Philippine Navy hull numbering system
All Philippine Navy ships have a hull number, and all but the smallest ships and most utilitarian service ships will also be named.
The hull number consists of two letters followed by a number, which is anywhere from one to three digits. The two letters indicate the purpose of the ship (the first letter is the broad type of ship, while the second letter shows the specific function), while the subsequent numbers indicate the order in which the ship was commissioned into the Philippine Navy. A ship with "200" in its hull number is therefore the 200th ship commissioned into the Navy under the current numbering system. Philippine ships will have the digits of the hull number painted on their sides, with the two letters omitted. This causes no confusion since each ship always has a unique numerical value to its hull number.
All names are preceded by "BRP," which stands for "Barko/Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas," which translates as "Ship of the Republic of the Philippines." "BRP" is therefore analogous to "U.S.S." or "H.M.S." The full name of the ship is usually painted somewhere on the superstructure or fantail. Prior to the end of the regime of Ferdinand Marcos and the subsequent changes in the administration of various parts of the Philippine government and armed forces the Republic of Philippines (RPS) prefix was used. Many ships were also reclassified or renamed or both during the transitional period.
Philippine ships are named as follows:
| Type of ship | Prospective name |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Carriers | One of the three geographical divisions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippine flag includes a white equilateral triangle on the hoist side; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star, representing the three major geographical Island Group divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. |
| Surface Combatants | National heroes, past leaders, historical figures |
| Submarines | Native Philippine fish. The Philippines is among the largest fish producers in the world. In the waters of the Philippines there are more than 2000 different kinds of fish. Locally known as "butanding", whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world. Together with Indonesia, the Philippines supplies an estimated 85 percent of the world's saltwater ornamental aquarium fish. |
| Amphibious ships | Philippine provinces and home cities of ships. The Philippines has 80 provinces and 120 chartered cities Provinces are: Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu, Compostela, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay |
| Mine warfare ships | Historical military sites |
| Auxiliary ships | Philippine tribes and ethnic groups. The various ethnic groups in the Philippines identify themselves based on factors such as parental lineage and language. From north to south, the most numerous of these ethnic groups are the Ilocano, the Pangasinan, the Kapampangan, the Tagalog, the Bicolano, and the Visayan. There are 100 or so different sea-based or highland-based tribal groups in the Philippines. |
| Medical ships | Local term related to ship's mission |
| Service ships | Philippine mountains, rivers and islands not classified as provinces or sub-provinces |
As of 2009, the Philippine Navy had no aircraft carriers, submarines, mine warfare ships, or medical ships and was not close to obtaining any.
The first letter in a ship's hull designation (Type Code) and the second letter (Class Code) are chosen as follows:
| Type of ship | Type Code | Class of ship | Class code |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMBAT SHIPS | |||
| Aircraft Carrier | C | Rotary wing carrier Fixed wing carrier General/other carrier |
R F G |
| Surface Combatant | P | Battleship Cruiser Destroyer Frigate / Des. Esc. Corvette / PCE Patrol gunboat Hydrofoil Hovercraft Missile boat |
B C D F S G H V M |
| Submarine | U | - | W |
| Amphibious ships | L | Landing ship tank Landing ship medium Landing ship infantry Dock landing ship Amph. transport ship Amph. cargo ship Amph. assault ship Amph. fire support ship |
T P I D K C A F |
| Mine warfare ships | M | Mine countermeasure ship Coastal minesweeper Ocean minesweeper |
M C O |
| SMALL COMBAT CRAFT / BOATS | |||
| Patrol craft | D | Hydrofoil patrol ACV patrol Fast patrol craft Patrol boat Yard patrol boat | H A F B Y |
| Landing craft | B | LC Assault LC Mechanized LC Personnel, ramped LC Tank LC Utility LC Vehicle / Personnel Amph. warping tug Landing vehicle tracked | A M R T U V W K |
| Mine warfare craft | T | Minesweeper, boat Minesweeper, river Minesweeper, patrol Minsweeper, special | B R P S |
| Riverine/Inshore | V | Assault Support Patrol Armor Troop Carrier Command / Control boat River Patrol boat Inshore Patrol craft Quiet Fast boat Riverine Utility craft Strike Assault boat Light Amph. Riverine craft | S T C R I Q U A L |
| SEAL support craft | Z | - | - |
| Underwater craft | S | - | - |
| AUXILIARY SHIPS | |||
| Auxiliary ships | A | Ammunition ship Store ship Research ship Hospital ship Surveying ship Cargo ship Transport ship Repair ship Salvage ship Rescue ship POL ship Training ship Radar picket ship Barracks ship Tender (all types) Water tanker | A S R H M C T D V U F N P B E W |
| SERVICE SHIPS / CRAFT | |||
| Major self-propelled ships | Y | Ocean tug | Q |
| Major non self-propelled ships | N | Floating / repair drydock Lighter (all types) | D L |
| Minor self-propelled vessels | G | Ferry boat launch Harbor utility craft Harbor tug | F U T |
| Minor non self-propelled vessels | K | Floating crane Lift crane Barge (POL) Barge (water) Floating file driver Floating workshop Repair barge Sludge removal barge Dredge |
C B O W H S R M E |
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