NATO has a system of reporting names for non-Western submarines. During the Cold War, NATO introduced a system of internal code names for classes of

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

submarines. This served to provide standard names where the official designation of a Soviet/Chinese designations of vessels were unknown. The system was influenced by a pre-existing, separate system for reporting non-Western aircraft. Until the 1980s, reporting names for submarines were taken from the NATO

spelling alphabet A spelling alphabet ( also called by various other names) is a set of words used to represent the letters of an alphabet in oral communication, especially over a two-way radio or telephone. The words chosen to represent the letters sound sufficient ...

. Modifications of existing designs were given descriptive terms, such as " Whiskey Long Bin". From the 1980s onwards, new designs were given names derived from Russian words, such as " Akula" ("Shark"). These names did not correspond to the Soviet names. Coincidentally, "Akula", which was assigned to an attack submarine by NATO, was the actual Soviet name for another, ballistic missile submarine class, which NATO designated "

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

". The names for

submarines are taken from

Chinese dynasties Dynasties in Chinese history, or Chinese dynasties, were hereditary monarchical regimes that ruled over China during much of its history. From the legendary inauguration of dynastic rule by Yu the Great circa 2070 BC to the abdication of t ...

List of reporting names for Soviet/Russian vessels

The code names are followed by official Soviet Navy/ Russian Navy designations.

Hunter/killer submarines

* Hunter/Killer Submarines - Diesel/Electric Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka'' - ''PL'') ** " Zulu" (Project 611) 26 boats ** "

Whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...

" (Project 613) ** "

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

" (Project A615) ** "

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

" (Project 633) ** "

Foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...

" (Project 641) ** "

Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

" (Project 641B - Som class) ** "

Kilo KILO (94.3 FM broadcasting, FM, 94.3 KILO) is a radio station broadcasting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, Pueblo, Colorado. It also streams online. History KLST and KPIK-FM The 94.3 signal signed on th ...

" (Project 877) ** " Export Kilo" ** " Improved Kilo" (Project 636) ** " Petersburg" (Project 677, Lada) * Hunter/Killer Submarines - Nuclear Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka Atomnaya'' - ''PLA'') ** "

November November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, the fourth and last of four months to have a length of 30 days and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. No ...

" (Project 627 - Kit (Кит) Class) ** " Echo I" (Project 659T) (refitted from Project 659 boats) ** "

Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

" *** "Victor-I" (Project 671 - Yorsh (Ёрш) Class) *** "Victor-II" (Project 671RT - Syomga (Сёмга) Class) *** "Victor-III" (Project 671RTM - Shchuka (Щука) Class) ** " Alfa" (Project 705 - Lira (Лира) Class) ** "

Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...

" (Project 685 - Plavnik (Плавник) Class) ** " Sierra" *** "Sierra-I" (Project 945 - Barrakuda (Барракуда) Class) *** "Sierra-II" (Project 945A - Kondor (Кондор) Class) ** " Akula" *** "Akula-I" (Project 971 - Shchuka-B Class) *** "Akula-II" ** "Severodvinsk" (Project 885 - {{sclass, Yasen, submarine (Ясень) Class)

Ballistic missile submarines A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...

* Ballistic Missile Submarines - Diesel/Electric Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka Raketnaya Ballisticheskaya'' - ''PLRB'') ** " Zulu V" (Project AV-611) 5 boats ** " Golf I" (Project 629) 22 boats ** " Golf II" (Project 629A) 14 boats (refitted from Project 629 boats) * Ballistic Missile Submarines - Nuclear Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka Atomnaya Raketnaya Ballisticheskaya'' - ''PLARB'') ** " Hotel I" (Project 658) 8 boats ** " Hotel II" (Project 658M) 7 boats (refitted from Project 658 boats) ** " Yankee I" (Project 667A, Navaga) 34 boats ** " Yankee II" (Project 667AM, Navaga-M) 1 boat (refitted from Project 667A) ** "

Delta I Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also re ...

" (Project 667B, Murena) 18 boats ** "

Delta II Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000, and the two later Delta 7000 va ...

" (Project 667BD, Murena-M) 4 boats ** "

Delta III Delta III was an expendable launch vehicle made by Boeing. The vehicle was developed from the highly-successful Delta II to help meet the launch demand of larger satellites. The first Delta III launch was on August 26, 1998. Of its three flights ...

" (Project 667BDR, Kalmar) 14 boats ** "

Delta IV Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta (rocket family), Delta rocket family introduced in the early 2000s. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space and Security division for the National Security Space Launch, ...

" (Project 667BDRM, Delfin) 7 boats ** "

" (Project 941, Akula) 6 boats ** " Borei I" (Project 955 Borei) 3 boats ** " Borei II" (Project 955A Borei-A) 1 boat, 4 under construction, 7 planned

Guided-missile submarines

* Guided-Missile Submarines - Diesel/Electric Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka Raketnaya Krylataya'' - ''PLRK'') ** " Whiskey Twin Cylinder" (Project 644) (refitted from Project 613) ** " Whiskey Long Bin" (Project 665) (refitted from Project 613) ** " Juliett" (Project 651) * Guided-Missile Submarines - Nuclear Propelled (''Podvodnaya Lodka Atomnaya Raketnaya Krylataya'' - ''PLARK'') ** " Echo I" (Project 659) 5 boats ** " Echo II" (Project 675) 29 boats ** " Charlie-I" (Project 670) ** " Charlie-II" (Project 670M) ** " Papa" (Project 661, Anchar (Анчар)) 1 boat ** " Yankee-Sidecar"(Project 667M/Andromeda-class) (refitted from Project 667A) ** " Yankee-Notch"(Project 667AT/Grusha-class) (refitted from Project 667A) ** " Oscar-I" (Project 949, Granit (Гранит) ** " Oscar-II" (Project 949A, Antey (Антей))

Experimental, trials, and special purpose submarines

* "

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

" (Project 629E) (refitted from 629A) * "

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

" (Project 690 - Kefal class) * "

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

" (Project 940 - Lenok class) * "

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

" (Project 1840) * "

Beluga The beluga whale (/bɪˈluːɡə/) (Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. It is also known as the wh ...

" (Project 1710)

List of People's Republic of China submarines

The NATO names for

submarines are taken from

. * Nuclear-powered ballistic missile **"

Xia Xia (Hsia in Wade–Giles) may refer to: Chinese history * Xia dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC), the first orthodox dynasty in Chinese history * Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms) (407–431), a Xiongnu-led dynasty * Xia (617–621), a state founded by Dou Ji ...

" (Type 092) **" Jin" (Type 094) *Nuclear-powered fleet **"

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

" (Type 091) **"

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and f ...

" (Type 093) * Conventionally-powered attack **"

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

" (Type 035) **"

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

" (Type 039) **" Yuan" (Type 039A or Type 041) *Conventionally-powered ballistic missile **"

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

" (Type 032)

External links

Lists of NATO reporting names, submarines * Submarines of the People's Republic of China