1963 United States Tri-Service rocket and guided missile designation system

Designation system for rockets In 1963, the U.S. Department of Defense established a designation system for rockets and guided missiles jointly used by all the United States armed services.http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/missiles.html Current Designations of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles It superseded the separate designation systems the Air Force and Navy had for designating US guided missiles and drones, but also a short-lived interim USAF system for guided missiles and rockets.http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/old-missiles.html#_Missiles_AF5562 Pre-1963 Designations of U.S. Missiles and Drones History On 11 December 1962, the U.S. Department of Defense issued Directive 4000.20 “Designating, Redesignating, and Naming Military Rockets and Guided Missiles” which called for a joint designation system for rockets and missiles which was to be used by all armed forces services. The directive was implemented via Air Force Regulation (AFR) 66-20, Army Regulation (AR) 705-36, Bureau of Weapons Instruction (BUWEPSINST) 8800.2 on 27 June 1963. A subsequent directive, DoD Directive 4120.15 "Designating and Naming Military Aircraft, Rockets, and Guided Missiles", was issued on 24 November 1971 and implemented via Air Force Regulation (AFR) 82-1/Army Regulation (AR) 70-50/Naval Material Command Instruction (NAVMATINST) 8800.4A on 27 March 1974. Within AFR 82-1/AR 70-50/NAVMATINST 8800.4A, the 1963 rocket and guided missile designation system was presented alongside the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system and the two systems have been concurrently presented and maintained in joint publications since. The current version of the rocket and missile designation system was mandated by Joint Regulation 4120.15E Designating and Naming Military Aerospace Vehicles and was implemented via Air Force Instruction (AFI) 16-401, Army Regulation (AR) 70-50, Naval Air Systems Command Instruction (NAVAIRINST) 13100.16 on 3 November 2020. The list of military rockets and guided missiles was maintained via 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles until its transition to data.af.mil on 31 August 2018.November 3, 2020 DESIGNATING AND NAMING DEFENSE MILITARY AEROSPACE VEHICLES https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a8/publication/afi16-401/afi16-401.pdf July 9, 2024 Explanation The basic designation of every rocket and guided missile is based in a set of letters called the Mission Design Series. The sequence indicates the following: An optional status prefix The environment from which the weapon is launched The primary mission of the weapon The type of weapon Examples of guided missile designators are as follows: AGM – (A) Air-launched (G) Surface-attack (M) Guided missile AIM – (A) Air-launched (I) Intercept-aerial (M) Guided missile ATM – (A) Air-launched (T) Training (M) Guided missile RIM – (R) Ship-launched (I) Intercept-aerial (M) Guided missile LGM – (L) Silo-launched (G) Surface-attack (M) Guided missile The design or project number follows the basic designator. In turn, the number may be followed by consecutive letters, representing modifications. The numbers are assigned sequentially for each weapon type, while the launch environment and primary mission letters may be swapped in variants where those are changed (for example in the air-launched AIM-7 Sparrow and ship-launched RIM-7 Sea Sparrow) without incrementing the number. Example: RGM-84D means: R – The weapon is ship-launched; G – The weapon is designed to surface-attack; M – The weapon is a guided missile; 84 – eighty-fourth missile design; D – fourth modification; In addition, most guided missiles have names, such as Harpoon, Tomahawk, Sea Sparrow, etc. These names are retained regardless of subsequent modifications to the missile. Code + First letter designating launch environment Letter Launch environment Detailed descriptionAAirCarried and launched by an airplane, helicopter, or other aerial vehicleBMultipleCapable of being launched from more than one platform without significant modificationsCCoffin or ContainerStored horizontally or at less than a 45-degree angle in a non-hardened enclosure and launched from the ground FIndividual or InfantryCarried and launched by one man GGroundOther ground-launched, mainly from a runwayHSilo-storedStored vertically in a silo but raised to ground level for launch.LLand or SiloLaunched from a fixed site or hardened siloMMobileLaunched from a ground vehicle or movable platformPSoft PadPartially or unprotected in storage and launched from a fixed surface locationRSurface shipLaunched from a surface vessel such as a ship, barge, etc.SSpaceLaunched from a vehicle that operates outside earth's atmosphere. Only used for space launch vehicle stagesUUnderwaterLaunched from a submarine or other underwater device + Second letter designating mission symbol Letter Mission Detailed descriptionCTransportVehicle designed for transporting items from one place to another. Never used in active serviceDDecoyVehicles designed or modified to confuse, deceive, or divert enemy defenses by simulating an attack vehicle ESpecial ElectronicVehicles designed or modified with electronics equipment for communications, countermeasures, electronic radiation sounding, or other electronic recording or relay missionsGSurface AttackVehicles designed to destroy enemy land or sea targets IIntercept-AerialVehicles designed to intercept aerial targets in defensive roles LLaunch DetectionVehicles designed for detecting and tracking satellites and missilesMScientificVehicles designed for scientific purposes. Never used in active serviceNNavigationVehicles to provide data for navigation purposesQDroneVehicles designed for target reconnaissance or surveillance, or a target droneSSpaceVehicles designed to support or destroy space-based targets TTrainingVehicles designed or permanently modified for training purposes. Only used for modificationsUUnderwater attackVehicles designed to destroy enemy submarines or other underwater targets, or to detonate underwater WWeatherVehicles designed to observe, record, or relay data pertaining to meteorological phenomena + Third letter designating vehicle type symbol Letter Vehicle type Detailed descriptionBBoosterA system to provide thrust for a satellite, missile, or aerospace vehicle. Only used in formal documents.MGuided MissileAn unmanned, self-propelled vehicle with remote or internal trajectory guidance NProbeA non-orbital instrumented vehicle used to monitor and transmit environmental informationRRocketA self-propelled vehicle whose flight trajectory cannot be altered after launchSSatelliteA vehicle placed in orbit. Only used in formal documents, and replaced by the 2023 Space Force naming system. Prefixes Additionally, a prefix may be added to the designation indicating a non-standard configuration. + Optional Non-Standard Prefix Letter Vehicle type Detailed descriptioneDigitally DevelopedSystem developed in a virtual environment.CCaptiveFunctional but inert vehicle incapable of being fired. DDummyNon-flyable vehicle for ground crew training.JTemporary Special TestVehicles temporarily modified for special test purposes.NPermanent Special TestVehicles permanently modified for special test purposes.XExperimentalExperimental vehicleYPrototypePrototype vehicleZPlanningVehicle that is still in the planning phase. For example: YAIM-54ASenate Hearings, Before the Committee on Appropriations, Department of Defense Appropriations, 92d Congress, First Session, Fiscal Year 1972 U.S. Congress U.S. Government Printing Office 1971 https://books.google.com/books?id=Uy1Ga_xbgJIC 916 "...the Phoenix YAIM-54A missile..." XAIM-174BRogoway Tyler 23 July 2024 AIM-174 Missile Seen On Super Hornet About To Launch From A Carrier For First Time https://www.yahoo.com/news/aim-174-missile-seen-super-161323697.html 2024-08-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20240724195425/https://www.yahoo.com/news/aim-174-missile-seen-super-161323697.html 2024-07-24 An XAIM-174B... missile under the wing of another VFA-192 Super Hornet seen at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, earlier this month See also List of missiles List of missiles by country#United States 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system United States military aircraft designation systems Notes Note The most recent version is DoD Directive 4120.15E from September 17, 2020 (incorporating Change 2) which is an update of DoD Directive 4120.15E November 29, 2004 DoDD 4120.15E is enacted by Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 16-4 which is implemented by AFI 16-401/AR 70-50/NAVAIRINST 13100.16 Notwithstanding this definition, the designation is also used for guided modifications of unguided rockets, e.g. the AGR-19/AGR-20/AGR-21 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, which is a guided version of the Hydra 70 rocket and itself includes the AGR-20F variant, which is primarily intended for air intercept and should otherwise be designated AIM-. lower-alpha References Trapp Robert E. Berkeley William P. Egerland Arnold V. The Criteria for an Equipment Identification Coding System https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA039961.pdf Air Force Institute of Technology School of Systems and Logistics 13 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220413064050/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA039961.pdf 13 April 2022 III-22 live 1967 New missile code names reveal wealth of information on them Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals 13-15 1964 4 689 https://books.google.com/books?id=xzeVxPp66owC 13 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220417221334/https://books.google.com/books?id=xzeVxPp66owC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb 17 April 2022 Air University Library Mindling George Bolton Robert U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles 1949-1969 The Pioneers https://books.google.com/books?id=P5WMDJ0HyP8C Lulu.com 21 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20200620191642/https://books.google.com/books?id=P5WMDJ0HyP8C&printsec=frontcover 20 June 2020 269 2008 9780557000296 United States Air Force Statistical Digest, Fiscal Year 1974 29th Edition https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA551728.pdf Directorate of Management Analysis, Comptroller of the Air Force Headquarters 12 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220412184755/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA551728.pdf 12 April 2022 77 live 15 April 1975 Annual Department of Defense Bibliography of Logistics Studies and Related Documents 1976 https://books.google.com/books?id=jwtuJHz5AcIC Defense Logistics Studies Information Exchange 12 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220412193109/https://books.google.com/books?id=jwtuJHz5AcIC&pg=PA2 12 April 2022 2 January 1976 SECOND DESTINATION TRANSPORTATION PHASE 2 LMI TASK 75-4 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA022602.pdf LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 11 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220411073614/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA022602.pdf 11 April 2022 live January 1976 AIR FORCE POLICY DIRECTIVE 16-4: 20 NOVEMBER 2018 ACCOUNTING FOR AEROSPACE VEHICLES AT UNITS AND INSTALLATIONS https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a5_8/publication/afpd16-4/afpd16-4.pdf Department of Air Force E-Publishing 12 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220412181743/https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a5_8/publication/afpd16-4/afpd16-4.pdf 12 April 2022 20 November 2018 DoDD 4120.15E November 29, 2004 Incorporating Change 2, September 17, 2020 Designating and Naming Military Aerospace Vehicles https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodd/412015p.pdf?ver=2020-09-17-143855-857 US DoD 11 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220329183855/https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodd/412015p.pdf?ver=2020-09-17-143855-857 29 March 2022 17 September 2020 DEPARTMENT AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 16-401, ARMY REGULATION 70-50, NAVAIRINST 13100.16 3 November 2020 DESIGNATING AND NAMING DEFENSE MILITARY AEROSPACE VEHICLES https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a8/publication/afi16-401/afi16-401.pdf Department of Air Force E-Publishing 11 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220306215809/https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a8/publication/afi16-401/afi16-401.pdf 6 March 2022 3 November 2020 DoDD 4120.15-L MODEL DESIGNATION OF MILITARY AEROSPACE VEHICLES August 31 2018 https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/412015l.pdf?ver=2018-12-11-100011-077 US DoD Executive Services Directorate 11 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220119080331/https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/412015l.pdf?ver=2018-12-11-100011-077 19 January 2022 31 August 2018 External links missile Category:Guided missiles Category:Weapons of the United States Category:Naming conventions Category:Rocketry