SHIP CLASS

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design.[1] This is distinct from a ship type,[1] which
might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, USS Carl Vinson is a nuclear
aircraft carrier (ship type) of the Nimitz class (ship class).
In the course of building a class of ships, design changes might be implemented. In such a case,
the ships of different design might not be considered of the same class; each variation would
either be its own class, or a subclass of the original class (see County-class cruiser for an
example). If ships are built of a class whose production had been discontinued, a similar
distinction might be made.
Ships in a class often have names linked by a common factor: e.g. Trafalgar-class submarines'
names all begin with T (Turbulent, Tireless, Torbay); and Ticonderoga-class cruisers are named
after American battles (Yorktown, Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Anzio). Ships of the same class may
be referred to as sister ships.

Contents

1 Naval ship class naming conventions

o 1.1 Overview
o 1.2 Europe in general
o 1.3 Germany
o 1.4 Indonesia
o 1.5 Russia/Soviet Union
o 1.6 United Kingdom
o 1.7 United States
2 Merchant vessel class
3 References
4 External links

Naval ship class naming conventions

Overview
The name of a naval ship class is most commonly the name of the lead ship, the first ship
commissioned or built of its design. However, other systems can be used without confusion or
conflict. A descriptive name may be used; for example it was decided to group destroyers made
to the same design as HMS Tomahawk, all named after weapons, as the Weapon rather than
Tomahawk class.

Europe in general

In European navies a class is named after the first ship commissioned regardless of when she was
ordered or laid down. In some cases this has resulted in different class names being used in
European and U.S. references; for example, European sources record the Colorado-class
battleships of the United States Navy as the "Maryland class", as USS Maryland was
commissioned before USS Colorado.[citation needed][contradictory]

Germany
The West German Navy (Bundesmarine) used a three-digit type number for every class in
service or in advanced project state. Modified versions were identified by a single letter suffix.
After the reunification of Germany the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) kept the system.
Informally, classes are also traditionally named after their lead ships.
For more details on this topic, see List of ship classes of the Bundesmarine and Deutsche Marine.

Indonesia
The Indonesian Navy has a traditional naming for its ships. Moreover, the ship's type and
missions can be identified by the first number on the ship's three-digit hull number, which is
placed on the front bows and the back of the stern. The naming convention is such as:

Hull number begin by 1 (reserved for aircraft carriers): great statesmen (Presidents, Vice
Presidents, etc.)
Hull number begin by 2 (cruisers and destroyers): Indonesia's main islands (for cruisers)
and National heroes (for destroyers)
Hull number begin by 3 (frigates, ocean escorts, corvettes): national heroes
Hull number begin by 4 (submarines, submarine tenders): mythical weapons (for
submarines), National heroes (for submarine tenders)
Hull number begin by 5 (amphibious ships, LSTs, LPDs, LCUs, command ships): main
and strategic bays (for LSTs), big cities (for LPDs), small cities (for LCUs), National
heroes (for command ships)
Hull number begin by 6 (fast attack ships): mythical weapons (previous names for missile
boats), traditional weapons (current names for fast missile boats), wild animals (for fast
torpedo boats)
Hull number begin by 7 (minesweepers, minehunters, mine countermeasures ships):
every island begin with letter "R"
Hull number begin by 8 (patrol boats): native fishes and sea creatures, native snakes and
wild reptiles, wild insects, geographical places (such as towns, lakes or rivers begin with
"si-", like Sikuda, Sigurot, Sibarau)
Hull number begin by 9 (supporting ships, oilers, tugs, troops transports, oceanographic
research ships, sailing ships, etc.): volcanoes, cities, mythical figures, geographical capes
and straits

Russia/Soviet Union
See also: List of ships of Russia by project number

Russian (and Soviet) ship classes are formally named by the numbered project that designed
them. That project sometimes, but not always, had a metaphorical name, and almost always had
a NATO reporting name. In addition, the ships of the class would be numbered, and that number
prefixed by a letter indicating the role of that type of vessel. For example, Project 641 had no
other name, though NATO referred to its members as Foxtrot-class submarines.

United Kingdom
The British Royal Navy has used several methods of naming classes. In addition to the accepted
European convention, some classes have been named after a common theme in the included
ships' names, e.g., Tribal-class destroyers, and some classes were implemented as an
organizational tool, making traditional methods of naming inefficient. For instance, the
Amphion class is also known as the A class. Most destroyer classes were known by the initial
letter used in naming the vessels, e.g., V and W-class destroyers. Classification by letter also
helped to conflate similar smaller classes of ships as in the case of the C-class destroyers of 1913
whose names spread across the alphabet. Since the end of the Second World War, Royal Navy
ship classes have also been known by their type number (e.g. Type 42 destroyer.)

United States
In the United States Navy, unlike most other navies, the first ship in a class to be authorized by
Congress is the designated class leader and gives the name to the class, regardless of the order in
which the ships of that class are laid down, launched or commissioned.[2] Due to numbering
conventions the lead ship almost always has the lowest hull number of her class. (During World
War II the award of construction contracts was not always congruent with completion, so many
ships had higher hull numbers than later-class ships.)[3]

Merchant vessel class

Merchant ships are almost always classed by a classification society. These vessels are said to be
in class when their hull, structures, machinery, and equipment conform to International Maritime
Organization and MARPOL standards. Vessels out of class may be uninsurable and/or not
permitted to sail by other agencies.
A vessel's class may include endorsements for the type of cargo such as "oil carrier", "bulk
carrier", "mixed carrier" etc. It may also include class notations denoting special abilities of the
vessel. Examples of this include an ice class, fire fighting capability, oil recovery capability,
automated machinery space capability, or other special ability.