How to Understand the U.S. Military Aircraft Nomenclature

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

U. S. military aircraft are specifically named by the Department of Defense according to the Mission Design Series (MDS) criteria, which indicates both the model and purpose of the aircraft. This kind of nomenclature was introduced in 1962, it replaced and combined in a single system the classifications of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Army and US Coast Guard (respectively Air Force, Navy, Corps of Marines, the Army and the Coast Guard).

Steps

Step 1. Know what information the MDS offers about the aircraft

The nomenclature allows you to understand 6 aspects of the medium:

1. The type of aircraft.
2. The basic mission for which it was designed.
3. The modified mission for which it is intended.
4. The model number.
5. The series.

6. The state prefix.

   

   Step 2. Familiarize yourself with the format of the abbreviations

   To understand how the designation is expressed, know that the order of the codes is (6) (3) (2) (1) - (4) (5) i.e. state prefix, modified mission, base mission, aircraft type, model and serial number.

   

   Step 3. Read the codes from the dash to the left

   Then read the codes that are after the dash, to the right.

   

   Step 4. Check the aircraft type

   If it is an aircraft other than an airplane (i.e. an Aerodine aerodine) you should read one of the following symbols immediately after the dash. If not, move on to reading the next step.

   • D - UAS (Unmanned Aerial System i.e. remotely piloted aircraft) with GPS control, these are unmanned controlled aircraft.
   • G - Gliders (including motor gliders equipped with engines that can support themselves at height even without propulsion; they are fixed-winged and use air currents to lift themselves).
   • H - Helicopters (any aircraft with rotor).
   • Q - UAS (Unmanned Aerial System - unmanned and not remotely controlled drone)
   • S - Spazioplano (it can operate both in the atmosphere and outside it, also read the 'Tips' section).
   • V - VTOL / STOL (Vertical landing and take-off or short landing and take-off aircraft).
   • Z - Aerostats (balloon, for espionage, dirigibles, think of the old Zeppelins to remember what the "Z" means).

   

   Step 5. Determine the basic mission

   The letter immediately to the left of the dash (when the type of designation is not present) indicates the basic mission for which the vehicle was designed. Sometimes, the base mission is not entered if the aircraft type and modified mission are included in the code (e.g. MQ-9A, read next step).

   • A - Ground attack ("A" derives from 'attack', attack in English).
   • B - Bomber.
   • C - For transport (the "C" derives from the term 'cargo').
   • E - Special Electronic Installation (the "E" indicates electronic equipment).
   • F - Combat (aircraft for aerial combat, the "F" stands for 'fighting').
   • H - Search and Rescue (think of the "H" to indicate the hospital, these are airplanes to rescue people who are then often taken to health facilities).
   • K - Tank (these are vehicles that transport fuel, often a mixture of kerosene. This can help you remember the "K" as an abbreviation for 'kerosene').
   • L - Equipped with lasers (weapons equipped with lasers for ground or flying targets, this is a new classification).
   • M - Multi-mission (aircraft that can adapt to multiple uses).
   • O - Observation (control of the enemy or potential enemies).
   • P - Patrol: these are means used at sea.

   Note: before the new nomenclature established in 1962, the "P" indicated the "Pursuit" aircraft used as combat and interception means during the two World Wars and that of Korea

   • R - Reconnaissance (for the control of enemy forces, territory and structures).
   • S - Antisubmarine (deputies for the search, identification and attack of submarine vehicles, read the 'Advice' section).
   • T - For practice.
   • U - Utility (support means).
   • X - Special Researches (the "X" derives from the word eXperimental, as these vehicles are developed for non-operational or routine missions).

   

   Step 6. Locate the modified mission

   The letter to the left of the basic missions indicates that that particular craft can be modified for a mission other than the one it was built for. There should only be one letter indicating this peculiarity, although there are exceptions (such as EKA-3B). These symbols are similar to those of the base mission, but contain some more information.

   • A - Ground attack.
   • C - Transport.
   • D - Drone Detector (modified to remotely control an unmanned aircraft).
   • E - Special electronic installation.
   • F - Combat.
   • K - Tank (transports and transfers fuel to other vehicles).
   • L - Operations in Cold Climates (Antarctic or Arctic environments).
   • M - Multi-mission.
   • O - Observation (of the enemy or potential enemies).
   • P - Marine patrol.
   • Q - UAV, remotely controlled vehicle.
   • R - Reconnaissance (of enemy forces, territory or structures).
   • S - Antisubmarines.
   • T - Exercise.
   • U - Utility (support means).
   • V - Presidential and or VIP transport (provides comfortable facilities).
   • W - Weather reconnaissance (weather control and sampling).

   

   Step 7. Check the status prefix

   If this abbreviation is present, it is located completely on the left and is only necessary for those vehicles that are not normally in operational service.

   • C - Captive - locked. Rockets and missiles that cannot be launched.
   • D - Dummy. Non-flying rockets and missiles that are used for ground exercises.
   • G - Permanently Grounded - Permanently grounded. For ground training and support purposes. Rare.
   • J - Temporary special test. Aircraft with experimental equipment temporarily installed.
   • N - Permanent special test. Aircraft with experimental equipment that will not revert to its original configuration.
   • X - Experimental. Vehicle not designed or used to enter service.
   • Y - Prototype. It is the final model from which the production will then develop.
   • Z - Under development. This nomenclature is not used for current aircraft.

   

   Step 8. Check the model number located to the right of the dash

   The first number indicates the aircraft's designation. The rule, even if it is often not respected, provides that a normal aircraft is identified with a serial number that agrees with the basic mission. A classic example of this rule is the classification of 'Fighter' combat vehicles: F-14, then F-15, F-16 and so on. But there are exceptions, when it was redesigned for combat the F-35 got this name, although it would have been corrected F-24.

   

   Step 9. Search for the series letter

   A suffix letter indicates the variants of the basic model. These letters follow the alphabetical order, but the "I" and "O" are excluded to avoid confusion with the number "1" and "0". Also in this case there are exceptions to the alphabetical sequence, for example aircraft intended for a specific user, as in the case of the F-16N where "N" stands for "Navy".

   

   Step 10. Pay attention to each additional element

   There are three more symbols that you may encounter but which are optional. For example F-15E- 51-MC Eagle, EA-6B- 40-GR Prowler

   • In this case, famous "battle" names such as "Eagle" and "Prowler" were assigned.
   • Block number. This distinguishes between minor and more specific sub-variants. For example, the numbers "51" and "40" of the previous example are block numbers and, when pronounced, the hyphen is often replaced with the word "block" (for example B-2A Block 30).
   • Alphabetical code of the manufacturer. These codes allow you to know the manufacturing factory.

   

   Step 11. Practice

   Read the list below of the MDS codes and check if you can decrypt them. You will find the answers in the 'Tips' section. Some designations are a bit complicated, but if you start with the dash and read first to the left you shouldn't have any problems understanding them.

   • AH-12
   • F-16
   • SR-71

   Advice

   • Answers.

     • AH-12. Reading from the dash: attack helicopter of the twelfth series.
     • F-16. It is an airplane so the only first letter to the left of the dash indicates the mission Basic that is, that it is a means from combat. The number 16 indicates that it is part of the sixteenth model.
     • SR-71. The designation must be read by the dash and indicates that it is a reconnaissance vehicle modified to be a space plane. It is part of the reconnaissance vehicles since it has replaced the A-12 as a spy vehicle.
   • The only two “S” codes for antisubmarines are S-2 and S-3. In the particular case of the SR-71, the "S" in this case indicates the modified mission.
   • Most of the letters indicate an abbreviation of the description, so it is not difficult to remember them. Try to memorize them so the learning process will be easier.
   • A bit of confusion may arise between the vehicles that have an "S" as a code indicating the type of aircraft and the basic mission. It is therefore interesting to know that the "S" indicating a space plane was used only once in the SR-71 which was instead correctly encoded as RS-71. When President Lyndon Johnson referred to this craft as the fastest jet ever, he made a spelling mistake, reversing the letters during the televised speech, naming it SR-71. Designers and military personnel have modified these abbreviations. The reconnaissance vehicle that could fly beyond the limits of the atmosphere ("RS") had become the spaceplane that carried out reconnaissance missions ("SR").
   • The codes that can be read on the tail stabilizer of the aircraft indicate the unit / base it belongs to, the year of construction and the last two digits of the serial number.

   Warnings

   • As with any system of classification and list of rules, there are also exceptions in this case.
   • This article is not intended to be a complete or accurate account of all aircraft in force in the US Air Force.
   • An aircraft with a double basic role is identified with the '/' symbol that separates the two codes of use such as the F / A-18 (fighter / attack aircraft).