Editing NATO reporting name

{{short description|NATO code name for military equipment of purported opponents}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
[[NATO]] uses a system of [[code name]]s, called '''reporting names''', to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by [[post-Soviet states]], former [[Warsaw Pact]] countries, [[China]], and other countries. The system assists military communications by providing short, one- or two-syllable names, as alternatives to the precise [[proper name]]s, which may be easily confused under operational conditions or are unknown in the [[First World|Western world]].<ref name="NATO list">{{cite web|title=NATO Code Names for Submarines and Ships: Submarine Classes / Reporting Name|work=Art and Aerospace Page|publisher=Univ. of Michigan, UMCC / AIS|url=http://www.ais.org/~schnars/aero/nato-shp.htm|access-date=29 April 2011}}</ref>

The assignment of reporting names is managed by the [[Five Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council]] (AFIC), previously known as the Air Standardization Coordinating Committee (ASCC), which is separate from [[NATO]]. 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).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hollings |first=Alex |date=2022-01-24 |title=Where Do NATO Aircraft Names Come From? |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/where-do-nato-aircraft-names-come-199619 |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=The National Interest |language=en}}</ref>

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 [[Mikoyan MiG-29]]).

==American variations==
The [[United States Department of Defense]] (DoD) expands on the [[NATO]] reporting names in some cases. NATO refers to [[surface-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.

==Soviet nicknames==
The Soviet Union did not always assign official "popular names" to its aircraft, but unofficial [[nickname]]s were common as in any [[air force]]. Generally, Soviet pilots did not use the NATO names, preferring a native Russian nickname. An exception was that Soviet airmen appreciated the [[Mikoyan MiG-29|MiG-29]]'s codename "Fulcrum", as an indication of its pivotal role in Soviet air defence.<ref name="zuyev_fulcrum">[[Aleksandr Zuyev (pilot)|Zuyev, A.]] and Malcolm McConnell. ''Fulcrum: A Top Gun Pilot's Escape from the Soviet Empire''. Warner Books, 1993. {{ISBN|0-446-36498-3}}.</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2019}}

==Nomenclature==
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 denote [[reciprocating engine]] or [[turboprop]], while two-syllable code names denote [[jet engine]].<ref name=":0" />

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 the [[Sukhoi Su-25]], references the aircraft's [[close air support]] role. Transports have names starting with "C" (for "cargo"), resulting in names like "Condor" for the [[Antonov An-124]] or "Candid" for the [[Ilyushin Il-76]].

==Lists of NATO reporting names==

=== Missiles ===

The initial letter of the name indicates the use of that equipment. The alphanumeric designations (e.g. AA-2) are assigned by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]].<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
! Initial letter !! Description !! Corresponding list
|-
! scope = "row" | A
| Air-to-air missiles, e.g., [[AA-2 Atoll|"Atoll"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for air-to-air missiles]]
|-
! scope = "row" | K
| Air-to-surface missiles (from the Russian <u>K</u>h designation), e.g., [[AS-6 Kingfish|"Kingfish"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for air-to-surface missiles]]
|-
! scope = "row" | G
| Ground-to-air missiles, e.g., [[SA-15 Gauntlet|"Gauntlet"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for surface-to-air missiles]]
|-
! scope = "row" | S
| Surface-to-surface missiles, including ballistic missiles (e.g., [[SS-1 Scud|"Scud"]]) and coastal defense missiles (e.g., [[K-300P Bastion-P|"Stooge"]])
| [[List of NATO reporting names for surface-to-surface missiles]]
|-
! scope = "row" | S
| Anti-tank missiles, e.g., [[AT-5 Spandrel|"Spandrel"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for anti-tank missiles]]
|}

=== Aircraft ===

The first letter indicates the type of aircraft, e.g., "Bear" for a bomber aircraft refers to the [[Tupolev Tu-95]], or "Fulcrum" for the [[Mikoyan-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.<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
! Initial letter !! Description !! Corresponding list
|-
! scope = "row" | F
| Fighter aircraft (e.g, [[Mikoyan MiG-31|"Foxhound"]]), also later ground attack aircraft (e.g., [[Sukhoi Su-25|"Frogfoot"]])
| [[List of NATO reporting names for fighter aircraft]]
|-
! scope = "row" | B
| Bomber aircraft, e.g. [[Tupolev Tu-160|"Blackjack"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for bomber aircraft]]
|-
! scope = "row" | C
| Commercial aircraft, airliners, and cargo aircraft, e.g., [[Antonov An-124 Ruslan|"Condor"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for transport aircraft]]
|-
! scope = "row" | H
| Helicopters, e.g., [[Mil Mi-24|"Hind"]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for helicopters]]
|-
! scope = "row" | M
| Miscellaneous aircraft names, including [[Trainer (aircraft)|trainers]], [[aerial reconnaissance]], [[seaplane]]s, [[aerial refueling]], and [[airborne early warning]]
| [[List of NATO reporting names for miscellaneous aircraft]]
|}

=== Submarines ===
{{Details|List of NATO reporting names for submarines}}

Before the 1980s, reporting names for submarines were taken from the [[NATO phonetic alphabet|NATO 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-class submarine|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 submarine|Typhoon-class]]". The NATO names for submarines of the [[People's Republic of China]] are taken from [[Dynasties in Chinese history|Chinese dynasties]].

===Equipment===
{{Details|List of NATO reporting names for equipment}}
{{Empty section|date=May 2025}}

==See also==
* [[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.designation-systems.net/non-us/soviet.html Designations of Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft and Missiles]
* [http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/weapons/q0180.shtml Aerospace Web]

{{Russian and Soviet missiles}}

[[Category:Lists of NATO reporting names| ]]
[[Category:Naming conventions]]
[[Category:Military aviation]]
[[Category:Naval warfare]]
[[Category:Code names]]