NATO reporting name: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

NATO reporting names were code names for Soviet equipment. These were created to facilitate communications between military units speaking different languages. Also, in most cases the actual Soviet names for these items were not known, and in many cases were not known for many years. NATO maintained lists of these names. Much of that equipment can still be found in use around the world, and those names are still used to refer to it.

The initial letter of the name indicated something about the use of that equipment; for example, fighter airplanes were assigned names beginning with the letter "F," and surface-to-surface missiles' names began with "S." For airplanes, names with one syllable are used for propeller engines while two syllable names indicate jet engines. Perhaps the most famous reporting name refers to the SS-1 ballistic missile, the "Scud."

Missiles

• Air-to-Air Missiles
• Air-to-Surface Missiles
• Anti-Tank Missiles
• Surface-to-Air Missiles
• Surface-to-Surface Missiles

Aircraft

• Bombers
• Fighters
• Helicopters
• Transports
• Miscellaneous

Submarines

• Ballistic Missile Submarines
• Guided Missile Submarines
• Hunter-Killer and Experimental Submarines