Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary
Naval Warships and Combat Systems glossary
The warship and combat-system vocabulary: naval gun systems (A-190), named warship classes (Absalon, Admiral Gorshkov), the AEGIS combat system and its baselines, and the weapon, radar, and command-and-decision terms. Grounds each term in the warship class or the combat-system capability it belongs to.
224 defined terms.
A
- A-190
- Russian 100mm naval gun fitted on Steregushchiy-class corvettes and Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates for surface and shore bombardment.
- Absalon-class
- Royal Danish Navy command and support ship pair (Absalon L16, Esbern Snare L17) combining frigate armament with a flexible vehicle deck.
- Admiral Gorshkov class
- Russian Project 22350 frigate armed with Poliment-Redut and Tsirkon.
- Aegis Ashore
- Land-based variant deployed in Romania and Poland for European missile defense.
- AEGIS Baseline 10
- AEGIS computer program designed for the SPY-6 radar and Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers.
- AEGIS Baseline 9
- Combat system version introducing Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability with simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense.
- Aegis Combat System
- Although naval, integrates with maritime domain awareness picture for high-end threats.
- AK-630
- Soviet/Russian 30 mm six-barrel rotary CIWS gun mount.
- AKE
- Dry cargo and ammunition ship, USN Lewis and Clark class T-AKE.
- Akizuki class
- Japanese JMSDF general-purpose destroyer with FCS-3A AESA, lead ship DD-115.
- Akula class
- Soviet Project 971 SSN nuclear attack submarine.
- Almaz Shipyard
- Saint Petersburg shipbuilder producing small missile ships and patrol craft for the Russian Navy.
- Almirante Latorre-class
- Historical Chilean Navy battleship class; the name has also been associated with later Chilean surface combatants.
- AMDR
- Air and Missile Defense Radar program designation for the AN/SPY-6 family.
- AN/SPY-1
- Passive electronically scanned S-band radar of the Aegis system.
- AN/SPY-6
- Raytheon active electronically scanned array radar fitted on Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers and Constellation-class frigates.
- AN/SQQ-89
- Integrated undersea warfare combat system on USN surface combatants.
- ANZAC-class
- Frigate class operated by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy, based on the Blohm and Voss MEKO 200 design.
- AOE
- Fast combat support ship, USN designation, e.g., Supply class T-AOE-6.
- AOR
- Replenishment oiler.
- Aquitaine-class
- French Navy variant of the FREMM multipurpose frigate, led by Aquitaine (D650).
- Arleigh Burke class
- USN DDG-51 Aegis guided missile destroyer.
- Artisan 3D
- BAE Systems Type 997 medium-range S-band radar fitted on Type 23 frigates and Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.
- Asahi-class
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer class led by JS Asahi (DD-119), optimized for anti-submarine warfare.
- Aster 15
- MBDA short-to-medium range surface-to-air missile with 30 km range.
- Aster 30
- MBDA long-range SAM with 120 km class range, Block 1NT for ABM.
- Astute class
- Royal Navy SSN with Spearfish and Tomahawk Block IV.
- Atago class
- JMSDF Aegis DDG with SPY-1D(V), lead ship DDG-177.
- AW101 Merlin
- Three-engine medium-lift helicopter operated in anti-submarine and utility roles by the Royal Navy and Italian Navy.
- AW159 Wildcat
- Leonardo helicopter variant operated by the Royal Navy as the Wildcat HMA2 maritime helicopter.
B
- Babcock Devonport
- UK shipyard responsible for Royal Navy submarine refits and surface ship maintenance.
- Babcock Rosyth
- Scottish shipyard where the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers were assembled.
- Baden-Wurttemberg-class
- German Navy F125-class frigate led by FGS Baden-Wurttemberg (F222), optimized for stabilization operations.
- BAE 5-inch Mk 45
- Naval gun system in 54-caliber and 62-caliber variants fitted on US, UK, Australian, and other navies' combatants.
- BAE Systems Govan
- Glasgow shipyard producing forward and aft sections of Royal Navy Type 26 frigates.
- BAE Systems Scotstoun
- Glasgow yard performing final assembly of Type 26 City-class frigates for the Royal Navy.
- Barracuda class
- French SSN, also called Suffren class, lead boat Suffren S 635.
- Bath Iron Works
- General Dynamics shipyard at Bath, Maine, building Arleigh Burke class destroyers for the US Navy.
- Bayards Damen
- Damen Shipyards facility involved in naval and offshore construction.
- Bergamini-class
- Italian Navy general-purpose variant of the FREMM frigate, led by Carlo Bergamini (F590).
- Borei class
- Russian Project 955 SSBN carrying RSM-56 Bulava.
- Brandenburg-class
- German Navy F123 frigate class led by FGS Brandenburg (F215), specialized in anti-submarine warfare.
- Buyan-M class
- Russian Project 21631 corvette equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles for littoral operations.
C
- Carlo Bergamini
- Lead ship of the Italian FREMM general-purpose variant, pennant F590.
- Cavour
- Italian Navy STOVL aircraft carrier with pennant number 550, capable of operating F-35B aircraft.
- CG
- Guided missile cruiser hull symbol.
- CGN
- Hull classification for nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers, including the retired California and Virginia classes.
- Charles de Gaulle
- French Navy CVN R91, only nuclear carrier outside USN.
- CIWS
- Close-In Weapon System for terminal anti-missile defense.
- Columbia class
- USN SSBN-826, replacement for Ohio class with Trident II D5LE.
- Constellation class
- USN FFG-62 guided missile frigate based on FREMM.
- Corvette
- Light surface combatant smaller than a frigate.
- Cruiser
- Large surface combatant designed for sustained independent operations and fleet air defense.
- CV
- Cargo Value, used in insurance and freight rating.
- CVN
- Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier hull symbol.
D
- Daegu-class
- Republic of Korea Navy FFX Batch II frigate class led by ROKS Daegu (FFG-818).
- Daewoo Geoje
- South Korean shipyard now part of Hanwha Ocean, building submarines for the ROK Navy and export customers.
- Daring class
- Royal Navy Type 45 air-defense destroyer with PAAMS.
- DDG
- Guided-missile destroyer.
- DDG-1000
- Hull number of USS Zumwalt, lead ship of the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers.
- DDG-51
- USN Arleigh Burke class hull number for lead ship.
- De Zeven Provincien class
- Royal Netherlands Navy LCF air-defense frigate with APAR and SMART-L.
- Destroyer
- Fast and maneuverable surface combatant operating in anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare roles.
- Dokdo-class
- Republic of Korea Navy landing platform helicopter class led by ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111).
- Dolgorukiy
- Yuri Dolgorukiy, lead boat of the Russian Borei-class strategic submarine class.
- Dreadnought-class
- Royal Navy next-generation ballistic missile submarine class, replacing the Vanguard-class.
- Duke-class
- Royal Navy Type 23 anti-submarine frigate class with ships named after British dukes.
E
- EMPAR
- European Multi-function Phased Array Radar on Horizon class.
- Enterprise CVN-65
- First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, commissioned 1961, eight reactors.
- ESSM
- RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, quad-packed in Mk 41 cells.
F
- F123
- German Navy Brandenburg-class anti-submarine frigate designation.
- F124
- German Navy Sachsen-class air-defense frigate designation.
- F125
- German Navy Baden-Wurttemberg-class stabilization frigate designation.
- F126
- German Navy frigate class formerly known as MKS-180, being built by Damen-led consortium.
- FCS-3
- Japanese active electronically scanned array combat system fitted on Akizuki, Hyuga, and Izumo-class ships.
- FFG
- Guided-missile frigate.
- Fincantieri Muggiano
- Italian shipyard near La Spezia building submarines and surface combatants.
- Fincantieri Riva Trigoso
- Italian shipyard producing FREMM and PPA frigates for the Marina Militare and export.
- Flight I
- Initial production block of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, hulls DDG-51 through DDG-71.
- Flight II
- Second production block of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, hulls DDG-72 through DDG-78.
- Flight IIA
- Variant of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers introducing helicopter hangars, beginning with DDG-79.
- Flight III
- Latest Arleigh Burke variant with the AN/SPY-6 radar, beginning with USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125).
- Freedom class
- USN LCS-1 monohull littoral combat ship.
- FREMM
- Frigate Europeenne Multi-Mission, Italian and French class.
- Fridtjof Nansen-class
- Royal Norwegian Navy AEGIS-equipped frigate class led by HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310).
- Frigate
- Naval combatant smaller than destroyer.
- Fujian
- Chinese Navy Type 003 CV-18 with electromagnetic catapults, launched 2022.
G
- Gerald R. Ford-class
- US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier class led by USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
- Goalkeeper
- Thales 30mm close-in weapon system fitted on Royal Netherlands Navy and other warships.
H
- Hanwha Ocean
- Korean shipbuilder, former Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.
- Harpoon
- Boeing AGM/RGM/UGM-84 subsonic anti-ship missile.
- Hobart-class
- Royal Australian Navy AEGIS air-warfare destroyer class led by HMAS Hobart (DDG-39).
- Holland-class
- Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol vessel class led by HNLMS Holland (P840).
- Horizon class
- Franco-Italian air defense destroyer with PAAMS and EMPAR.
- Hunter-class
- Royal Australian Navy frigate program based on the BAE Systems Type 26 Global Combat Ship.
- Huntington Ingalls Ingalls
- Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard building Arleigh Burke destroyers and amphibious assault ships.
- Huntington Ingalls Newport News
- Virginia shipyard building Nimitz and Ford-class aircraft carriers and Virginia-class submarines.
- Hyundai Heavy Industries
- HHI, Ulsan, world's largest shipbuilder by output.
- Hyundai Mipo
- South Korean shipyard handling smaller commercial and naval vessels.
I
- Independence class
- USN LCS-2 trimaran littoral combat ship.
- Inspiration-class
- Royal Navy Type 31 general-purpose frigate class led by HMS Venturer.
- Iver Huitfeldt class
- Royal Danish Navy air-defense frigate with SMART-L and APAR.
- Izumo (DDH-183)
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer being modified for F-35B Lightning II operations.
J
- Jiangdao-class
- Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Type 056 corvette class.
- JMU Yokohama
- Japan Marine United yard delivering destroyers and amphibious ships for the JMSDF.
- Juan Carlos I
- Spanish Navy strategic projection ship with pennant L61, capable of operating fixed-wing aircraft.
K
- Kaga (DDH-184)
- Second Izumo-class helicopter destroyer of the JMSDF, being modified for F-35B operations.
- Karakurt-class
- Russian Project 22800 small missile ship equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles.
- KDX-III
- ROK Navy Sejong the Great class Aegis destroyer with 128 VLS.
- Kilo class
- Soviet/Russian Project 877/636.3 diesel-electric submarine.
L
- LCAC
- Landing Craft, Air Cushion, USN amphibious hovercraft.
- LCS
- Lashing Computer System notation issued by DNV and others for container securing software.
- LCU
- Landing Craft, Utility.
- LHA
- Landing Helicopter Assault, USN Tarawa and America classes.
- LHD
- Landing Helicopter Dock, USN Wasp and Australian Canberra classes.
- Liaoning
- Chinese PLAN Type 001 CV-16 STOBAR carrier, ex-Varyag.
- Los Angeles-class
- US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine class, the largest SSN class ever built.
- LPD
- Landing Platform Dock, USN San Antonio class LPD-17.
- LPH
- Landing Platform Helicopter, retired USN designation.
- LRASM
- Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, a stealthy air- and ship-launched anti-ship weapon based on the JASSM-ER.
- LSD
- Landing Ship Dock, USN Whidbey Island and Harpers Ferry.
- Luyang III
- PLAN Type 052D destroyer.
- Lynx
- Westland Lynx maritime helicopter, predecessor of the AW159 Wildcat in Royal Navy service.
M
- Maya class
- JMSDF Aegis DDG with cooperative engagement capability, lead ship DDG-179.
- Mazagon Dock
- Indian shipbuilder constructing Scorpene-class submarines and destroyers in Mumbai.
- MCM
- Mine countermeasures vessel hull symbol.
- Meko 200
- Blohm + Voss modular frigate, exported widely.
- MEKO A-100
- Compact MEKO corvette and patrol vessel design.
- MEKO A-200
- Modular frigate design used by South Africa and Algeria.
- MES Maizuru
- Mitsui shipyard at Maizuru building escort ships for the JMSDF.
- MH-60R
- Sikorsky multi-mission maritime helicopter operated by the US Navy and allied services.
- MH-60S
- Sikorsky utility variant operated for vertical replenishment, search and rescue, and mine countermeasures.
- MHC
- see harbour mobile crane.
- MHI Mihara
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries facility involved in machinery and systems for naval programs.
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe
- Japanese shipyard building Soryu and Taigei-class submarines.
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki
- Japanese yard building destroyers and frigates for the JMSDF.
- Mk 110
- 57mm naval gun system, US designation of the Bofors 57 Mk 3, fitted on LCS and Constellation-class.
- Mk 41 VLS
- USN vertical launch system with strike, tactical, and self-defense cell lengths.
- MK 57 VLS
- Mark 57 Vertical Launching System fitted on Zumwalt-class destroyers, mounted along the ship's periphery.
- MKS-180
- Original program designation for the German Navy F126 frigate class.
- Mogami class
- JMSDF 30FFM stealth multi-mission frigate.
N
- NH90 NFH
- NATO Frigate Helicopter variant for ASW/ASuW.
- Nimitz class
- USN CVN-68 nuclear aircraft carrier, ten ships from 1975 to 2009.
- NSM
- Naval Strike Missile, Kongsberg subsonic stealth ASCM.
O
- Ohio class
- USN SSBN-726 Trident submarine, 14 boomers and 4 SSGNs.
- OPS-24
- Japanese 3D air search radar fitted on Asagiri and other JMSDF surface combatants.
- OPS-50
- Designation associated with FCS-3-family radars on Japanese ships.
- OPV
- Offshore Patrol Vessel, lightly armed constabulary ship.
- OTO Melara 76mm Super Rapid
- Italian rapid-fire 76mm naval gun manufactured by Leonardo.
P
- PAAMS
- Principal Anti-Air Missile System on Horizon and Type 45.
- PC
- Hull classification for coastal patrol craft, including the US Navy Cyclone-class.
- Phalanx CIWS
- 20 mm gun-based close-in weapon system.
- Prince of Wales
- HMS Prince of Wales, Royal Navy aircraft carrier with pennant R09.
- Project 22350
- Russian Admiral Gorshkov class frigate.
- Project 23550
- Russian Ivan Papanin-class armed icebreaker and patrol ship program.
Q
- Queen Elizabeth-class
- Royal Navy aircraft carrier class comprising HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and HMS Prince of Wales (R09).
R
- RAM
- Rolling Airframe Missile, a short-range surface-to-air missile produced by Raytheon and RAMSYS.
- Renhai-class
- Western designation for the Chinese Type 055 large guided-missile destroyer class.
S
- S1850M
- BAE-Thales long-range air search radar derived from SMART-L for RN and FREMM.
- Sa'ar 6
- Israeli Navy corvette class derived from the German Braunschweig design, built at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
- Sachsen class
- German F124 air-defense frigate.
- Scorpene-class
- Naval Group conventional submarine design built for France, Chile, Malaysia, India, and Brazil.
- Sea Ceptor
- MBDA CAMM short-range SAM on Type 23 and Type 26.
- Sea Giraffe
- Saab medium-range AESA naval radar.
- Sea Viper
- Royal Navy designation for the PAAMS air defense system on Type 45 destroyers.
- Seahawk
- Sikorsky SH-60 family of US Navy embarked helicopters, including the MH-60R and MH-60S.
- Seawolf-class
- US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine class comprising USS Seawolf, Connecticut, and Jimmy Carter.
- Sejong the Great class
- ROK Navy KDX-III Aegis destroyer.
- Severnaya Verf
- Saint Petersburg shipyard building Steregushchiy and Admiral Gorshkov-class ships.
- Sevmash
- Russian shipbuilder at Severodvinsk, building nuclear submarines for the Russian Navy.
- Sigma-class
- Damen modular corvette and frigate family operated by Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico, and Vietnam.
- SM-2
- RIM-66C/D and RIM-67 long-range SAM with semi-active homing.
- SM-3
- RIM-161 exoatmospheric BMD interceptor.
- SM-6
- RIM-174 ERAM dual-role air defense and anti-ship missile.
- SMART-L
- Thales long-range air search radar, modern MM variant with BMD mode.
- Smart-S
- Thales mid-range surveillance radar fitted on Holland-class OPVs and other warships.
- Soryu class
- JMSDF AIP submarine, Stirling powered.
- SS
- Conventional submarine hull symbol.
- SSBN
- Ballistic missile nuclear submarine hull symbol.
- SSGN
- Guided missile nuclear submarine hull symbol.
- SSN
- Attack nuclear submarine hull symbol.
- Suffren class
- French Barracuda SSN, lead boat S 635.
T
- T-AH
- US Navy hull classification for hospital ships, including USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort.
- Taigei-class
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force diesel-electric submarine class led by JS Taigei (SS-513).
- Tarantul-class
- NATO reporting name for the Russian Project 1241 missile boats.
- Ticonderoga class
- USN CG-47 Aegis cruiser, twenty-seven built.
- TLAM
- Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, the long-range cruise missile launched from US and allied surface ships and submarines.
- Tomahawk
- Raytheon long-range subsonic cruise missile in Block IV and Block V variants.
- Trieste
- Italian Navy landing helicopter dock with pennant 553.
- Triomphant class
- French Navy SSBN with M51 SLBM.
- Type 052D
- Chinese Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer.
- Type 055
- Chinese Renhai-class large guided-missile destroyer.
- Type 056
- Chinese Jiangdao-class corvette.
- Type 091
- Chinese Han-class nuclear-powered attack submarine class.
- Type 092
- Chinese Xia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
- Type 093
- Chinese Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarine.
- Type 094
- Chinese Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
- Type 212
- ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems air-independent propulsion submarine class operated by Germany and Italy.
- Type 214
- Export AIP submarine derived from Type 212.
- Type 23
- Royal Navy Duke-class anti-submarine frigate program.
- Type 26
- BAE Systems City-class Global Combat Ship, also forming the basis for the Hunter and CSC programs.
- Type 31
- Royal Navy Inspiration-class general-purpose frigate program.
- Type 346
- Chinese active electronically scanned array radar fitted on Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers.
- Type 45
- Royal Navy Daring-class air-defense destroyer program.
- Type 730
- Chinese close-in weapon system based on a 30mm seven-barrel rotary cannon.
U
- Ulsan-class
- Republic of Korea Navy FFX-I frigate program led by ROKS Incheon (FFG-811).
- USS Constellation (FFG-62)
- Lead ship of the Constellation-class guided-missile frigate program for the US Navy.
V
- Vanguard class
- Royal Navy SSBN with Trident II D5.
- Vikramaditya
- Indian Navy STOBAR carrier.
- Vikrant (IAC-1)
- Indian Navy indigenous aircraft carrier with pennant R11.
- Virginia class
- USN SSN-774 nuclear attack submarine, Blocks I through V in service or construction.
- Visby class
- Swedish Navy stealth corvette with carbon-fiber composite hull.
- VLS
- Vertical Launching System.
Y
- Yantar
- Russian shipyard at Kaliningrad building Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates and other warships.
- Yasen class
- Russian Project 885 SSGN.
- Yuan class
- PLAN Type 039A AIP submarine with Stirling engine.
Z
- Zelenodolsk
- Russian shipyard on the Volga building Buyan-M and Admiral Grigorovich-class ships.
- Zumwalt class
- USN DDG-1000 tumblehome multi-mission destroyer with two AGS 155 mm guns and Mk 57 PVLS.