The list of hull classifications comprises an alphabetical list of the hull classification symbols used by the United States Navy to identify the type of a ship.
The combination of symbol and hull number identifies 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 maintains an online database of U.S. Navy ships. Some other navies also utilize this, such as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (also adapting/adding some classifications).
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, 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 (pre-1920) ACS: Auxiliary crane ship ACV: Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier (1942, now CVE) AD: Destroyer tender ADC: Ammunition Storage Cargo ship ADG: Degaussing/Deperming Ship (ADG = Auxiliary Degaussing/Deperming General) ADS: Air Defense Ship AE: Ammunition ship AEFS: Fleet replenishment ship AEM: Ammunition Ship, Missile (retired) AF: Reefer ship / Refrigerated ship AFD: Auxiliary floating dry dock AFDB: Large auxiliary floating dry dock AFDL: Small auxiliary floating dry dock AFDM: Medium auxiliary floating dry dock AFDS: Auxiliary Fighter Directing Ship AFS: Combat Stores Ship 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 AGC: Auxiliary general communication ship, or amphibious force flagship (now LCC) AGCL: Auxiliary General Communication (ship), Light AGD: Dredge 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 AGFF: Testing Frigate AGH: Weather Ship (AGH = Auxiliary General Hydrometeorology) AGHS: Hydroplane research ship AGI: Intelligence Collecting Ship (Spy ship, AGI = Auxiliary General Intelligence) AGL: Mooring/buoy tender AGM: Missile Range Instrumentation Ship AGMR: Auxiliary Major Communication Relay Ship AGOR: Oceanographic Research Ship AGOS: Ocean Surveillance Ship AGP: Patrol Craft Tender AGR: Radar Picket Ship (retired) AGS: Survey ship / Oceanographic Research Ship AGSC: Coastal survey craft AGSL: Auxiliary General Satellite Launching ship AGSS: Auxiliary Submarine AGT: Target ship (AGT = Auxiliary General Target) AGTR: Technical research ship AH: Hospital ship AHC: Auxiliary Helicopter carrier AHP: Medical Evacuation Ship AIRIS: Aviation store issue ship AK: Cargo Ship AKA: Attack Cargo Ship (now LKA) AKB: Cargo Ship, Barge AKD: Cargo Ship, Dock (cargo dock ship) AKE: Underway Replenishment 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 AKSS: Cargo submarine AKV: Cargo Ship, Aircraft Transport AKX: Container ship AL: Auxiliary Lighter AM: Minesweeper or MCM tender AMb: Harbor Minesweeper AMc: Coastal Minesweeper AMCU: Underwater Mine Locater AMh: Harbor Minesweeper AMS: Motor Minesweeper AMS: Multi Purpose Support Ship (JMSDF) AN: Net Laying Ship ANL: Net Laying Ship AO: Fleet Oiler AOE: Fast Combat Support Ship AOG: Gasoline Tanker AOL: Light replenishment oiler AOR: Replenishment Oiler AOS: Specialized Oiler/Tanker AOS: Ocean Surveilance Ship (JMSDF) AOSS: Submarine Oiler (retired) AOT: Transport/Storage Oiler AP: Transport APA: Attack Transport (now LPA) APB: Self-Propelled Barracks ship APb: Base repair ship APC: Transport, Coastal APD: High Speed Transport (now LPR) APF: Administrative flagship APG: Coastal artillery supply ship APH: Ambulance Transport APL: Barracks Craft, non self-propelled APM: Artillery Transport (1942, now LSD) 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) AR: Repair ship ARb: base repair ship ARB: Repair Ship, Battle damage ARC: Cable Repair Ship 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 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 ASE: Submarine ammunition supply ship ASE: Auxiliary Ship Experiment (JMSDF) ASPB: Assault Support Patrol Boat ASR: Submarine Rescue Ship ASSA: Cargo Submarine ASSP: Transport Submarine (retired) AST: Training Support Ship (JMSDF) ASU: Auxiliary Ship Utility (JMSDF) ASY: Auxiliary vessel Special service Yacht (JMSDF) AT: Ocean Going Tug ATA: Auxiliary Ocean Tug ATC: Armored Troop Carrier ATF: Fleet Ocean Tug ATL: Atlantic tank landing ship (1942, now LST) ATO: Auxiliary Tug, Old ATR: Rescue tug (ATR = Auxiliary Tug, Rescue) ATS: Salvage and Rescue Ship AV: Seaplane Tender AVB: Aviation Logistics Support Ship AVC: Large catapult lighter (for launching seaplanes) AVD: Seaplane Tender Destroyer (retired) AVG: Auxiliary Aircraft Ferry (1941-2, now CVE) 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 AXS: Training ship, sail AXT: Training ship tender AZ: Airship Tender (retired)
B B: Battleship (pre-1920) BB: Battleship BM: Monitor (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, 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 (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 (retired) (1943-retirement of type) CVHA: Assault Helicopter Aircraft Carrier (retired in favor of various L-series amphibious assault ship hull codes) CVHE: Escort Aircraft Carrier, Helicopter (retired) CVL: Light aircraft carrier (retired) CVM: Aircraft Carrier Multirole (JMSDF) CVN: Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear-Propulsion) CVS: Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier (retired) CVT: Training Aircraft Carrier (changed to AVT (Auxiliary)) CVU: Utility Aircraft Carrier (retired)
D
D: Destroyer (pre-1920) DD: Destroyer DDE: Escort Destroyer (category abolished 1962) DDG: Guided missile Destroyer DDH: Helicopter Destroyer (JMSDF) DDK: Hunter-Killer Destroyer (category merged into DDE, 4 March 1950) DDR: Radar Picket Destroyer (retired) DE: Destroyer Escort (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 Minesweeper (retired) DSRV: Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle DSV: Deep Submergence Vehicle
E EMS: Expeditionary Medical Ship, a EPF modified into a hospital ship ESD: Expeditionary Transfer Dock ESB: Expeditionary Mobile Base (a variant of ESD, formerly AFSB) EPF: Expeditionary Fast Transport
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 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 LCA(HR) Landing Craft Assault (Hedgerow) LCAC: Landing Craft Air Cushioned LCB: Landing Craft, Barge LCC: Landing Craft, Command (WW2) LCC: Landing Ship, Command (duplicate use) 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, Mortar 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 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: Landing Helicopter Assault LHD: Landing Helicopter Dock