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Shipspotters all over the world => Help and Advice => Topic started by: Bob Prins on May 23, 2011, 11:30:37 AM

Title: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Bob Prins on May 23, 2011, 11:30:37 AM
I am trying to find a site that will give me MMSI and/or IMO numbers for Royal Australian Navy and US Coast Guard ships. I have seen a number of RAN and USCG ships posted on different sites and they have this information.

I use Equasis, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and International Telecommunications Union sites as the main sources for MMSI and IMO information. They do not help me access military ships.
I have also explored RAN and USCG sites for this information.

Can anyone direct me to a source  where I can get the information for military vessels?

Bob
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Bj on May 23, 2011, 11:50:11 AM
Hello
Try this place: http://www.digital-seas.com/start.html
regards
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Phil English on May 23, 2011, 11:57:45 AM
Bob,

The IMO number was introduced by the International Maritime Organisation as an aid to enhancing safety and as a measure to combat maritime fraud. The IMO has given LR Fairplay (now IHS Fairplay) sole authority for issuing IMO numbers which are based on the old Lloyds Register (LR) unique numbering system. The IMO number applies only to merchant vessels, hence there is no requirement for military vessels to be issued with them. However, LR and LR Fairplay did go through a phase of issuing LR numbers to military ships but, although LR numbers follow exactly the same pattern as IMO numbers, they are not strictly 'IMO numbers'. Although issued (though I don't believe it is comprehensively) it is rare to see 'LR numbers' published for military ships.

The MMSI number is a non-unique number issued to vessels for satellite radio telephony. It applies to both merchant and military vessels as well as leisure craft. However, MMSI numbers do not remain constant when ships change flag and can be re-used. Hence, it is not a good way of accurately identifying vessels. Most vessels transmitting an AIS signal will display their MMSI number, so sites such as marinetraffic.com and vesseltracker.com are one way to source an MMSI number.

Brgds
Phil.  
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Bob Prins on May 23, 2011, 12:33:52 PM
Thanks Bj
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Chris Howell on June 02, 2011, 02:15:31 AM
There is no easy solution to this.

This site uses IMO numbers, but does not have anyway to identify warships, which means if for example you look up HMNZS Canterbury all the photos with that title come up, the only possible way would be by hull number, but even this would cause problems, as the numbers are reused by some navies.

As to AIS,it is unlikely warships use this as they want to keep their position secret.
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Glenn Towler on June 02, 2011, 08:46:19 AM
Some of the Australian Navy Vessels do have IMO numbers, HMAS Sirius is one them as she was a merchant tanker before being comissoned into the Australian Navy and I think the 2 US Rust Buckets also have IMO No's.  I would be happy to go through my database and extract the records that do have IMO Numbers, I assume the ships that were built overseas and tranisted to Australia were issued with IMO no's as they were not a commissoned ship in the Navy as yet?

One of my South American contacts used to be good and providing IMO No's for Naval ships, just can't remember which one.

Glenn
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Stan Laundon on June 02, 2011, 02:58:51 PM
I've read this thread, with interest, because just this morning we had the British naval vessel "HMS Hurworth" arrive in Hartlepool with the IMO number of 84.

When I tried to add this number to my posting it wasn't accepted, of course, because IMO numbers must have seven digits.
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Phil English on June 02, 2011, 03:40:25 PM
Stan,

As you say, IMO numbers (and LR numbers) MUST have 7 digits. Whichever source is quoting "84" as an IMO number has clearly got it's facts completely wrong. If it's from an AIS signal, it just highlights the frailty of a system which is dependent on ships' personnel entering correct data.

Brgds
Phil
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Stan Laundon on June 02, 2011, 03:47:55 PM
Hi Phil,

The information on the IMO number was listed on the PD Port site:

http://www.pdports.co.uk/teesport/shippingreports/SR-02-ShipsInPort.asp (http://www.pdports.co.uk/teesport/shippingreports/SR-02-ShipsInPort.asp)

Of course, the 'Ships in Port' link will be out of date by June 7th when she sails.


Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Popeye_the_Sailor on June 06, 2012, 12:25:49 PM
I am trying to find a site that will give me MMSI and/or IMO numbers for Royal Australian Navy and US Coast Guard ships. I have seen a number of RAN and USCG ships posted on different sites and they have this information.

I use Equasis, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and International Telecommunications Union sites as the main sources for MMSI and IMO information. They do not help me access military ships.
I have also explored RAN and USCG sites for this information.

Can anyone direct me to a source  where I can get the information for military vessels?

Bob

You can search for a ship in websites with big databases for vessels like imonumber.com (http://imonumber.com) and shiplist.net (http://shiplist.net)
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Bob Prins on June 06, 2012, 01:35:53 PM
Thanks Popeye - they look like useful links.

Cheers ... Bob
Title: Re: MMSI or IMO Numbers for Military Vessels
Post by: Popeye_the_Sailor on November 06, 2012, 02:39:30 PM
hi guys, I can suggest you two other very useful websites:
1) http://www.vesselfinder.com/ this one is for real time ship tracking
2) http://www.cruisemapper.com/ (http://www.cruisemapper.com/) this is for the same but for cruise ships only

And I also read an article (http://www.shiptracker.org/google-satellite/) about the Satellite AIS ship tracking which coul be interesting for you too.