Ship prefixes typically refer to the abbreviations sculpted in former of the ship names, it is in it navy or vendor vessel, consisting of of few letters compounded to represent a details meaning. The prefixes can also refer to a couple of letters provided to represent a details fact.
You are watching: What does the ss mean on a ship
Ship prefixes offered on merchant vessels are greatly to suggest out the propulsion an approach employed in the ship, such together the abbreviation “SS” way “steamship”, indicating the the ship runs on vapor propulsion. Ship prefixes can likewise include type of delivery such together “RV” which denotes “research vessel”, and it affirms the function of the ship, i beg your pardon in this case is to obtain knowledge in a systematic and also scientific manner. Merchant ship prefixes though frequent in usage, may differ in style, because that instance, a slash can be introduced in between, viz. “M/S”.
Usage of abbreviations in naval Ships
On the various other hand, the naval ship prefixes are broadly used to shorten the much longer titles right into easy brief forms for practically utilization. The “His/Her Majesty’s Ship” are examples of the long titles offered in the royal Navy and also thus the ship names such together H.M.S (or HMS) have actually come into usual use.



MT – engine Tanker
MV/MS – engine vessel/Motor Ship
LB- Lifeboat
NS – atom Ship
RV- research Vessel
LPG/C – Liquefied Petroleum Gas Carrier
LNG/C – Liquefied herbal Gas Carrier
NS- atom Ship
PSV- Platform it is provided Vessel
MY- engine Yacht
AHT- Anchor managing Tug
CS – Cable Ship
DSV- Diving support Vessel/ Deep Submerge Vessel
FV- Fishing Vessel
GTS- Gas wind turbine Ship
RMS – imperial Mail Ship
SS- heavy steam Ship
PSV – Platform support Vessel
TS- cultivate Ship
SV- cruising Vessel
References for the complete List of delivery Prefixes:
Ship Prefixes – Wikipedia
Ship Acronyms
Naval nomenclature in some other countries
The imperial Navy native Netherlands, the English prefix supplied is “HLNMS” if the initial Dutch one is “Hr.Ms” (or “Zr.Ms”). Due to the fact that the dutch names can not be supplied on a wider platform or in documents written in English, the English ones room coined from the dutch translations. In fact, it is a preeminence that unless a certain Dutch vessel from the marine is released into active service, the does no implement its delivery prefixes. The ship name “NUSHIP” is used in Australia, to categorize the noncommissioned vessels in the fleet.
In the year the 1901, Theodore Roosevelt, the then President that United states passed a brand-new law bill transforming the agenda that the navy nomenclature of the country. Following which, a large number delivery prefixes went out of use, except the ones like “USRC”, “USS”, “USNV” and also “USNS”. After that even “USRC” was asserted obsolete and “USCGC” replaced it. This occurred in 1915, as soon as the Revenue Cutter organization had changed into the united States shore Guard. A noncommissioned courage in United claims of America does not bear the best to usage USS yet, and uses the “PCU” title an interpretation “Pre-Commissioned Unit”.
This implies, if a new aircraft-carrier vessel called Flattop is under construction in the united state shipyard, the is continued to be called PCU Flattop till it receives commission. The “USS” prefix is only awarded as soon as the ship is introduced into energetic service in maritime sphere. Follow to the strict law, the United claims Navy may not be able to buy foreign ships however can rental them under the United says Naval vessels section.
It is a recognized observation that the United states Navy generally uses the ship prefixes without placing in articles, despite an post “the” has actually been had in the “USS The Sullivans” vessel – as a tribute to the well known Sullivan brother who lost their lives during the 2nd World War, and is superb case the American delivery nomenclature. Also, the identical British name of the ship (“The HMS Flattop”) is no applicable as it would signify “The her Majesty’s Ship” and it would certainly be grammatically wrong.
Ship Prefix because that retired ships
When a specific ship is asserted out of energetic service, a prefix of “ex-” is enclosed in prior of the name. This is done to different the stricken ship from any other vessel bearing the exact same name and also in service, at that time. As an instance, the USS Constellation courage (CV-64) happened known together the “ex-Constellation” vessel ~ it accepted retirement in the year of 2003.
See more: Angles That Share A Vertex And A Common Side Are, Adjacent Angles
Each nation has a different an approach for naming both naval and seller vessels utilizing ship prefixes. However, some ship prefixes room most frequently used and accepted approximately the world.