CV32 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Something that I hope will help with trying to decipher the complexity (and sometimes absurdity) that promulgates Former Soviet Union/Russian weapon designation systems: Industrial Index Numbers These use a combined number/letter/number pattern that are fairly commonly seen. First digit: 2 - weapons systems that incorporate fire control systems and missiles 3 - early tactical missiles 4 - naval missiles 5 - strategic missiles of the PVO 8 - strategic ballistic missiles 9 - tactical missiles used by ground forces (replacing the use of '3' as noted above) Second letter: K - missile system, including the missile itself, launcher and fire control system M - missile V - missile A - launcher vehicle with radar P - basic launcher N - warhead S - major electronic component In the 1980s the Ground Forces adopted a three digit system, as follows: 9M1xx - anti-tank missiles 9M2xx - unguided rockets 9M3xx - surface to air missiles 9M7xx - tactical ballistic missiles Variants are often identified by suffixes, commonly appearing as: M - first modification M1 - second modification E - export Designation Patterns Air to air missiles (AAMs): K - whole weapon system (kompleks) R - missile (raketa) T - infra-red guidance (as a suffix) R - radar guidance (as a suffix) Tactical air to surface missiles (ASMs): Kh - a missile that has entered operational service R - radio command guidance (as a suffix) T - electro-optical guidance (as a suffix) P - passive or anti-radation homing (as a suffix) L - semi-active laser homing (as a suffix) Surface to air missiles (SAMs): S - strategic (strategicheskiy), usually named after rivers V - tactical (voyska), often named after geometric shapes or pointed objects Ballistic missiles: RS - strategic missile (raketa strategicheskiy), suffix for most ICBMs T - solid (tyardiy), suffix for early solid fuel missiles OTR - a phony designation for tactical ballistic missiles eliminated under INF Treaty Naval surface to surface missiles (SSMs): P - tactical antiship missiles xx-R - ASW missiles D-xx - secret designation for SLBMs under development R-xx - designation for deployed SLBMs (also 4Kxx) RSM-xx - designation used during SALT treaty negotiations Missile Design Bureaux (and their areas of expertise): Almaz NPO (previously SB-1 and KB-1) - missile guidance, especially air defense Antey NPO - tactical SAMs Bisnovat (previously OKB-4, renamed Molniya) - cruise missiles and spacecraft Chelomey (OKB-52, renamed NPO-Mashinostroyenie) - satellites and naval missiles Fakel MKB (previously Grushin or OKB-2) - air defense missiles KBP - aircraft cannon, anti-tank missiles, low altitude SAMs Korolev (OKB-1, renamed NPO Energia) - ballistic missiles and spacecraft Lavochkin (OKB-577, renamed Babakin Research Institute) - strategic SAMs and cruise missiles, spacecraft Makeyev - SLBMs Mikoyan (OKB-155, now part of Raduga) - AAMs, cruise missiles Nadiradze (now NPO Soyuz and NII Teplotekhnik) - solid fuel ICBMs Nepobidimy (sometimes called KB Mashinostroyenie) - MANPADS, anti-tank missiles, tactical ballistic missiles NIIP (NII Priborostroyeniya) - radars, tactical SAMs Novator NPO - anti-aircraft guns, SAMs, cruise missiles, ASW missiles Nudelman (OKB-16) - aircraft cannon, anti-tank missiles, low altitude SAMs Raduga (previously part of Mikoyan OKB-155) - cruise missiles, ASMs Toropov (OKB-134, absorbed by Vympel) - aircraft armament, AAMs, SAMs Vympel GosMKB (OKB-134, now part of Spetsveshtekhnika consortium along with Zvezda) - AAMs Yangel (SKB-586, renamed NPO Yuzhmash) - ICBMs Zvezda - tactical ASMs Ref: Russian Missile Designations, Steven Zaloga, 1994. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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