Abstract: In recent years, metamaterials have garnered significant interest in ship equipment. The connotation of metamaterials is relatively clear, mainly characterized by artificial structures or negative physical parameters. The inclusive metamaterials, always emerging new types, emphasize structures of materials. With the advancement of processing technology, metamaterials develop toward both micro-nanostructures and large-scale structures. Focusing on the development of ship equipment, we review the research progress and technical challenges of metamaterials faced in fields such as ship stealth, vibration and noise reduction, communication antennas, hydrophobic anti-icing, and discuss the potential applications of metamaterials in ship equipment.