United States Department of Defense Aerospace Vehicle Designations
Encyclopedia
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s, missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s, spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
, and other aerial vehicle
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
s in military use by the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
.
Individual system pages
- 1911 United States Navy aircraft designation system
- 1914 United States Navy aircraft designation system
- 1919 United States Army Air Service aircraft designation system
- 1924 United States Army Air Service aircraft designation system also applied to aircraft of the United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... - 1948 United States Air Force aircraft designation system
- 1922 United States Navy aircraft designation system1922 United States Navy aircraft designation systemUntil 1962, the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps used a system to designate their aircraft that included information about a craft's role and its manufacturer.-The system:...
(includes United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
aircraft) - 1956 United States Army aircraft designation system
- 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation systemThe 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified designation system introduced by the United States Department of Defense on 18 September 1962 for all the U.S. military aircraft. Prior to this date, each armed service used their own nomenclature system...
(DoD Publication 4120.15-L)
Overview
The current United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
system for naming and designating aircraft aims to provide a unified system across all services that applies to all military aerial and space craft. There are two basic components to a craft's identity: its designation, and its common name.
A vehicle designation is sometimes referred to as a Mission Design Series (MDS), referring to the three main parts of the designation, that combine to form a unique profile for each vehicle. The first series of letters (up to four) determine the type of craft and designed mission. A series number identifies major types which are of the same type and mission, and finally a series of variant and block identifiers clarify the exact configuration of the vehicle.
The name is a matter of less specific construction, but is aimed at providing an official common name which eases identification and communication regarding the vehicle. The common name is not used in internal publications (an official internal report would refer to the "F-16" and "AIM-9" but not mention the names "Fighting Falcon" or "Sidewinder"). Pilots often have their own nicknames for their aircraft which may bear only coincidental resemblance (if that) to the official common name, although some pilot nicknames are similar or even derived from the official common name (such as "Bug" and "Super Bug" for the F/A-18 Hornet
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry air-to-air...
).
The current regulations and procedures relating to employing this system are laid out in DoD and branch documents, including Air Force Joint Instruction 16-401 http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/412015l_0504/p412015l.pdf, and are not classified. These regulations replaced the previous regulations which were originally introduced in 1962 (See 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system
1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system
The 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified designation system introduced by the United States Department of Defense on 18 September 1962 for all the U.S. military aircraft. Prior to this date, each armed service used their own nomenclature system...
).
Components
There are 10 potential components of a system's designation, comprising the three basic parts of the designation.Status Prefix: Optional prefix to denote vehicles with unique status, such as non-flying or experimental.
Modified Mission: Optional additional mission identifier which clarifies or notes modification of the basic mission.
Launch Environment: Identifies method of launch for missiles and rockets.
Mission: The most basic component of the initial part of the designation, identifies the basic design mission of the craft.
Vehicle Type: Identifies non-standard vehicle types.
Design Number: Serial number assigned to each design of the same mission type, with a dash separating the mission and number.
Series: A letter suffix to indicate which series within a design the vehicle belongs to.
Configuration Number: For missiles and rockets, an identifier to designate specific changes in missile configuration.
Block: For aircraft, a defined configuration within a series or design.
Serial Number: Individual examples have a serial number to identify them.
Status Prefix
Status prefix is an optional prefix not often used for vehicles in regular service. If used, it is the first letter in the MDS. Authorized current status prefixes are:C: Captive. Only used for rockets and missiles, C applies to missiles designed to be carried in their launch environment but are incapable of actual launch.
D: Dummy. Only used for rockets and missiles which are non-flying, primarily for ground training.
G: Grounded. Applied to aircraft which are permanently grounded, most often used for ground training of crews and support. This is only applied as a permanent designation. Use is rare.
J: Temporary Special Test. Applied to craft involved with special testing of temporarily installed equipment. The J Prefix is used for aircraft that can be reasonably returned to their original configuration following tests. An example is aircraft used as testbeds for new electronics, but which will or may not retain that equipment after tests are complete.
N: Permanent Special Test. Applied to craft involved with special testing on a permanent basis, with modifications to their configuration that make return to original configuration impractical. Many military aircraft transferred to NASA for aeronautical research carry this designation.
X: Experimental. Applied to craft which are not yet accepted for service, or to prototypes for which standard configuration has not been finalized. Most prototypes of the past carried this prefix, but it should not be confused with craft given an X basic mission symbol. The X status prefix is for designs for other missions, but at an experimental stage of the design process.
Y: Prototype. Originally applied to demonstration craft where configuration had been determined, but from the 1970s on applied to all prototypes of aircraft intended for production.
Z: Planning. Applied to designs in the planning/pre-development phase.
Modified Mission Symbol
Many craft have been designed for more specific missions than their basic mission symbol would indicate, and many design series have been designed for different missions than the original design, and may or may not still maintain capability for the original mission. The modified mission symbol provides the services the ability to accurately indicate a craft's mission without losing commonality with the basic design MDS. If utilized, the modified mission symbol is placed directly in front of the basic mission symbol. Modified mission symbols are not used for rockets and missiles. Currently authorized modified mission symbols are:A: Attack. Similar to the basic mission symbol, A applies to aircraft modified to attack land or sea targets. Example is the AC-130U Spectre, a transport modified for ground attack missions.
C: Cargo. Similar to the basic mission symbol, C applies to aircraft modified to carry cargo and passengers.
D: Director. Applies to aircraft modified to control unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones.
E: Electronics. Applies to aircraft modified with addition of extensive electronic equipment, either for enhancement of their basic mission, or as a platform for specifically electronic missions such as providing electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
(ECM), airborne early warning
Airborne Early Warning
An airborne early warning and control system is an airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes...
(AEW), airborne command and control (ACC), or communications relay. Example is the EP-3A Orion, a patrol aircraft outfitted with special electronics to collect electronic data.
F: Fighter. Similar to the basic mission symbol, F applies to aircraft modified to engage in air combat. Used on many American fightercraft.
H: Search and Rescue. Similar to the basic mission symbol, H applies to aircraft modified to assist search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) operations. Example is the HU-25 Guardian, a utility transport modified for Coast Guard search and rescue coordination.
K: Tanker. Applies to aircraft modified to carry and transfer aviation fuel in flight to other aircraft. Example is the KA-6D Intruder, an attack aircraft modified with tanks and hoses to provide aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
.
L: Cold Weather. Applies to aircraft modified to operate in Arctic or Antarctic environments. Example is the LC-130, a transport modified to deliver logistics support to Antarctic stations.
M: Multi-Mission. Applies to aircraft modified to perform various missions, in particular special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
modifications. Also used as a catch all for missions that neither fit in any category, nor warrant their own.
O: Observation. Applies to aircraft modified to perform observation of enemy or potential enemy positions, and patrol borders or areas of potential infiltration. Example is the OA-10A, an attack aircraft modified to provide observation of enemy territory.
P: Patrol. Similar to the basic mission symbol, P applies to aircraft modified to perform maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
.
Q: Drone. Applies to craft modified to operate unmanned, under control of ground or air directors or autonomously. Example is the QF-106 Delta Dart, a fighter modified to fly under remote control as a target for missile testing.
R: Reconnaissance. Similar to the basic mission symbol, R applies to aircraft modified to perform air reconnaissance of enemy forces, territory, and facilities. Example is the RF-5E Tiger II, a fighter with added reconnaissance cameras and equipment for photographing enemy positions.
S: Anti-Submarine. Similar to the basic mission symbol, S applies to aircraft modified to search for, locate, and attack enemy submarines.
T: Training. Similar to the basic mission symbol, T applies to aircraft modified for use as trainers, both initial and operational. Examples are two-seat operational training versions of single-seat aircraft, such as the TA-4J and TF-102. Fully combat-capable two-seaters are usually simply assigned a new series letter.
U: Utility. Similar to the basic mission symbol, U applies to aircraft modified to allow use as utility and base support aircraft. Example is the UP-3 Orion, a patrol plane modified for transportation of staff, mail, and operations in support of bases and installations.
V: Staff/VIP. Applied to aircraft modified for transport of staff and ranking personnel with furnishment of comfortable accommodations. Example is the VC-25, a 747 modified to serve as the Presidential transport, or Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
.
W: Weather. Applied to aircraft modified for weather monitoring and air sampling. Example is the WC-135, a transport modified with special equipment for air sampling. The W designation covers air sampling to detect nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination, and for intelligence gathering on foreign nuclear testing.
Basic Mission Symbol
The basic mission symbol is the heart of the mission part of the designation. No designation is without it, and some designations consist of only a basic mission symbol for the mission part, such as the F-14 or C-130. The following are the officially authorized basic mission symbols:A: Attack. Attack craft are designed to directly attack enemy land or sea targets, interdict enemy movements and support, and strike precision targets. Examples are the A-6 Intruder and A-10 Thunderbolt II.
B: Bomber. Bombers are designed to attack strategic and tactical targets with heavy bomb loads and missiles. They carry heavy loads of free-fall and stand-off weaponry. Examples are the B-52 Stratofortress and B-2A Spirit.
C: Cargo. Transports are designed to carry cargo and passengers to provide tactical logistical support and strategic mobility to other forces. Examples are the C-2 Greyhound and C-130 Hercules.
E: Electronic. Electronics craft are designed explicitly to fulfill electronic specialty missions such as ECM, ACC, AEW, and communications. Examples are the E-2 Hawkeye and E-3 Sentry.
F: Fighter. Fighters are designed to intercept and engage enemy aircraft and missiles. It is also a catch-all for multi-mission aircraft, even if it is primarily designed for ground-attack purpose. Examples are the F-22 Raptor and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
AL: Airborne Laser. Laser craft are those who are primarily designed to employ laser weaponry against air and ground targets. This is a very new designation, and only applies to the AL-1 ABL program.
O: Observation. Observation craft are designed to maintain observation over land, primarily territory either held by enemy forces or susceptible to infiltration. Unlike reconnaissance craft, they loiter over area providing observation over time. Examples are the O-1 Bird Dog and OV-10 Bronco.
P: Patrol. Patrol craft are designed for maritime reconnaissance missions, including anti-submarine warfare. Example is the P-3 Orion.
Q: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s (UAV). Examples are the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-8 Fire Scout.
R: Reconnaissance: Reconnaissance craft are designed to conduct reconnaissance through photographic and electrical means.
S: Anti-submarine: Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) craft are designed to locate and attack enemy submarines. Example is the S-3 Viking.
T: Trainer: Trainers are aircraft used to train aircrews. Examples are the T-6 Texan II
T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . Based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer and...
and T-45 Goshawk
T-45 Goshawk
|-Avionics:Data from naval-technology.com *Smiths Industries, Ltd. AN/USN-2 Standard Attitude Heading and Reference System . Later replaced by the BAE/Marconi AN/ASN-180 Navigation Guidance System ....
.
U: Utility: Utility craft are utilized for miscellaneous missions and base support.
X: Research: Research craft are designed for experimental and developmental research programs. Unlike the X mission modifier, the X basic mission symbol is used for craft solely designed for this purpose, with no operational mission intended or feasible. Examples are the entire series of X-plane
X-plane
The X-planes are a series of experimental United States airplanes and helicopters used for the testing and evaluation of new technologies and aerodynamic concepts...
s from the Bell X-1 on.
Vehicle Type Symbols
For non-standard vehicle types (vehicles other than piloted, fixed-wing and self-propelled aircraft which are wholly supported by aerodynamic lift from liftoff to touchdown), a final symbol is added after the basic mission symbol to identify the vehicle type. Current applicable symbols are as follow:G: Glider. A glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
is a fixed-wing aircraft deigned to use air currents for normal lift, although it may have an engine.
H: Helicopter. A helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
is any rotary-wing aircraft.
Q: Unmanned. An unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
(UAV) is any aircraft without capacity for a human pilot, but not merely a missile or rocket.
S: Spaceplane. A spaceplane is a vehicle designed to fly beyond earth's atmosphere and return. This vehicle code was poorly chosen, as it conflicts with the mission code S (Anti-Submarine Warfare). "ES" could equally designate a spaceplane designed specifically for electronic warfare or an anti-submarine plane modified for that purpose.
V: V/STOL. A Vertical and/or Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft is designed to take-off and land vertically, but not rely on rotary-wing lift for flight. This includes vectored thrust aircraft such as the AV-8 Harrier and tiltrotor
Tiltrotor
A tiltrotor is an aircraft which uses a pair or more of powered rotors mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles at the end of a fixed wing for lift and propulsion, and combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft...
s such as the V-22 Osprey
V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
. It also applies to aircraft of the normal fixed-wing configuration that are capable of taking off and landing in a short runway space, such as the OV-10 Bronco
OV-10 Bronco
The North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control aircraft...
.
Z: Lighter than air. A lighter than air craft is designed to remain aloft through buoyancy of lighter than air gases. Such craft include blimps and balloons.
Rocket/Missile Launch Environment
All rockets and missiles contain a symbol to indicate the launch method, be it from the air, ground, sea, etc. The following are the currently authorized symbols for launch environments. These are not used for other aerospace vehicles.A: Air-launched. The missile is launched from an airborne vehicle. Example is the AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
ing missile.
B: Multiple. The missile can be launched from various environments. The BGM-109 Tomahawk
BGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures...
, for instance, can launch from a ground unit, aircraft, or ship-mounted launcher.
C: Coffin. Stored in an unhardened horizontal container (less than 45 degree angle) at ground level and either launched horizontally or raised vertical for launch. Coffin launchers may be either on land or at sea. For an example, see the early versions of the Atlas ICBM.
F: Individual. The missile is launched by an individual soldier in the field, otherwise referred to as man-portable. Example is the FIM-92 Stinger, a light man-portable surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
(SAM).
G: Ground. The missile is launched directly from the ground surface, including runways.
H: Silo-Stored. The missile stored vertically in a silo but raised to ground level for launch. An example is the Atlas-F.
L: Silo-Launched. The missile is launched from its storage silo, buried in the ground.
M: Mobile. The missile is launched from a mobile ground vehicle.
P: Pad. Like a traditional space rocket, the missile is stored and launched from an unprotected ground facility.
R: Ship. The missile is launched from a ship or barge.
S: Space. The missile is launched from a spacecraft. This is so far used only for the upper stage of another rocket like the SSB-8 Centaur
Centaur (rocket stage)
Centaur is a rocket stage designed for use as the upper stage of space launch vehicles. Centaur boosts its satellite payload to geosynchronous orbit or, in the case of an interplanetary space probe, to or near to escape velocity...
.
U: Underwater. The missile is launched from a submarine or underwater device.
Rocket/Missile Mission Symbol
Rockets and missiles are assigned a single mission symbol, which usually denotes the intended target type of the missile. For most types of missile, the combination of launch environment and mission symbols form a from-to combination (surface-to-air, ship-to-submarine) that gives one a good idea of the potential uses for the missile.C: Transport. Applies to vehicles designed to carry cargo and deliver it to a location. This can also be used to designate a carrier for electronics or weapons systems.
D: Decoy. Applies to vehicles that function as decoys for defeating enemy anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses.
E: Electronics. Applies to vehicles that carry out electronic missions such as communications or countermeasures.
G: Ground. Applies to vehicles designed to attack surface targets, including vehicles.
I: Intercept. Applies to vehicles designed to attack aerial targets, including both aircraft and missiles.
L: Launch detection. Applies to vehicles designed to detect launch of missiles and track and identify enemy aircraft and missiles. This also applies to detection and monitoring of space launches and re-entry.
M: Scientific. Applies to vehicles designed to collect scientific data.
N: Navigation. Applies to navigational assistance designs.
Q: Drone. Applies to a vehicle designed to be remotely controlled.
S: Space support. Applies to vehicles designed to support space programs and activities.
T: Training. Applies to training designs.
U: Underwater. Applies to vehicles designed to attack submarines and underwater targets.
W: Weather. Applies to vehicles designed to obtain weather data and collect aerial samples.
Vehicle Type Symbol
For rockets and missiles, the vehicle type symbol identifies the basic vehicle type and will be the final symbol in the mission part of the MDS.B: Booster. Boosters are primary or auxiliary propulsion units for other vehicles.
M: Missile. Guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
s are unmanned vehicles flying a path controlled by a guidance system.
N: Probe. Probe
Space probe
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...
s are non-orbital unmanned vehicles designed primarily to collect data within the aerospace environment.
R: Rocket. Rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s are single-use unmanned vehicles without guidance after launch.
S: Satellite. Satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s are space vehicles which orbit the earth.
Exceptions
- The F/A-18 HornetF/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
uses an unofficial designation to highlight the fact that its multi-role capabilities were built in from the earliest stages (as opposed to a hypothetical AF-18: a fighter modified for the attack role), however other comparable aircraft, such as the F-16 and later F-15s do not seem to have even gained a modified mission A, instead remaining with their F designation. This is the case even with the F-15E Strike EagleF-15E Strike EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
, an F-15 variant used exclusively in the attack role. It should also be noted that the system specifically forbids the use of slashes and other characters, and the Hornet is referred to in official documentation as the FA-18, which implies an attack aircraft modified for the fighter role. The F-22 RaptorF-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
was designated "F/A-22" for two years from 2003-2005 before being redesignated F-22 immediately before being transitioned to active service status. Recently a strike version of the F-22 has been mooted with the designation FB-22.
- The F-117 NighthawkF-117 NighthawkThe Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
has no practical air-to-air capability, and should probably be an attack aircraft or a bomber. Some sources suggest that the ex-fighter pilot-dominated Air Force could not conceive of the most advanced aircraft being anything other than a fighter, but a more plausible reason comes from the need for secrecy. The real reason, however, is that several treaties the U.S. has entered into place restrictions on the addition of new bombers into its military inventory. It is rumoured that F-112 to F-116 were Soviet aircraft 'acquired' for testing, and it was perhaps hoped that anyone coming across an F-117 designation would assume that it was also a captured aircraft.
- Although the mission letters of the AV-8 Harrier's designation are correct, the series number is not. The Ryan XV-8Ryan XV-8The V-8 designation was re-used by the U.S. armed forces to refer to the AV-8 Harrier. This was an unrelated project.The V-8 designation was re-used by the U.S. armed forces to refer to the AV-8 Harrier. This was an unrelated project....
("Fleep") had already existed, so, while A-8 would have been fine, the V designation should have been AV-14.
- The original designation of the SR-71 BlackbirdSR-71 BlackbirdThe Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the...
, RS-71 was specifically allowed for in the original system, standing for Reconnaissance and Surveillance - or, it is sometimes said, Reconnaissance and Strike. Although there is an urban legend that president Lyndon Johnson made a slip of the tongue in his announcement speech, a look at the original speech he was reading from shows that this is not so. It transpires that USAF Chief of Staff Curtis LeMayCurtis LeMayCurtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
simply liked the sound of SR-71 better that RS-71, and had the speech changed. The SR was explained as Strategic Reconnaissance.
- The Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
has three different designations in U.S. service - E-4Boeing E-4The Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, with a project name of "Nightwatch", is an aircraft operated by the United States Air Force...
, (V)C-25Boeing VC-25The Boeing VC-25 is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 747 airliner. The A-model is the only variant of the VC-25....
and AL-1Boeing YAL-1The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed, weapons system is a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F. It is primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles , while in boost phase. The aircraft was designated...
- something which violates the basic purpose of the system.
- The CC-130J Hercules referred to the stretched C-130J-30 Hercules. The -30 suffix was not supportable in the system, yet another series letter (C-130L, for instance) was apparently not appropriate, so a modified mission letter had to be added. Hence, the CC-130J is, bizarrely, a cargo aircraft "modified" for the cargo role. This was later dropped. The CC-130J should not be confused with the CC-130 Hercules operated by the Canadian Airforce. The first "C" identifies the aircraft as a Canadian asset. Canada later acquired C-130Js as CC-130Js.
- Many manufacturers have used non-standard modifiers for commercial purposes; for instance, the Spanish F/A-18 Hornets were 'designated' EF-18 by McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
(the E standing for "EspañaEspañaEspaña may refer to:* Spain, in Spanish* Spanish battleship España , the name of the Alfonso XIII after 1931* España, a battleship that served in the Spanish Navy from 1913 to 1923...
"), and AH-64D Apache helicopters were designated WAH-64 by licenced manufacturerLicence-builtThe term licence-built refers to an object manufactured by one organisation with the authorisation of the organisation that owns the intellectual property of the design...
WestlandWestland HelicoptersWestland Helicopters was a British aerospace company. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It merged with several other British firms in 1961...
. Non-standard series letters, especially ones the U.S. Air Force has no intention of progressing to, are often used to designate the intended country of use, such as I (Israel - e.g. F-15I), J (Japan), K (South Korea or United Kingdom), S (Saudi Arabia) and SG (Singapore).
Sources
- Non-Standard DOD Aircraft Designations
- Current Designations of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles, Andreas Parsch