Pennant Number - International Pennant Numbers

International Pennant Numbers

Several European NATO and Commonwealth navies agreed to introduce a pennant number system based on that of the Royal Navy. The system guarantees that, amongst those navies and other navies that later joined, all pennant numbers are unique. The United States, as mentioned before, does not participate in the NATO system; its ships are identified by a unique hull classification symbol.

Participating countries, with their assigned number ranges, include:

• Argentina — (D: 1x, 2x; P: 3x, 4x; S: 2x, 3x; C: x; V: x)
• Australia (formerly incorporated into the Royal Navy system until 1969; now uses a system based on the U.S. hull classification symbols)
• Belgium — (9xx; M: 4xx)
• Denmark — (N: 0xx; A/M/P: 5xx; F/S/Y: 3xx; L: 0xx)
• France — (R: 9x; C/D/S: 6xx; M/P/A: 6xx, 7xx; L: 9xxx)
• Germany — (D: 1xx; F: 2xx; M: 10xx, 26xx; P: 61xx; A: 5x, 51x, 14xx; L: 76x)
• Greece — (D/P: 0x, 2xx; A/F: 4xx; L/S/M: 1xx)
• Italy — (5xx; M/A: 5xxx; P: 4xx; L: 9xxx)
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Netherlands (8xx; Y: 8xxx)
• Norway (F/S/M: 3xx; P: 9xx; L: 45xx)
• Poland
• Portugal (F/M: 4xx; S: 1xx; P: 11xx0)
• Spain (0x)
• Sri Lanka
• South Africa
• Turkey (D/S: 3xx; F: 2xx; N: 1xx; A/M: 5xx; P: 1xx, 3xx, L: 4xx; Y: 1xxx)
• United Kingdom (R: 0x; D: 0x & 1xx; F: 0x, 1xx, 2xx; S: 0x, 1xx; M: 0x, 1xx, 1xxx, 2xxx; P: 1xx, 2xx, 3xx; L: 0x, 1xx, 3xxx, 4xxx; A: any)

The NATO pennant number system added the Y (for yard) symbol for tugboats, floating cranes, docks and the like.