1963 United States Tri-Service missile and drone designation system

On June 27, 1963, the U.S. Department of Defense established a designation system for guided missiles and drones jointly used by all the United States armed services.[1] It superseded the separate designation systems the Air Force and Navy had for designating US guided missiles and drones, but also a short-lived interim USAF system for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.[2]

Explanation

The basic designation of every guided missile is based in a set of letters, which are in sequence.[1] 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, Tomahawk, Seasparrow, etc. These names are retained regardless of subsequent modifications to the missile.

Code
First letter designating launch environment
LetterLaunch environmentDetailed description
AAirAir-launched
BMultipleCapable of being launched from more than one environment
CCoffin or ContainerStored horizontally or at less than a 45 degree angle in a protective enclosure and launched from the ground
FIndividual or InfantryCarried and launched by one man
GGroundOther Ground-launched, such as runway
HSilo-storedStored vertically in a silo but raised to ground level for launch
LLand or SiloLaunched from a fixed site or hardened silo
MMobileLaunched from a ground vehicle or movable platform
PSoft PadPartially or unprotected in storage and launched from the ground
RSurface shipLaunched from a surface vessel such as a ship, barge, etc.
UUnderwaterLaunched from a submarine or other underwater device
Second letter designating mission symbol
LetterMissionDetailed description
DDecoyVehicles designed or modified to confuse, deceive, or divert enemy defenses by simulating an attack vehicle
ESpecial ElectronicVehicles designed or modified with electronics equipment for communications, countermeasures, electronic radiation sounding, or other electronic recording or relay missions
GSurface AttackVehicles designed to destroy enemy land or sea targets
IIntercept-AerialVehicles designed to intercept aerial targets in defensive roles
QDroneVehicles designed for target reconnaissance or surveillance
SSpaceVehicles designed to destroy space-based targets
TTrainingVehicles designed or permanently modified for training purposes
UUnderwater attackVehicles designed to destroy enemy submarines or other underwater targets, or to detonate underwater
WWeatherVehicles designed to observe, record, or relay data pertaining to meteorological phenomena
Third letter designating vehicle type symbol
LetterVehicle typeDetailed description
MGuided MissileAn unmanned, self-propelled vehicle with remote or internal trajectory guidance
RRocketA self-propelled vehicle whose flight trajectory cannot be altered after launch
NProbeA non-orbital instrumented vehicle used to monitor and transmit environmental information

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

References
  1. http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/missiles.html
  2. http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/old-missiles.html#_Missiles_AF5562
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