In 1963, the
U.S. Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
established a designation system for rockets and guided missiles jointly used by all the United States armed services.
It superseded the separate designation systems the Air Force and Navy had for designating US guided missiles and drones, but also a short-lived interim USAF system for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.
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
The Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified system introduced in 1962 by the United States Department of Defense for designating all U.S. military aircraft. Previously, the U.S. armed services used separate nomenclature systems.
...
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.
Explanation
The basic designation of every rocket and
guided missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
is based in a set of letters called the Mission Design Sequence.
The sequence indicates the following:
:* 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 missiles
The design or project number follows the basic designator. In turn, the number may be followed by consecutive letters, representing modifications.
::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
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, seal hunting, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the t ...
,
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Europ ...
,
Seasparrow, etc. These names are retained regardless of subsequent modifications to the missile.
Code
Prefixes
An X preceding the first letter indicates an experimental weapon, a Y preceding the first letter means the weapon is a prototype, and a Z preceding the first letter indicates a design in the planning phase.
See also
*
List of missiles
Below is a list of missiles, sorted alphabetically into large categories and subcategories by name and purpose.
Other missile lists
Types of missiles:
* Conventional guided missiles
** Air-to-air missile
** Air-to-surface missile
** Anti-radiat ...
*
1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system
The Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified system introduced in 1962 by the United States Department of Defense for designating all U.S. military aircraft. Previously, the U.S. armed services used separate nomenclature systems.
...
*
United States military aircraft designation systems Multiple designation systems have been used to specify United States military aircraft. The first was designed in 1919 when the US Army's Aeronautical Division became the United States Army Air Service. Before this, aircraft were put into service un ...
Notes
References
External links
{{US military research rockets
Guided missiles
Weapons of the United States
Naming conventions
Rocketry