The NVR traces its origin back to the 1880s, having evolved from several previous publications. In 1911, the
Bureau of Construction and Repair published
Ships Data US Naval Vessels, which subsequently became the
Ships Data Book in 1952 under the
Bureau of Ships. The
Bureau of Ordnance's
Vessel Register, first published in 1942 and retitled
Naval Vessel Register, was combined with the
Ships Data Book under the Bureau of Ships in 1959. Since 1962, the NVR has been maintained and published by the NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office (NAVSHIPSO) of the
Naval Sea Systems Command. Referred to by Congress in the statutes of , the NVR is maintained as directed by
U.S. Navy Regulations, Article 0406, of September 14, 1990. The vessels are listed in the NVR when the
classification and
hull number(s) are assigned to ships and service craft authorized to be built by the
president of the United States, or when the
chief of naval operations requests instatement or reinstatement of vessels as approved by the
secretary of the Navy. Once listed, the ship or service craft remains in the NVR throughout its life as a Navy asset. Afterwards, its final disposition is recorded. Many vessels struck from the NVR are transferred to the Navy Inactive Fleet or to the
United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) to become part of the
National Defense Reserve Fleet. Some continue limited operation in the
Ready Reserve Fleet. The NVR is updated weekly and as of the 2010s is only available in electronic form online. Over 6,500 separate record transactions are processed annually with each being supported by official documentation. The NVR includes a list of ships and service craft on hand, under construction, converted, loaned/leased, or to be loaned, and those assigned to the
Military Sealift Command. Ship class, fleet assignment, name, age, home port, planning yard, custodian, hull and machinery characteristics, builder, key construction dates, battle forces, local defense and miscellaneous support forces, and status conditions are some of the data elements provided. In March 2014, the Navy started counting self-deployable support ships for the fleet such as minesweepers, surveillance craft, and tugs as part of its "battle fleet" in order to reach a count of 272 as of October 2016. ==See also==