TheArmy Nomenclature System is a nomenclature system used by theUS Army for giving type designations to itsmateriel. It is based onMIL-STD-1464A which was released in 1981[1] and most recently revised on February 22, 2021.[2]
The Army Nomenclature System is designed to help accurately reference specific items which may have similar names to other items of their category. It applies to:
It is not utilized if one of the following nomenclature systems can designate the item:
The complete nomenclature consists of an Approved Item Name (AIN), an extended modifier (if applicable), and the type designation. The AIN is presented in all capital letters, is not abbreviated, and is followed by a colon. Each AIN has a corresponding 6-digit Item Name Code (INC) which can be referenced in the H6 Cataloging Handbook. The extended modifier is in lower case and may contain abbreviations (which are capitalized). The type designation does not use any spaces or hyphens (so "M-16" and "M 16" are incorrect). An example given is "PROJECTILE, 105 MILLIMETER: HE, rocket assisted, M547A3". The Approved Item Name is "PROJECTILE, 105 MILLIMETER"; the extended modifier(s) "HE, rocket assisted", and the type designation is "M547A3".
The type designation may not be unique to that specific item and, thus, may not accurately identify an item if the Approved Item Name and Extended Modifier are not included.[3] For example, the type designation M1 is used in theM1 Carbine as well as theM1 Abrams tank, however, the former is specified as "CARBINE, CALIBER .30, M1" while the latter is specified as "TANK, COMBAT, FULL TRACKED: 105-MM Gun, M1".[4][5]
The type designation is rendered as a prefix letter(s) followed by a number, possibly followed by a letter-number suffix to denote various versions.
| Prefix letter(s) | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| XM | Experimental (in development or limited production) | CARTRIDGE, 120 MILLIMETER: HE, Guided,XM395 |
| M | Type Classified Standard (TC-STD) | MACHINE GUN, 5.56 MILLIMETER,M249 |
| Letter portion | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A | Successive approved modifications (A1, A2, A3, etc.) | TANK, COMBAT, FULL-TRACKED: 120 MM GUNM1A1 |
| E | Experimental modification versions (E1, E2, E3, etc.) | CARTRIDGE, 40 MILLIMETER: Practice, Target, Day, Night, Thermal, High velocity,M918E1 |
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