Current Designations of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles

Current Designations of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles

Copyright © 2000-2005 Andreas Parsch

1 The Designation System

2 Designation Listings

2.1 Missiles, Drones and UAVs
2.2 Rockets
2.3 Probes
2.4 Boosters
2.5 Satellites

3 Sources

1 The Designation System

In 1963, the current joint designation system for all US military missiles, rockets, drones and probes was devised. This system became formally effective on 27 June 1963. In 1990, the system was extended to include boosters and satellites. The system is defined in Air Force Instruction (AFI) 16-401(I) (formerly Air Force Joint Instruction 16-401), and in DOD Publication 4120.15-L [3]. The latter document also contains a listing of current designations.

Each vehicle is designated by a letter/number combination as follows:

The letter (1) defines the type of vehicle:

• B - Booster (see note 1)
• M - Guided Missile, Drone, UAV (see note 2)
• N - Probe (suborbital sounding rocket)
• R - Rocket (unguided vehicle) (see note 3)
• S - Satellite (see note 1)

Letter (2) is the purpose of the vehicle (see note 4):

• C - Transport
• D - Decoy
• E - Special Electronics, Communication
• G - Surface Attack
• I - Interception (air or space)
• L - Launch Detection
• M - Scientific Measurements, Calibration
• N - Navigation
• Q - Target Drone (formerly also UAV) (see note 2)
• S - Space Operations Support
• T - Training
• U - Underwater Attack
• W - Weather (probes or satellites gathering and/or distributing meteorological data)

Letter (3) is the launch environment of the vehicle (see note 5, note 6):

• A - Air
• B - Multiple (see note 7)
• C - Coffin (non-hardened container)
• F - Individual
• G - Runway or Ground (see note 8)
• H - Silo Stored (but launched from surface)
• L - Silo Launched
• M - Ground Launched, Mobile
• P - Soft Pad (fixed, unprotected surface location)
• R - Surface Ship
• S - Space
• U - Underwater

(4) is a model number. Each vehicle type uses its own numbering sequence, starting from 1. It is possible, that multiple versions of a missile for different purposes and/or with different launch options exist. These versions would use the some model number with different letter combinations. An example for this is the LTV Regulus II missile: RGM-15A is the ship-launched ground-attack missile, MQM-15A is a ground-launched drone version.

Suffix letter (5) denotes a specific version of the vehicle. The first version (including prototypes) uses the suffix "A", the second version uses "B", etc.
Minor modifications or slightly differing sub-variants are sometimes indicated by additional suffix numbers, e.g. AIM-9J-2.

Letter (6) is an optional status prefix:

• C - Captive (e.g. carried by aircraft for training purposes but not launched)
• D - Dummy (completely inert training round without motor and warhead)
• J - Special Test, Temporary
• M - Maintenance (obsolete; this letter has been removed in the latest revision of the system)
• N - Special Test, Permanent
• X - Experimental
• Y - Prototype
• Z - Planning (see note 9)

(7) Most missiles receive a "popular name" or acronym very early in the planning or development phase. While the name is not part of the official designations, many missiles are almost exclusively referenced by their name, both in the popular press and in official government news releases and documents.

Notes:

2 Designation Listings

For each vehicle type, a list of assigned designations is provided (ellipses in suffix letters denote all letters in between, excluding I and O). For most vehicles, only the manufacturer and the popular name is given. This should provide a useful reference in most cases. Only for vehicles without a name, or for some "less known" vehicles (i.e. not normally found in standard sources) are a few details given. The link in the left column leads to the corresponding page in the Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, which includes more information about the missile, like one or more photos and reference to the major differences between the variants. A link in the "Previous Designations" column will point to an explanation of the system, under which the designation was assigned.

2.1 Missiles, Drones and UAVs

In 1997, the designation system for manned aircraft was extended to include a Q category for UAVs. The following designations have since been allocated:

Notes:

Undesignated Missiles, Drones and UAVs

Only a few operational missiles after 1963 have not (yet) received standard designations. These include:

• Lockheed Martin (Loral) Patriot PAC-3. Hit-to-kill anti-ballistic missile, originally known as ERINT (Extended Range Interceptor).
• Lockheed Martin Predator SRAW MK 40 MOD 0 (Short-Range Assault Weapon). A joint Marine Corps/Army fire-and-forget anti-armour missile. The Army version is also known as MPIM (Multi-Purpose Individual Munition).
• Martin Marietta Sprint. Short-Range ABM component of Safeguard system. Note: Although several sources explicitly say, that the Sprint never received an LIM designation, one of the designations XLIM-99A and XLIM-100A might have reserved for the Sprint (see note 9 above).
• Matra/BAe Rapier (British surface-to-air missile). The US bought Rapier systems for the air defense of USAF bases in the UK, but the systems were operated by Royal Air Force personnel. That was probably the reason why Rapier didn't receive a DOD MIM-n designation.

There are numerous drones, targets and UAVs, which were funded and/or procured by the U.S. military services, but did not receive standard designations. The following list includes only those vehicles, which were at least briefly used in an operational role. There were many more research and test vehicles, most of which are listed in the Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4.

• Advanced Ceramics Research Silver Fox. Small light-weight reconnaissance and surveillance UAV for the U.S. Marine Corps.
• AeroVironment Dragon Eye. Reconnaissance mini-UAV for the USMC.
• BAI XPV-1 Tern. Tactical UAV for U.S. Navy special forces.
  
• DRS Neptune. Maritime surveillance UAV for U.S. Navy special forces.
• GAF Jindivik. Australian full-scale target briefly used by the U.S. Navy.
• Boeing/Zvezda-Strela MA-31 SSST (Supersonic Sea Skimming Target). A target missile derived from the Russian Zvezda-Strela Kh-31 anti-ship missile (AS-17 Krypton), used by the Navy as an interim target.
• Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle. Long-endurance surveillance mini-UAV used by thr USMC.
• Developmental Sciences R4E-40 SkyEye. Multi-mission UAV briefly used by the U.S. Army.
• General Atomics I-Gnat. Optionally armed multi-mission UAV used by U.S. Army.
• Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk. Reconnaissance mini-UAV for the USAF base security forces.
• Navmar XPV-2 Mako. Surveillance UAV for special forces.
  
• Republic Bikini. Small surveillance RPV for U.S. Marine Corps.

Several ballistic missile targets, which are used in testing anti-ballistic missiles, don't have standard missile designations. xQM-n designations could be applied to the following targets:

• Space Vector Aries. Tactical ballistic missile target based on Minuteman I 2nd stage.
• Coleman Aerospace Hera. Tactical ballistic missile target based on Minuteman II 2nd and 3rd stages.
• Coleman Aerospace SRALT (Short-Range Air-Launch Target). Single-stage air-launched ballistic missile target.
• Orbital Sciences SR19-SR19. Ballistic missile target consisting of two Minuteman II 2nd stage motors.
• Orbital Sciences Storm I / Storm II. Theater ballistic missile targets.
• Sandia STARS (Strategic Target System). Target payload booster based on Polaris A-3 rocket motors.

Currently, there are several missiles under development, which have not (yet) received a numerical designation. Missile programs, which are still in the planning phase (and therefore most probably don't have a designation yet), are not included in the following list.

• Boeing GBI (Ground-Based Interceptor). The missile component of the GMD (Ground-Based Midcourse Defense) segment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
• Lockheed Martin LAM (Loitering Attack Missile). Part of the U.S. Army's NetFires NLOS-LS (Non-Line-Of-Sight Launch System).
• Lockheed Martin THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). Short/medium-range anti-ballistic missile interceptor.
• Lockheed Martin XM30 GMLRS Rocket (Guided MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) rocket). Guided derivative of the M26 MLRS rocket.
• NAWC/DRS Spike. Small shoulder-launched missile against unarmoured ground targets.
• ONR/Titan Affordable Weapon. Navy-sponsored low-cost cruise missile.
• Raytheon PAM (Precision Attack Missile). Part of the U.S. Army's NetFires NLOS-LS (Non-Line-Of-Sight Launch System).

Research and test missiles (other than RPVs) did never receive a standard designation (there is no appropriate designator for pure test missiles). Among these are:

• Atlantic Research Athena. USAF/Army missile to test reentry vehicles.
• Boeing HIBEX (High-g Boost Experiment). A close range ABM test missile with even higher acceleration than Sprint.
• Lockheed HOE (Homing Overlay Experiment). Army demonstrator for hit-to-kill ABM technology.
• LTV FLAGE (Flexible Leight-Weight Agile Guidance Experiment). Demonstrator for hit-to-kill ABM technology.
• LTV ALVRJ (Advanced Low-Volume Ramjet). Test vehicle for integrated rocket/ramjet technology.
• Marquardt LASRM (Low Altitude Short Range Missile). A test missile for the IRR (Integrated Rocket/Ramjet) propulsion system of the planned ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile).

There are numerous missile programs, which were cancelled in the design or development phase, and which never received a numerical designation. These include:

• Ford SIAM (Self Initiated Anti-Aircraft Missile; Navy project)
• Hughes Brazo / Pave Arm (air-to-air anti-radar missile; Navy/Air Force project)
• Lockheed ERIS (Exoatmospheric Re-entry Vehicle Interceptor System; ABM missile project)
• Lockheed HGV (Hypersonic Glide Vehicle; Air Force experimental air-launched hypersonic strike missile)
• Lockheed Senior Prom (stealth cruise missile; Air Force project)
• Martin Marietta/McDonnell-Douglas ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile; Air Force project)
• McDonnell-Douglas HEDI (High Endoatmospheric Defense Interceptor; ABM missile project)
• Shorts Starstreak (short-range anti-aircraft missile). The air-launched version ATASK (Air-To-Air Starstreak) was evaluated by the Army as an AAM for helicopters.
• Vought HVM (Hyper-Velocity Missile; Air Force anti-armour missile project)
• Vought Pluto SLAM (Supersonic Low-Altitude Missile; Air Force project for nuclear-ramjet powered cruise missile)
• ADKEM (Advanced Kinetic Energy Missile; Army project)
• Have Dash (Air Force project to develop a stealthy long-range air-to-air missile)
• Have Flag (Classified USAF tactical missile program)
• LRCSW (a.k.a. LRCCM) (Long Range Conventional Stand-Off Weapon, Long Range Conventional Cruise Missile; Air Force/Navy project)
• LRDMM (Long Range Dual-Mode Missile; Navy project)
• MMRBM (Mobile Medium Range Ballistic Missile; Air Force project)
• SAGMI (Surface Attack Guided Missile; Air Force project)

Rocket-propelled guided projectiles are effectively gun-launched guided missiles. However, this type of ammunition is designated by the services as "projectiles" and not "missiles".

• Raytheon ERGM (Extended Range Guided Munition), designated "5 Inch Rocket Assisted Projectile, MK 151" (U.S. Navy program)

There are guided weapons, which frequently appear in compilations of guided missile systems, but which are not proper missiles in the sense of the DOD's missile designation system. These include e.g.:

• Lockheed Martin LOCAAS (Low-Cost Autonomous Attack Subsystem). This is a smart submunition currently under development, and the powered variant (P-LOCAAS) could be regarded as a guided missile of its own. So far, submunitions have usually received BLU-n/B designations, but guided self-propelled submunitions are actually a fairly new concept for which no really appropriate designation categories exist. Therefore it's hard to predict, which (if any!) formal designation will be allocated to LOCAAS.
• Martin Marietta M712 Copperhead (a guided cannon-launched 155mm projectile). The Copperhead has no propulsion of its own, and is regarded as a "projectile" and not a "missile" by the Army. Therefore it received number M712 in the Army's general series for gun projectiles.

2.2 Rockets

Notes:

Undesignated Rockets

Many small rockets, especially infantry rockets and rockets launched from airborne multi-tube launchers, have not received standard designations (this was actually specified in the original version of the designation system, see note above). These include:

• 2.75-Inch FFAR (Folding Fin Aerial Rocket; large family of air-to-air and air-to-ground rockets)
• 5-Inch Rocket Zuni (air-to-ground rocket)
• 2.75-Inch Rocket Hydra-70 (family of air-to-ground rockets of FFAR type)
• 66 mm HEAT Rocket M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon; should have been designated FGR-n)
• 115 mm Chemical Rocket M55 (should have been designated MGR-n)
• 83 mm HE Rocket System SMAW (Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon; should have been designated FGR-n)
• Lockheed Martin Tactical Free Flight Rocket M26 (MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) rocket; should have been designated MGR-n). M26A1/A2 are ER (Extended Range) MLRS rockets.
• Lockheed Martin Training Free Flight Rocket M28 (MLRS training rocket; should have been designated MTR-n)

2.3 Probes

2.4 Boosters

Undesignated Boosters

The following launch vehicles have not (yet) received SB-n designations:

• Boeing Delta 4 EELV (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle)
• Lockheed Martin Atlas III
• Lockheed Martin Atlas V EELV (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle)

2.5 Satellites

Notes:

Undesignated Satellites

Many military satellite systems, including all reconnaissance and intelligence satellites, never received standard designations. The following list does not include satellites, which were already out of service, when the designation series for satellites was introduced in 1990.

• Ball Aerospace GFO (GeoSat Follow-On) meteorological/oceanographic satellite (Navy)
• Boeing ARGOS (Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite) research satellite (USAF)
• Boeing TRUMPET electronic intelligence satellite (NRO/NSA)
• E-Systems CHALET/VORTEX communications intelligence satellite (USAF)
• Hughes MERCURY (Advanced VORTEX) signals intelligence satellite (USAF)
• Hughes SDS-1 (Satellite Data System 1) communications satellite (USAF)
• Hughes SDS-2 (Satellite Data System 2) communications satellite (USAF)
• Hughes Syncom IV communications satellite for LEASAT (Leased Satellite) program (Navy)
• Hughes UFO (Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On) satellite (Navy)
• Lockheed Martin LACROSSE SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) imagery intelligence satellite (NRO?)
• Lockheed Martin SBIRS High (Space-Based Infrared System) satellite (USAF)
• Lockheed Martin SB-WASS (Space-Based Wide Area Surveillance System) surveillance satellite (Navy)
• TRW FLTSATCOM (Fleet Satellite Communications System) satellite (Navy)
• TRW/Hughes JUMPSEAT electronic intelligence satellite (USAF/NSA)
• TRW/Lockheed KH-11 KENNAN/CRYSTAL imagery intelligence satellite (NRO)
• TRW/Lockheed KH-12(?) ("Improved CRYSTAL") imagery intelligence satellite (NRO)
• "8X" Enhanced Imaging System (KH-13??) imagery intelligence satellite (NRO)
• AFP-731 ("MISTY") experimental low observables ("stealth") reconnaissance satellite (USAF/NRO??)
• CAPRICORN infrared early-warning satellite (NRO)

3 Sources

In no particular order:

[1] John M. Andrade: "U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials 1909-1979", Midland, 1979
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Department of Defense Publication 4120.15-L: "Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles", 1974, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2004 editions
[4] Department of Defense: "Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets and Missiles", 7/1964, 1/1965, 7/1965, 1/1970 editions
[5] Department of Defense Missile Nomenclature Records

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