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NATO uses a system ofcode names, calledreporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used bypost-Soviet states, formerWarsaw Pact countries,China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providing short, one- or two-syllable names, as alternatives to the preciseproper names, which may be easily confused under operational conditions or are unknown in theWestern world.[1]
The assignment of reporting names is managed by theFive Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council (AFIC), previously known as the Air Standardization Coordinating Committee (ASCC), which is separate fromNATO. Based in Washington DC, AFIC comprises representatives from the militaries of three NATO members (Canada, the United Kingdom and United States) and two non-NATO countries (Australia and New Zealand).[2]
When the system was introduced in the 1950s, reporting names also implicitly designated potentially hostile aircraft. However, since the end of the Cold War, some NATO air forces have operated various aircraft types with reporting names (e.g., "Fulcrum" for theMikoyan MiG-29).
TheUnited States Department of Defense (DoD) expands on theNATO reporting names in some cases. NATO refers tosurface-to-air missile systems mounted on ships or submarines with the same names as the corresponding land-based systems, but the DoD assigns a different series of numbers with a different prefix (i.e., SA-N- versus SA-) for these systems. The names are kept the same as a convenience. Where there is no corresponding system, a new name is devised.
The Soviet Union did not always assign official "popular names" to its aircraft, but unofficialnicknames were common as in anyair force. Generally, Soviet pilots did not use the NATO names, preferring a native Russian nickname. An exception was that Soviet airmen appreciated theMiG-29's codename "Fulcrum", as an indication of its pivotal role in Soviet air defence.[3][failed verification]
To reduce the risk of confusion, unusual or made-up names are allocated, the idea being that the names chosen are unlikely to occur in normal conversation and are easier to memorise.
For fixed-wing aircraft, the number of syllables indicates the type of the aircraft's engine. Single-syllable code names denotereciprocating engine orturboprop, while two-syllable code names denotejet engine.[2]
Bombers have names starting with the letter "B", and names like "Badger" (Tupolev Tu-16), "Blackjack" (Tupolev Tu-160) and "Bear" (Tupolev Tu-95) have been used. "Frogfoot", the reporting name for theSukhoi Su-25, references the aircraft'sclose air support role. Transports have names starting with "C" (for "cargo"), resulting in names like "Condor" for theAntonov An-124 or "Candid" for theIlyushin Il-76.
The initial letter of the name indicates the use of that equipment. The alphanumeric designations (e.g. AA-2) are assigned by theU.S. Department of Defense.[2]
| Initial letter | Description | Corresponding list |
|---|---|---|
| A | Air-to-air missiles, e.g.,"Atoll" | List of NATO reporting names for air-to-air missiles |
| K | Air-to-surface missiles (from the RussianKh designation), e.g.,"Kingfish" | List of NATO reporting names for air-to-surface missiles |
| G | Ground-to-air missiles, e.g.,"Gauntlet" | List of NATO reporting names for surface-to-air missiles |
| S | Surface-to-surface missiles, including ballistic missiles (e.g.,"Scud") and coastal defense missiles (e.g.,"Stooge") | List of NATO reporting names for surface-to-surface missiles |
| S | Anti-tank missiles, e.g.,"Spandrel" | List of NATO reporting names for anti-tank missiles |
The first letter indicates the type of aircraft, e.g., "Bear" for a bomber aircraft refers to theTupolev Tu-95, or "Fulcrum" for theMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighter aircraft. For fixed-wing aircraft, one-syllable names are used for propeller aircraft and two-syllable names for aircraft with jet engines. This distinction is not made for helicopters.[2]
| Initial letter | Description | Corresponding list |
|---|---|---|
| F | Fighter aircraft (e.g,Foxhound,Flanker), also later ground attack aircraft (e.g.,Frogfoot) | List of NATO reporting names for fighter aircraft |
| B | Bomber aircraft, e.g.Bear,Blackjack | List of NATO reporting names for bomber aircraft |
| C | Commercial aircraft, airliners, and cargo aircraft, e.g.,Condor,Crusty | List of NATO reporting names for transport aircraft |
| H | All kinds of helicopters, e.g.,Hind,Hokum | List of NATO reporting names for helicopters |
| M | Miscellaneous aircraft names, includingtrainers (e.g.,Mitten),aerial reconnaissance (e.g.,Mandrake), maritime patrol (e.g.,Mail),aerial refueling (e.g.,Midas) andairborne early warning & control (e.g.,Mainstay) | List of NATO reporting names for miscellaneous aircraft |
Before the 1980s, reporting names for submarines were taken from theNATO spelling alphabet. Modifications of existing designs were given descriptive terms, such as "Whiskey Long Bin". From the 1980s, new designs were given names derived from Russian words, such as "Akula", or "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 the ballistic missile submarine NATO named "Typhoon-class". The NATO names for submarines of thePeople's Republic of China are taken fromChinese dynasties.
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