Ship Type Code

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Ship Type Codes are a short form for identifying the types or mission statement for a starship.

Please refer to the following AAB library data for more information:

Description (Specifcations)

The type code provide as general system for describing the mission of a ship, the Ship Hull Designations contains the complete list of assigned codes and meanings.

  • These are different from Starship Classes in that many classes of starships may share the same type.
  • Ship types codes have one to three characters. In order they are a primary mission identifier, and one or two characters of an optional mission qualifier. All ships use the same primary mission identifier. The definitions for the mission qualifiers are different between military ships and civilian ships.

Imperial Ship Classification Synopsis

The basic system of ship classification and organization for ships within Charted Space and particularly within Imperial Space works on a simple hierarchy of mission (generalized use), type (specific use), class (very specific use), model (technological level), and lot or bloc (production run):

Imperial Ship Classification
# Level Designation Synopsis Example/s
1. Ship Mission Codes SUPRACLASS MISSION Free Trader AKA Merchant
2. Ship Type Codes SUPERCLASS TYPE Type A class Free Trader
3. Ship Class Codes CLASS CLASS Beowulf class Free Trader
4. Ship Model Codes MODEL TL & Model TL-14 Beowulf Build
  • Models aren’t always mentioned, but if they are, they are usually referred to by a TL designation.
5. Ship Bloc Codes LOT or BLOC Named Ship “The Lonesome Wolf” of ‘Bloc 312-1115d’
  • Ship Lots or Bloc Codes are rarely used except by naval shipyards, patrol craft, and the like. They are recorded in the ship’s computer as well as a number of places on the hull.

Overview of Imperial Ship Classification

'Imperial Ship Classification
# Level Example Remarks
1. Supraclass (Function) Dreadnought It’s the largest organizational grouping by a generalized function or mission. For instance, battleships and cruisers have different generalized missions although they can perform many of the same jobs.
2. Type (Superclass) Type BB class Dreadnought It’s a larger type grouping by a specific function or mission. Different kinds of battleships or types may perform different yet broadly similar missions.
3. Class (Ship) Tigress class Dreadnought The ship itself is synonymous with a class. The first produced version becomes the class namesake under most practices. It has an even more specific mission that the craft type code (type) or superclass.
4. Model (Version) TL-15 Tigress Model 1105-Q3-9PR This classification may include incremental improvements often as a result of TL advances. Some classes of ships can be built at several different TL’s. For instance, the ubiquitous Beowulf Free Trader has builds from TL-10 to TL-15.
5. Lot (Block) Block 365-1105 Reg-A-4702-4826-9931 This classification is also known as a Production Bloc. Blocs may have differences from lot to lot. Sometimes aftermarket or post-production modification (customization) may yield very different ships from the originally manufactured ship class.

History & Background (Dossier)

No information yet available.

Early Imperial Type Codes

Ship Hull Designation Codes #1
Code Primary Secondary (M) Secondary (C)
A Military Auxiliary Heavy Heavy
B Battleship Battle Battle
C Cruiser Cruiser Construction
D Destroyer Destroyer Transport
E Escort Escort Tug
F Frigate Frigate -
G Commercial Gunned Governmental
H Non-Commercial Fuel Fuel
IJ Intruder Interface Interface
K Safari Ship Courier Courier
L Lab Light Light
M Merchant Missile Mining
N - - -
O - Ordinance -
P Fighter Pursuit Law Enforcement
Q Military Specialty Decoy -
R Liner Rider Residential
S Military Smallcraft Strike Survey
T Transport Tender Tender
U Utility - -
V Carrier Replenishment Agricultural
W Orbital Complexes - -
X - - -
Y Yacht - Private
Z - Hybrid -

Alternative Ship Type Encoding

There are a number alternative ship type encoding.

  • Starship type codes are between one and three characters long. In order there is an optional race or empire qualifier, a required primary mission identifier, and an optional mission qualifier.
  • MegaTraveller has a subtly different set of ship type codes available. Nothing taken away, but a few additions are made.
  • See Military Starship Types and Civilian Starship Types for more information.
  • The full list is under the MT Primary and MT Qualifier below.

Mid-Imperium Ship Type Codes

Ship Hull Designation Codes #2
Code Race Primary Qualifier — MT Primary MT Qualifier
A Aslan Merchant Armored — Merchant Armored
B - Battle Battle; Boat — Battle Battle; Boat
C - Cruiser; Carrier Cruiser; Close — Cruiser; Carrier Cruiser; Close
D Droyne Destroyer Destroyer — Destroyer Destroyer
E - Escort Escort — Escort
F - Frigate; Fighter Fast; Fleet — Frigate; Fighter Fast; Fleet
G - Gig; Refinery Gunned — Gig Gunned
H Hiver - Heavy — Hunter Heavy
I,J Julian Protectorate Intruder - — Intruder Imperial
K K'kree Pinnace - — Pinnace Courier
L - Corvette; Lab Leader; Light — Lab; Corvette Leader; Light
M - Merchant Missile — Merchant Missile
N - - Non-Standard — Ferry Non-Standard
P - Planetoid Provincial — Planetoid Provincial
Q - Auxiliary Decoy — Auxiliary Decoy
R - Liner Raider — Liner Raider
S Solomani Scout; Station Strike — Scout; Station Strike
T - Tanker; Tender Troop; Transport — Tanker; Tender Troop; Transport
U - - Unpowered — Tug Unpowered
V Vargr - Vehicle — Carrier Vehicle
W - Barge - — Barge Slow
X - Express - — Express Alternate
Y - Yacht Shuttle; Cutter — Yacht Shuttle; Cutter
Z Zhodani - Experimental — Special Experimental

Late Imperial Type Codes

Late Imperial Ship Classification
Code
Code 		A. Mission
1. Supraclass 		B, Qualifier
2. Superclass 		C. Type
3. Class 		D. Activity
4. Model 		E. Service
5. Bloc (Lot)
C Cruiser Principal Offensive Combat Military
G Frigate Major Offensive Combat Military
E Corvette Minor Offensive Combat Military
H Ortillery Ship Attack Siege Combat Military
T Assault Invasion Siege Combat Military
S Sentinel Defender Siege Combat Military
B Monitor Principal Defensive Combat Military
D Defender (SDB) Major Defensive Combat Military
E Escort Minor Defensive Combat Military
P Corsair Anti-Shipping Independent Combat Military
R Raider Anti-Commerce Independent Combat Military
P Marauder Anti-Port Independent Combat Military
T Transport Major Supply Auxiliary Military
W Barge Minor Supply Auxiliary Military
T Tender, Tug Resupply Supply Auxiliary Military
E Corvette Information Supply Auxiliary Military
M Liner Passenger Scheduled Merchant Civilian
R Merchant Ship Cargo Scheduled Merchant Civilian
F Freighter Ship Freight Scheduled Merchant Civilian
T Transport Ship Freight Unscheduled Merchant Civilian
A Trader Cargo Unscheduled Merchant Civilian
U Packet Ship Passenger Unscheduled Merchant Civilian
K Safari Ship Recreation Charter Merchant Civilian
K Expedition Ship Active Charter Merchant Civilian
Y Yacht Luxury Charter Merchant Civilian
S Courier Ship Small Goods Information Non-combat Paramilitary
S Messenger Ship Data Files Information Non-combat Paramilitary
X Express Ship Goods & Files Information Non-combat Paramilitary
S Scout Ship First Look Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
S Survey Ship Re-Look Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
N Beagle Data Collection Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
N Hospital Ship Medical Data Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
L Lab Ship Data Analysis Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
J Seeker (Prospector) Resource Search Exploration Non-combat Paramilitary
P Picket Ship Inspection Bureaucratic Non-combat Paramilitary
P Patrol Ship Enforcement Bureaucratic Non-combat Paramilitary
P Privateer Anti-Shipping Privateer Combat Paramilitary
Z Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified

References & Contributions (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
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