Soviet Union military aircraft designation systems

Pre-war Soviet System

The Soviet system used from shortly after the revolution in 1923 and until gradually superseded after 1940, was divided by function, with numbers assigned in order by the government. Duplicate designations were common, as were multiple meanings for individual letters. Designers and manufacturers also had their own internal designations which could be confused for the official government designations. For instance, Tupolev's designs used the designator ANT, for A.N.Tupolev and Yakovlev's designs used AIR, for A.I.Rykov, the communist leader he reported to. Not all designations were taken up, some numbers were assigned to projects that were subsequently cancelled, often at a very early stage of development.

Type prefixes

(Cyrillic characters in parenthesis)

A (А) - Avtozhir (autogiro)

A-4 - TsAGI

A-7 - Kamov

ARK (AРК) - ARKtichyeskii (arctic = arctic exploration aircraft)

ARK-3 - Chyetverikov

ARK-5 - Polikarpov R-5

B (Б) - Bombardirovshchik (bomber) (Generic designation - not used for specific types)

BI (БИ) - Blitzniy Istrebitel (short/close-range fighter)

BI-1 - Bereznyak-Isayev

BB (ББ) - Blizhniy Bombardirovshchik (short-range bomber)

BB-1 - Sukhoi Su-2

BB-2 - Grushin

BB-22 - Yakovlev Yak-2

BB-22bis - Yakovlev Yak-4

BSh (БШ) - Bronirovannyi Shturmovik (Armored Ground Attack aircraft)

BSh-1 - Vultee V-11

BSh-2 - Ilyushin Il-2

DI (ДИ) - Dvukhmestnyi Istrebitel (two-seat fighter)

DI-1: Polikarpov

DI-2: Polikarpov

DI-3: Grigorovich

DI-4: Laville

DI-6: Kochyerigin/TsKB-11

DI-8: Tupolev ANT-46/Tupolev SB

DIP (ДИП) - Dvukhmotorny Istrebitel Pushechny (twin engine cannon fighter)

DIP: Tupolev ANT-29

DB (ДБ) - Dalniy Bombardirovshchik (long-range bomber)

DB-1: Tupolev ANT-25

DB-2: Tupolev ANT-37

DB-3: Ilyushin TsKB-30, redesignated Il-4

DB-4: Ilyushin TsKB-56 (prototype only)

DB-240: Yermolayev, redesignated Yer-2

DB-A - Bolkhovitinov

FB (ФБ) - Frontovoy Bombardirovshchik (front-line bomber)

FB: Tupolev Tu-2

G (Г) - Gruzovoi (cargo, usually converted heavy bomber)

G-1: Tupolev TB-1 as transport

G-2: Tupolev TB-3 as transport

GST (ГСТ) - Gydro Samolyot Transportnyj (cargo hydroplane)

GST - Consolidated PBY Catalina

I (И) - Istrebitel (destroyer = fighter)

I-Z - Grigorovich

I-1 - Polikarpov

I-1 - Grigorovich (duplicated designation)

I-2 - Grigorovich

I-3 - Polikarpov

I-4 - Tupolev ANT-5

I-5 - Polikarpov. Initially Tupolev I-5/ANT-12, later Polikarpov I-6 redesignated I-5.

I-6 - Polikarpov. Renamed to I-5 after winning competition with Tupolev I-5.

I-7 - Heinkel HD-37 (licensed-built German aircraft)

I-8 - Tupolev ANT-13

I-9 - Grigorovich

I-10 - Grigorovich

I-11 - Polikarpov

I-12 - Tupolev ANT-23

I-13 - Polikarpov

I-14 - Tupolev ANT-31

I-15/I-15bis/I-153 - Polikarpov TsKB-3

I-16 - Polikarpov TsKB-12/18/29

I-17 - Polikarpov TsKB-15/19/25/33

I-18 - Polikarpov TsKB-43 (unbuilt)

I-21 - Ilyushin

I-21 - Pashinin

I-22 - Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1

I-26 - Yakovlev Yak-1. '26' is from Yakovlev AIR series designations.

I-28 - Yatsenko

I-29 - Yakovlev Yak-2

I-30 - Yakovlev Yak-3 (prototype only)

I-180 - Polikarpov (unrelated to I-18)

I-185 - Polikarpov

I-200 or I-61 - Polikarpov and later MiG-1)

I-301 - Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3

IP (ИП) - Istrebitel Pushetchnii (cannon fighter)

IP-1 - Grigorovich

IP-4 - Grigorovich

IP-21 - Pashinin

IS (ИС) - Istrebitel Skladnoi (folding fighter)

IS-1 & IS-2 - Nikitin

K (K) - Korablennyi (shipborne) (Generic designation - not used for specific types)

KR (KР) - Korabelnii Razvedchik (shipboard reconnaissance)

KR-1 - Heinkel HD 55

KR-2 - Beriev Be-2/KOR-1

KR (KР) - KReiser (cruiser = heavy long-range fighter)

KR-6 - Tupolev ANT-7/R-6 on floats

KOR (KOР) - Korabelnii O Razvedchik – (shipboard catapult reconnaissance)

KOR-1 - Beriev Be-2

KOR-2 - Beriev Be-4

KOR-3 - Beriev Be-5, not built

M (М) - Morskoi (marine = seaplane) (Generic designation - not used for specific types)

MBR (МБР) - Morskoi Blizhnii Razvedchik (short-range reconnaissance seaplane)

MBR-1 - Bartini project

MBR-2 - Beriev MP-1

MBR-4 - Savoia-Marchetti SM.62bis

MBR-5 - Samsonov

MBR-7 - Beriev MS-8

MDR (МДР) - Morskoi Dalnii Razvedchik (long-range reconnaissance seaplane)

MDR-1 - Grigorovich ROM-2

MDR-2 - Tupolev ANT-8

MDR-3 - Chyetverikov TsKB-11

MDR-4 - Tupolev ANT-27, later MTB-1

MDR-5 - Beriev MS-5

MDR-6 - Chyetverikov Che-2

MDR-7 - Shavrov

MI (МИ) - Mnogomestnii Istrebitel (multi-seat fighter)

MI-3 - Tupolev ANT-21

MP (МП) - Morskoi Passazhirskiy (passenger seaplane)

MP-1 - Beriev MBR-2

MP-2 - Chyetverikov ARK-3

MR (МР) - Morskoi Razvedchik (reconnaissance seaplane)

MR-1 - Polikarpov R-1 on floats

MR-2 - Grigorovich

MR-3 - OMOS

MR-3 - Grigorovich

MR-5 - Polikarpov R-5 on floats

MR-6 - Tupolev

MTB (МТБ) - Morskoi Torpedonosyets Bombardirovshchik (naval torpedo bomber)

MTB-1 - Tupolev ANT-27

MTB-2 - Tupolev ANT-44

MU (МУ) - Morskoi Uchebny (seaplane trainer)

MU-1 - Avro 504

MU-2 - Polikarpov U-2M

MU-3 - Moskaleyev

MU-4 - Nikitin

PS (ПС) - Passazhirskii Samolyot (passenger aircraft or airliner)

PS-3 - Tupolev R-3

PS-4 - Junkers W 33

PS-5 - Nyeman/Kharkov R-10

PS-7 - Tupolev ANT-7

PS-9 - Tupolev ANT-9

PS-30 - Martin 156

PS-35 - Tupolev ANT-35

PS-40 - Tupolev SB

PS-41 - Tupolev SB

PS-43 - Vultee V-11

PS-84 - Lisunov Li-2/Douglas DC-3

PS-89 - Laville ZIG-1

PS-124 - Tupolev ANT-20

R (Р) - Razvedchik (Reconnaissance)

R-Z - Polikarpov

R-1 - Polikarpov

R-2 - Polikarpov

R-3 - Tupolev ANT-3

R-4 - Tupolev (prototype only)

R-5 - Polikarpov

R-6 - Tupolev ANT-7

R-7 - Tupolev ANT-10 (prototype only)

R-9 - Kochyerigin R-9/SR-9

R-10 - Neman/KhAI

R-12 - Yakovlev (prototype only)

RD (РД) - Rekord Dalnost – (long range record aircraft)

RD - Tupolev ANT-25

ROM (РOМ) - Razvedchik Otkrytogo Morya (reconnaissance open sea)

ROM-1 - Grigorovich

ROM-2 - Grigorovich

SB (СБ) - Skorostnoi Bombardirovshchik (high-speed bomber)

SB: Tupolev ANT-40

ShB (ШБ) - Shturmovoi Bombardirovshchik (attack bomber)

ShB: Sukhoi Su-2

SPB (СПБ) - Skorostnoi Pikiruyuschii Bombardirovshchik (high-speed dive bomber)

SPB - Polikarpov I-16 variant used with Zveno project

SPL (СПЛ) - Samolyet dlya Podvodnikh Lodok (aeroplane for submarines)

SPL - Chyetverikov

SS (СС) - Stratosfernii Samolyot (stratospheric aircraft)

SS - Chizhevski BOK-1

T (Т) - Torpedonosets (Torpedo bomber)

T-1 - Tupolev ANT-41

TB (ТБ) - Tiazholyi Bombardirovshchik (heavy bomber)

TB-1 - Tupolev ANT-4

TB-2 - Polikarpov (prototype only)

TB-3 - Tupolev ANT-6

TB-4 - Tupolev ANT-16

TB-5 - Grigorovich

TB-6 - Tupolev ANT-26

TB-7 - Tupolev ANT-42 (redesignated Pe-8)

TSh (ТШ) - Tiazholyi Shturmovik (heavy ground attack aircraft)

TSh-1 - Grigorovich (modified Polikarpov R-5)

TSh-2 - Grigorovich (modified Polikarpov R-5)

TSh-3 - Kocherigin TsKB-4

U (У) - Uchebny (trainer)

U-1 - Avro 504

U-2 - Polikarpov U-2/Po-2

U-3 - Mikhelson

U-4 - Mikhelson

U-5 - Nikitin NV-5

UPB (УПБ) - Uchyebno Perekhodnoi Bombardirovshchik (training transitional bomber)

UPB - Kazan KAI-3

UT (УТ) - Uchebno-Trenirivochnyi (advanced trainer)

UT-1 - Yakovlev UT-1

UT-2 - Yakovlev UT-2

UT-3 - Yakovlev UT-3

UTI (УТИ) - Uchebno-Trenirivochnyi Istrebitel (advanced fighter trainer)

UTI-1 - Polikarpov I-15 as fighter trainer

UTI-2 - Polikarpov I-16 as fighter trainer

UTI-4 - Polikarpov I-16UTI fighter trainer

UTI-5 - Nikitin NV-2

UTI-6 - Nikitin NV-4

UTI-26 - Yakovlev Yak-1/Yak-7

VIT (ВИТ) - Vozdushnyi Istrebitel Tankov (air tank destroyer)

VIT-1 - Polikarpov

VIT-2 - Polikarpov

Soviet system after December 9, 1940

The system after December 9, 1940 (in accordance with order No 704) used letter abbreviations for the design office, then sequential numbers, sometimes with odd numbers for fighters (e.g. Yak-3, MiG-15, Su-27...) and even numbers for other types (e.g. Il-2, Tu-16, Su-34, Tu-154...). However, this latter rule was not always applied, especially for helicopters.

Contrary to western sources, official Soviet designations did not include constructors' names (e.g. Yakovlev Yak-1), only abbreviations (i.e. Yak-1) however initially full names like Yakovlev-1 were occasionally used. Numerical designations were assigned individually for each developer to aircraft when they entered service. Aircraft also frequently had development designations used within design bureaus, like aircraft 105, or ANT-105 that led to the Tu-22, or T-6 for Su-24, and an industry production name assigned to the facility where production was undertaken.

The NATO Air Standardization Coordinating Committee reporting name system (used because designations of new types were often unknown to NATO) was based on an initial letter indicating type of aircraft (B = bomber, C = cargo, F = fighter, H = helicopter, M = miscellaneous) or missile, and 1 syllable if propeller-driven or 2 if jet- or rocket-powered.

Design Office Prefixes

An (Ан): Antonov Ar (Ар): Archangelski BI (БИ): Berezniak-Isaev Be (Бе): Beriev Che (Че): Chetverikov Gu (Гу): Gudkov Il (Ил): Ilyushin Ka (Ка): Kamov La (Ла): Lavochkin LaG (ЛаГ): Lavochkin-Gorbunov LaGG (ЛаГГ): Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov Li (Ли): Lisunov M (М): Myasishchev Mi (Ми): Mil MiG (МиГ): Mikoyan-Gurevich, until the death of Artem Mikoyan in 1970, then just Mikoyan Pe (Пе): Petlyakov Po (По): Polikarpov Su (Су): Sukhoi Sh (Ш): Shavrov Shche (Ще): Shcherbakov Ta (Та): Tairov Ts (Ц): Tsybin Tu (Ту): Tupolev (bureau designation was ANT) Yak (Як): Yakovlev (bureau designation was AIR) Yer (Ер): Yermolayev