Understanding Soviet/Russian weapon designations

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.