Editing Pennant number (section)

{{Short description|Naval ship identifier in Europe}}
{{about|Royal Navy and European ship pennant numbers|the United States equivalent|Hull classification symbol|the Canadian equivalent|Hull classification symbol (Canada)}}

In the [[Royal Navy]] and other navies of [[Europe]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], ships are identified by '''pennant number''' (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that identified a [[flotilla]] or type of vessel. For example, the Royal Navy used a red [[burgee]] for [[torpedo boat]]s and a [[Pennon|pennant]] with an '''H''' for [[torpedo boat destroyers]]. Adding a number to the type-identifying flag uniquely identified each ship.

In the current system, a letter [[prefix]], called a ''flag superior'', identifies the type of ship, and numerical [[suffix]], called a flag inferior, uniquely identifies an individual ship. Not all pennant numbers have a flag superior.