Ship identifier
A ship identifier refers to one of several types of identifiers used for maritime vessels. An identifier may be a proper noun (La Niña); a proper noun combined with a standardized prefix based on the type of ship (eg. RMS Titanic); a serial code; a unique, alphanumeric ID (eg. A123B456C7); or an alphanumeric ID displayed in international signal flags (eg.
In addition to proper nouns, types of ship identifiers include:
- Code letters – an identifier for a ship that is displayed on vessels by ICS flags representing the letters of the alphabet and numbers 0–9, eg. the flags
(from top to bottom) represented the identifier "USMW" - Hull number or Hull Identification Number (HIN) – a number used as an identifier for civilian and naval vessels, national/regional subtypes include:
- Craft Identification Number – a permanent unique fourteen-digit alphanumeric identifier issued to all marine vessels in Europe
- ENI number (European Number of Identification or European Vessel Identification Number) – a unique, eight-digit identifier for ships capable of navigating on inland European waters that is attached to a hull for its entire lifetime, independent of the vessel's current name or flag
- Naval Registry Identification Number – United States until 1920s, replaced by hull classification symbol system
- IMO number – a unique identifier issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for ships
- Maritime call sign – an identifier used during radio transmissions, used mainly during verbal transmissions and sometimes incorporating a vessel's MMSI
- Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) – a unique, nine-digit identifier used over radio frequencies to identify a vessel, used mainly for automated, non-verbal transmissions
- Official number – a ship identifier number assigned to merchant ships by their country of registration, this system has been superseded by the IMO number system
- Ship name – a proper noun chosen at the shipowner's discretion; may change several times during the vessel's lifetime
- Ship class – a common name for a group of ships with similar design, usually named for the first vessel of the class, e.g. "Nimitz-class aircraft carrier"
- Ship prefix – a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name or hull number of a civilian or naval ship, e.g. "HMS", "MV", "RV", "SS", or "USS"; naval prefix systems include:
- Hull classification symbol (List of U.S. hull classifications) – United States since 1920s, replaced the Naval Registry Identification Number system
- Hull classification symbol (Canada)
- Pennant number – United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries
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