian Navy , BNG , NATO Designation , - , rowspan=8, , rowspan=2,

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...

(formerly Canadian Forces Maritime Command) , HMCS
NCSM , His/Her Majesty's Canadian Ship
(french: Navire canadien de Sa Majesté) , - , CFAV
NAFC , Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel
(french: Navire auxiliaire des Forces canadiennes) , - , rowspan=2, Canadian Coast Guard , CCGS
NGCC , Canadian Coast Guard Ship
(french: Navire de Garde côtière canadienne) , - , CCGC
CGCC , Canadian Coast Guard Cutter
(french: Cotre de Garde côtière canadienne)
(no longer used) , - , rowspan=3,

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sc ...

, Department of Transport, and predecessor departments , CGS , Canadian Government Ship
(no longer used) , - , CSS , Canadian Survey Ship
(no longer used) , - , DGS , Dominion Government Ship
(no longer used) , - ,

Royal Canadian Sea Cadets The Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (RCSC; french: links=no, Cadets de la Marine royale du Canada) is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Armed Forces and the civilian Navy League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, t ...

, SCTS
NECM , Sea Cadet Training Ship
(french: Navire école des cadets de la Marine) , - , ,

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chines ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , , - , , Armada Nacional , ARC , Armada de la República de Colombia (Navy of the Republic of Colombia) , - , , Confederate States Navy , CSS , Confederate States Ship , - , , Cook Islands Police , CIPPB , Cook Islands Police Patrol Boat , - , , Czech Navy , CRS , Czech Republic Ship , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, Royal Danish Navy , HDMS ( da, KDM) , His/Her Danish Majesty's Ship ('' da, Kongelige Danske Marine'') , - , HDMY ( da, KDM) , His/Her Danish Majesty's Yacht, crewed by Royal Danish Navy , - , , Armada Ecuatoriana , BAE , Buque de la Armada de Ecuador (Ecuadorian Navy Ship) , - , rowspan=2, ,

Estonian Navy The Estonian Navy ( et, Merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces. With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its sh ...

, ENS (Estonian: EML) , Estonian Naval Ship (NATO designation) , - , Estonian Coast Guard , ECGS , Estonian Coast Guard Ship (NATO designation) , - , , Republic of Fiji Navy , RFNS , Republic of Fiji Naval Ship , - , ,

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...

, FNS , Finnish Navy Ship; Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally. , - , ,

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

, FS , French Ship (NATO designation); Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally. , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, Kaiserliche Marine , SMS , Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship) , - , SMU , Seiner Majestät Unterseeboot (His Majesty's Submarine) , - , ,

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , , - , , Bundesmarine , FGS , Federal German Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification and never used internally.FGS Hessen factsheet
/ref> , - , , Volksmarine , , , - , , German Navy , FGS , Federal German Ship (NATO designation); Only used for international identification and never used internally. , - , ,

Royal Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...

, VP ( gr, ΒΠ) , "Royal Ship" ( gr, Βασιλικόν Πλοίον, translit=Vassilikón Ploíon); Some English Language authors uses RHNS for Royal Hellenic Navy Ship or HHMS for His Hellenic Majesty's Ship. , - , ,

Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of var ...

, HS , ''Hellenic Ship'' (NATO designation); Only used for international identification, as prefix indicates ship type internally. , - , , Guyanese Coast Guard , GDFS , Guyanese Defence Forces Ship , - , ,

Hawaiian Navy The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the ...

, HHMS , His Hawaiian Majesty's Ship; the only one being ''

Kaimiloa HHMS ''Kaimiloa'' was the first and only ship of the Hawaiian Royal Navy. The ship was formerly the ''Explorer'', a 170-ton schooner, built in England in 1871. ''Kaimiloa'' sailed from Hawaii to Samoa and other Pacific islands in 1887 in an e ...

'' , - , , Icelandic Coast Guard , ICGV (Icelandic: VS) , Icelandic Coast Guard Vessel, (Icelandic:''Varðskip'') , - , rowspan=2, ,

Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally es ...

, ICGS , Indian Coast Guard Ship , - ,

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...

, INS , Indian Naval Ship , - , rowspan="6" , , rowspan="3" , Indonesian Navy , RI , Republik Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia). Obsolete prefix used until 1960s. , - , KRI , Kapal Republik Indonesia (Ship of The Republic of Indonesia) , - , KAL , Kapal Angkatan Laut (Navy Ship). For smaller boats which have a length less than 36m, and made from fiberglass. , - ,

Republic of Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. In ...

, KL , Kapal Layar (Sailing Ship) , - ,

, KM , Kapal Motor (Motor Ship) , - ,

, KN , Kapal Negara (State Ship) , - , , Imperial Iranian Navy , IIS , Imperial Iranian Ship ( fa, ناو شاهنشاهی ایران) , - , ,

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy , ''Daryādelān''"Seahearts" , patron = , motto = fa, راه ما، راه حسین است, ''Rāh-e ma, rāh-e hoseyn ast''"''Our Path, Is Hussain's Path''" , colors = ...

, IRIS , Islamic Republic of Iran ship ( fa, ناو جمهوری اسلامی ایران) , - , rowspan=2, ,

Irish Naval Service The Naval Service ( ga, An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork. Though preceded by earlier ma ...

, LÉ , ''Long Éireannach'' (Irish ship) , - , Commissioners of Irish Lights , ILV , Irish Lights Vessel ( Lighthouse tender) , - , , Israeli Sea Corps , INS , Israeli Naval Ship (Internally Hebrew acronym אח"י (A.Ch.Y.) is used standing for אניית חיל הים (Oniyat Heyl HaYam – Sea Corps Ship) , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2,

Regia Marina The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("M ...

, RN , ''Regia Nave'' – Royal Ship , - , R.Smg. , ''Regio Sommergibile'' – Royal Submarine , - , ,

Marina Militare "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...

, ITS , Italian Ship (NATO designation); Italy no longer uses prefixes , - , , Jamaica Defence Force , HMJS , His/Her Majesty's Jamaican Ship , - , ,

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , , - , ,

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJ ...

, JDS or JS , Japanese Defense Ship or Japanese Ship , - , ,

Kenyan Navy The Kenya Navy is the naval branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa. Kenya Navy has two major bases for its fleet with it being headquartered in Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa and Manda Bay (part of Lamu Archipelago) b ...

, KNS , Kenyan Naval Ship , - , , Kiribati Police Force , RKS , Republic of Kiribati Ship , - , ,

Korean People's Navy The Korean People's Army Naval Force (KPANF; Korean: 조선인민군 해군; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍海軍; ''Chosŏn-inmingun Haegun''; ) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN), is the naval service branch of the Korean People's Army, which con ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , Does not use any prefixes at all, either for international identification or for ship type indication. , - , , Kuwait Naval Force , KNS , Kuwait Navy Ship , - , , Imperial Korean Navy , KIS , Korean Imperial Ship , - , ,

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy inc ...

, ROKS , Republic of Korea Ship , - , ,

Latvian Navy Latvian Naval Forces ( lv, Latvijas Jūras spēki) is the naval warfare branch of the National Armed Forces. It is tasked with conducting military, search and rescue operations, mine and explosive sweeping on the Baltic Sea, as well as ecological ...

, LVNS , Latvian Naval Ship (NATO designation) , - , rowspan="2", , rowspan="2", Lithuanian Navy , LKL , ''Lietuvos Karinis Laivas'' (Lithuanian Military Ship) , - , LNS , Lithuanian Ship (NATO designation) , - , rowspan="3" , , rowspan="2" ,

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of op ...

, KD , ''Kapal Di-Raja'' – His Majesty's Ship, ''literal:'' Royal Ship. , - , KLD , ''Kapal Layar Di-Raja'' - His Majesty's Sailing Ship, ''literal'': Royal Sailing Ship. (Used by KLD Tunas Samudera) , - , Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency , KM , ''Kapal Maritim'' – Maritime Ship , - , , Marshall Islands Police , RMIS , Republic of the Marshall Islands Ship , - , , FSM National Police , FSM , Federated States of Micronesia , - , , Armada de México , ARM , ''Armada de la República Mexicana'' , - , , Myanmar Navy , UMS , Union of Myanmar Ship ('' my, Myanmar Sit Yay Yin'') , - , , Namibian Navy , NS , Namibian Ship , - , ,

Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...

, HNLMS ( nl, Zr.Ms./Hr.Ms.) , His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship ( nl, Zijner/Harer Majesteits) , - , , Royal New Zealand Navy , HMNZS , His/Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship , - , , Nigerian Navy , NNS , Nigerian Naval Ship , - , rowspan=4, , rowspan=2,

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, ...

, HNoMS ( no, KNM) , His Norwegian Majesty's Ship ('' no, Kongelige Norske Marine''), in use since 1946. , - , HNoMY ( no, KS, 4) , His Norwegian Majesty's Yacht ('' no, Kongenskipet''). The only vessel with the prefix, , is owned by the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

but crewed by his Navy since 1948. , - ,

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingd ...

, KSJ , King's Sloop no, Kongesjaluppen Used on two small motorised pleasure vessels named & owned by the

from 1899-1940 and 1945-present. , - , Norwegian Coast Guard , NoCGV ( no, KV) , Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel ('' no, Kystvakten'') , - , , Royal Navy of Oman , SNV , Sultanate Naval Vessel , - , rowspan=2, ,

Pakistan Navy ur, ہمارے لیے اللّٰہ کافی ہے اور وہ بہترین کارساز ہے۔ English: Allah is Sufficient for us - and what an excellent (reliable) Trustee (of affairs) is He!(''Qur'an, 3:173'') , type ...

, PNS , Pakistan Naval Ship , - , Pakistan Maritime Security Agency , PMSS , Pakistan Maritime Security Ship , - , , Palau Police , PSS , Palau State Ship , - , , Papua New Guinea Defence Force , HMPNGS , His/Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship , - , ,

Paraguayan Navy The Paraguayan Navy ( es, Armada Paraguaya) is the maritime force of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, in charge of the defense of Paraguay's waters despite not having direct access to the sea. It has gone to war on two occasions: the War of the ...

, ARP , Armada de la República del Paraguay (Navy of the Republic of Paraguay) , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2,

Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Add ...

, BAP , Peruvian Navy Ship (Spanish: ''Buque Armada Peruana''), Since 1921 , - , BIC , Scientific Research Ship (Spanish: ''Buque de Investigación Científica'') , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2,

Philippine Navy The Philippine Navy (PN) ( tgl, Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, , Sea Army of the Philippines) ( es, Armada de Filipinas, , Ejército del Mar de las Filipinas) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an ...

, BRP , ''Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas''; in use since 1 July 1980
(Ship of the Republic of the Philippines) , - , RPS , Republic of the Philippines Ship (Obsolete); before 1 July 1980 , - , , Polish Navy , ORP , ''Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''
(Warship of the Republic of Poland) , - , rowspan=3, , rowspan=3, Marinha Portuguesa , NRP , '' Navio da República Portuguesa'' (Ship of the Portuguese Republic) , - , PNS , Portuguese Navy Ship (

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

designation); Never used internally. , - , UAM , ''Unidade Auxiliar da Marinha'' – Navy Auxiliary Unit (used by non-military ships of Portuguese Navy) , - , ,

Prussian Navy The Prussian Navy (German: ''Preußische Marine''), officially the Royal Prussian Navy (German: ''Königlich Preußische Marine''), was the naval force of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1867. The Prussian Navy was created in 1701 from the ...

, SMS , ''Seiner Majestät Schiff'' (His Majesty's Ship) , - , , Royal Romanian Navy , NMS , Nava Majestăţii Sale (His/Her Majesty's Ship) , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, Romanian Navy , ROS , Romanian Ship (

designation); Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally. , - , SMR , Serviciul Maritim Român (Romanian Maritime Service); used by transport ships , - , ,

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...

, ''(No Official Prefix)'' , , - , , Russian Navy , RFS , Russian Federation Ship (NATO designation; Prefixes are for international identification only and never used internally. , - , , Saudi Navy , HMS , His Majesty's Ship (Same as the

) , - , ,

Republic of Singapore Navy The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the naval service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any sea-borne threats, and the protection of its sea lines of communications, that would comp ...

, RSS , Republic of Singapore Ship , - , ,

Slovenian Navy The Slovenian Navy, officially the 430th Naval Division is not a separate service, but an integral part of the Slovenian Armed Forces. History The Slovenian navy was created after independence in 1991, as the Territorial Defense Forces of Sloven ...

, SNS , Slovenian Naval Ship (NATO prefix) , - , , Royal Solomon Islands Police , RSIPV , Royal Solomon Islands Police Vessel , - , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2,

South African Navy The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force. The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery pro ...

, SAS , South African Ship/Suid-Afrikaanse Skip (previously HMSAS – His/Her Majesty's South African Ship) , - , SATS , South African Training Ship , - , , Soviet Navy , ''(No Official Prefix)'' , Some authors use "USSRS" for "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Ship" (russian: Корабль Союза Советских Социалистических Республик). , - , ,

Armada Española The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...

, ESPS Buque de la A , Spanish Navy Ship (Spain does not use prefixes internally. ESPN or SPS are no longer used) , - , rowspan=2, , Sri Lankan Navy , SLNS , Sri Lanka Naval Ship , - , Sri Lanka Coast Guard , SLCG , Sri Lanka Coast Guard , - , rowspan=2, ,

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels ...

, 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 Guard , KBV , Swedish Coast Guard Vessel (Swedish: ''Kustbevakningen'') , - , , Republic of China Navy , ROCS , Republic of China Ship; CNS for "Chinese Navy Ship" was used before 1949 , - , , Royal Thai Navy , HTMS , His Thai Majesty's Ship , - , , Timor Leste Defense Force , NRTL , ''Navio da República de Timor Leste'' (Ship of the Timor Leste Republic) , - , , Tonga Defence Services , VOEA , ''Vaka O Ene Afio'' (His Majesty's Vessel) , - , , Turkish Navy , TCG , Ship of the Turkish Republic (Turkish: ''Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Gemisi.'') , - , , Tuvalu Police Force , HMTSS , His/Her Majesty's Tuvalu Surveillance Ship , - , , Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force , TTS , Trinidad and Tobago Ship , - , rowspan="29" , , Ships carrying mail , RMS ,

Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...

Steamer/Ship , - , Cable ship , HMTV , His/Her Majesty's Telegraph Vessel , - , Motor Ship , MS , Motor Ship. Cruise ships such as the

MS Queen Elizabeth MS ''Queen Elizabeth'' (QE) is a cruise ship of the operated by the Cunard Line. The design is a heavily modified form factor compared to earlier ships of the same class, and slightly larger than , at . This is due to a more vertical stern ...

, which don't carry post , - , Fishery protection vessels , FPV ,

Fisheries Protection {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to ac ...

Vessel , - ,

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

, HMAFV , His/Her Majesty's Air Force Vessel (not currently in use) , - ,

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

ships , RFA , Royal Fleet Auxiliary , - , Royal Maritime Auxiliary
Service ships , RMAS , Royal Maritime Auxiliary Ship (now obsolete) , - ,

Royal Naval Auxiliary Service The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) was a uniformed, unarmed, civilian volunteer service, administered and trained by the Royal Navy to operate in the ports and anchorages of the United Kingdom in an emergency. Although the abbreviated title w ...

, XSV , Auxiliary Service Vessel (now obsolete) , - , rowspan=11,

, HM Sloop , His/Her Majesty's Sloop (now obsolete) , - , HMS , His/Her Majesty's Ship/Submarine , - , HMSm , His/Her Majesty's Submarine (not currently in use) , - , HMT , Hired Military Transport (not currently in use)
His Majesty's Transport/Troopship/Trawler/Tug , - , HMAV , His/Her Majesty's Armed Vessel (not currently in use) , - , HMY , His/Her Majesty's Yacht (not currently in use) , - , HMMGB , His/Her Majesty's

Motor Gun Boat The motor gun boat (MGB) was a small, high-speed British military vessel of the Second World War, which was armed with a mix of guns, in contrast to the physically similar motor torpedo boat (MTB), whose main offensive weapon were torpedoes. ...

(not currently in use) , - , HMM , His/Her Majesty's

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 ...

(not currently in use) , - , HMSML , His/Her Majesty's Small Motor Launch , - , HBMS , His/Her Britannic Majesty's Ship (archaic) , - , HM , His/Her Majesty's, then used with the type of ship in military use (e.g. "HM Trawler" or "HM Rescue Tug") , - , Hospital Ships , HMHS , His/Her Majesty's Hospital Ship , - , Joint Services Sail Training Yachts (JSASTC) , HMSTC , His/Her Majesty's Sail Training Craft , - , Trinity House , THV , Trinity House Vessel (Lighthouse and Buoy Tender) , - , Northern Lighthouse Board , NLV , Northern Lighthouse Vessel ( Lighthouse tender) , - , Commissioners of Irish Lights , ILV , Irish Lights Vessel ( Lighthouse tender) , - , rowspan=2,

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, HMAV , Her Majesty's Army Vessel , -

, RCLV , Royal Corps of Logistics Vessel (not currently in use) , - , Government research ships , RRS ,

Royal Research Ship A Royal Research Ship (RRS) is a merchant navy vessel of the United Kingdom that conducts scientific research for His Majesty's Government. Organisations operating such ships include; the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the British ...

, - ,

HM Revenue and Customs HM Revenue and Customs (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, or HMRC) is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial Departments of the United Kingdom Government, department of the His Majesty's Government, UK Government responsible fo ...

/ Border Force , HMCC, HMC , His/Her Majesty's Customs Cutter shortened to His/Her Majesty's Cutter after being transferred to Border Force , - , HM Customs and Excise (replaced by HMRC, above) , HMRC , His/Her Majesty's Revenue Cutter (not used since 18 April 2005). Also His/Her Majesty's Revenue Cruiser (as per HMRC Vigilant 1947. Not used since ca. 1960) , - , rowspan=24, ,

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

, USAF, USAFS , United States Air Force ship (not currently in use) , - , rowspan=2,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

(modern) , USAS , United States Army Ship (modern) , - , USAV , United States Army Vessel (modern) , - , rowspan=7,

(historical) , - , USAT , United States Army Transport (large Army owned bareboat chartered troop or cargo transports, not in use after 1950) , - , USACT , United States Army Chartered Transport (usage WW I only for time or voyage chartered ships; eg: ''Artemis'' 1917—1919) , - , USAMP , U.S. Army Mine Planter (not currently in use) , - , USAJMP , U.S. Army Junior Mine Planter (not currently in use) , - , U.S. Army , Vessels not otherwise designated:

tugs A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

, FS, Q, P etc. (not currently in use) , - , USAHS , United States Army Hospital Ship (not currently in use) , - , rowspan=4,

, USF , United States Frigate (obsolete) , - , USFS , United States Flagship (obsolete) , - , USS , United States Ship – Commissioned warships only. , - , USNV , United States Naval Vessel (Small utility vessels, not MSC, operated by local commands) , - , , U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) , USNS ,

United States Naval Ship United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non- commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy (USN). Definition United States Naval Ships are unarmed auxiliary support vessels owned by the U.S. Navy ...

(USN-owned, civilian crews) , - , rowspan=2,

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, m ...

, USCGC , United States Coast Guard Cutter , - , USCGD , United States Coast Guard Destroyer (not currently in use) , - ,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditi ...

, NOAAS , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ship , - ,

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...

, USC&GS , United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (obsolete); occasionally a second "S" for "survey ship" was used , - ,

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...

, US EPA , United States Environmental Protection Agency; no "S" for "ship" is used , - , United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries , USFC , United States Fish Commission (obsolete); commonly used informal name for the Commission; no "S" for "ship" was used , - ,

United States Bureau of Fisheries United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

, USFS , United States Fisheries Service (obsolete); alternative informal name for the Bureau; no "S" for "ship" was used , - ,

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

, US FWS , United States Fish and Wildlife Service; no "S" for "ship" used , - , United States Lighthouse Service , USLHT , United States Lighthouse Tender (obsolete) , - , United States Revenue-Marine (1790–1894) United States Revenue Cutter Service (1894-1915) , USRC , United States Revenue Cutter (obsolete) , - , , Uruguayan Navy , ROU , ''República Oriental del Uruguay'' , - , ,

Vanuatu Police Force The Vanuatu Police Force ( bi, Ni-Vanuatu Polis; VPF) is the national law enforcement of Vanuatu. The VPF is headquartered in Port Vila and has two specialised arms: a small para-military force, the Vanuatu Mobile Force, and a maritime force, th ...

, RVS , Republic of Vanuatu Ship , - , rowspan=3, , rowspan=3,

Venezuelan Navy ) , mascot = , battles = Venezuelan War of Independence and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo , anniversaries = July 24, Birthday of Simon Bolivar, Navy Day and Battle of Lake Maracaibo A ...

, FNV , ''Fuerzas Navales de Venezuela'' Not in use since 1949 , - , ARV , ''Armada República de Venezuela'' Not in use 1999 , - , ARBV , ''Armada República Bolivariana de Venezuela'' , - , , Vietnam People's Navy , VPNS , Vietnam People's Navy Ship (not currently in use) , - , , Republic of Vietnam Navy , RVNS , Republic of Vietnam Navy Ship (obsolete) , - , ,

Royal Yugoslav Navy The Royal Navy ( sh-Latn, Kraljevska mornarica; sh-Cyrl, Краљевска морнарица; КМ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Navy, was the naval warfare service branch of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (originally called the Kingdom of Serbs ...

, KB , sr, Краљевски брод, translit=Kraljevski brod (English: Royal Ship) , - , rowspan=12,

, rowspan=12, ''Jugoslovenska Ratna Mornarica'' ''JRM'' (English: Yugoslavia war navy)

Yugoslav Navy The Yugoslav Navy ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска ратна морнарица, Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica, Yugoslav War Navy), was the navy of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the mis ...

1969–1992 ''Ratna Mornarica Vojske Jugoslavije'' ''RМVЈ'' (English: War navy of Yugoslavia Armed Forces) 1992–2003 , RTOP , Raketna Topovnjača or Ракетна Топовњача (English: Rocket gunship), named by Yugoslavia peoples heroes , - , RČ , Raketni Čamac or Ракетни Чамац (English: Rocket boat), 1969–1992, named by Yugoslavia peoples heroes , - , VPBR , Veliki Patrolni Brod or Велики Патролни Брод (English: Big patrol ship), 1969–1992, named by Yugoslavia coastal towns , - , TČ , Torpedni Čamac or Торпедни Чамац (English: Torpedo boat), 1969–1992 , - , PČ , Patrolni Čamac or Патролни Чамац (English: Patrol boat), 1969–1992, named by mountains , - , PO , Pomoćni Oružar or Помоћни Оружар (English: Auxiliary аrmourer), 1969–1992 , - , RML , Rečni minolovac or Речни миноловац (English: River minesweepers), 1969–1992, named by places of WWII battles , - , RPB , Rečni patrolni brod or Речни патролни брод (English: River patrol boat), 1969–1992 , - , P , Podmornica or Подморница (English: Submarine), 1969–1992, named by rivers or human qualities , - , RЕ , Razarač Eskortni or Разарач Ескортни (English: Escort destroyer), 1969–1992 , - , PT , Pomoćni transportni or Помоћни транспортни (English: Auxiliary transport), 1969–1992 , - , DČ , Desantni čamci or Десантни чамци (English: Landing craft), 1969–1992

Prefix conventions

The designations for United Kingdom ships applied at the time of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

, before the establishment of separate navies for the Dominions. In the

, "

HNLMS The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...

" 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 The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web ...

. Until the moment a Dutch naval ship officially enters active service in the fleet, the ship's name is used without the prefix. 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

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 The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian effort ...

to become the

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

merged with other U.S. Government scientific agencies to form the

(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 The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the ma ...

's Division of Biological Survey to form the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service (which in 1956 was reorganized as the

). 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, the uncommissioned has been described as the "pre-commissioning unit (PCU) ''Gerald R. Ford''." However, the vessel's official name is ''Gerald R. Ford'' without any prefix, and will be known as USS ''Gerald R. Ford'' once commissioned. 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. * ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' – 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". In the alternate " Mirror Universe", the Terran Empire use an "ISS" prefix instead. Other races use different prefixes for their ships: ** Klingons use IKS (Imperial Klingon Ship) or IKC (Imperial Klingon Cruiser). **

Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series '' Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The ...

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 Diane Duane's 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

Ferengi The Ferengi () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1987 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', played a prominent role in the following series ''Sta ...

designation of FMS, and the

Cardassian The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' St ...

CDS, are also not canon.) * ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'' – The

Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of ...

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". * '' Elite: Dangerous'' – The Federation uses the prefix "FNS" (Federal Naval Ship) for some military ships. The Empire uses "INV" (Imperial Naval Vessel). The alliance uses "ADF" (Alliance Defense Force). * '' 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". The Covenant use three letter designations for ship class such as CAS or CSO * '' 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 ''Dead Space'' is a science fiction/ horror media franchise created by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, developed by Visceral Games, and published and owned by Electronic Arts. The franchise's chronology is not presented in a linear format; e ...

'' – "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 former opponents, the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces. * '' StarCraft: Brood War'' – 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 Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'' – The ships use prefix "USCSS" for "United States Cargo SpaceShip" on the Nostromo, Prometheus, and Covenant. * ''

The Lost Fleet The Lost Fleet is a military science fiction series written by John G. Hemry under the pen name Jack Campbell. The series is set one-hundred-plus years into an interstellar war between two different human cultures, the Alliance and the Synd ...

'' – The Alliance use the prefix "ASN" for "Allied Systems Navy" (or possibly "Alliance of Systems Navy"), the Syndicate Worlds do not use prefixes. * ''

CoDominium CoDominium is a series of future history novels written by American writer Jerry Pournelle, along with several co-authors, primarily Larry Niven. Series Setting Formation of the CoDominium The point of departure of Pournelle's history is the ...

'' – CoDominium vessels use the prefix "CDS" for CoDominium Ship. * " Honorverse" – 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. * '' The Culture'' – 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 Expanse or The Expanse may refer to: Media and entertainment ''The Expanse'' franchise * ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey * ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...

'' – 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

generation ship A generation ship, or generation starship, is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels at sub-light speed. Since such a ship might require hundreds to thousands of years to reach nearby stars, the original occupants of a ge ...

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''). * '' Unreal: Return to Na Pali'' – ISV (''ISV-Kran'') and UMS ("Unified Military Services", a prefix for warships). * '' The Orville''—The Planetary Union uses the prefix "USS", presumably for "Union Space Ship" (in homage to ''Star Trek''). * '' Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon'' - The Terran Empire uses the prefix RLS, which stands for Royal Light Ship; this is also a direct homage to

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

, author of the original '' Treasure Island''. The Procyon Expanse uses the prefix PSR, which stands for Procyon Star Runner. * '' Destroyermen'' - 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 isn't clear if the prefix is internally used or not. *'' Titanfall'' - The Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, The Main Antagonists of the Series, Use the "IMS" prefix. The origin of this Prefix is unknown. *'' FreeSpace'' - A variety of 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."

Usage

Generic (merchant navy) prefixes

National or military prefixes

Prefix conventions

In science fiction

References

Sources

External links