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{{Short description|US military designation scheme}}
{{About |naming of US military programs|the general topic of weapons systems and for other US designations|Weapon|United States military aircraft designation systems|Joint Electronics Type Designation System}}
{{About |naming of US military programs|the general topic of weapons systems and for other US designations|Weapon|United States military aircraft designation systems|Joint Electronics Type Designation System}}


<div class="infobox" style="width:20em;">
<div class="infobox" style="width:20em;">
'''Legend for Numeric Designations'''
'''Legend for Numeric Designations'''
<br>[[Lockheed Advanced Development Projects|CL: Lockheed]]
<br />CL: [[Lockheed Corporation]]
<br>[[Douglas Aircraft Company|D: Douglas]]
<br />D: [[Douglas Aircraft Company]]
<br>[[North American Aviation|NA: North American]][http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/sm-64.html]
<br />NA: [[North American Aviation]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/sm-64.html|title=North American SM-64 Navaho|website=www.designation-systems.net}}</ref>
<br>[[Weapon|WS (Weapon System)]]
<br />WS (Weapon System)
</div>
</div>


'''Weapon System''' is a United States military term that designated, along with a weapon system number (e.g., WS-110), military experimental (MX)<ref>http://www.acronymfinder.com/Military-and-Government/MX.html</ref> weapons prior to official naming (e.g., under a [[United States military aircraft designation systems|military aircraft designation system]]. Preceded by the first [[Skunk Works]] program ([[Convair XF-92|MX-813 for the Convair XF-92]] in 1946),<ref name=Daso />{{Rp|76}} the earliest{{Verify source|date=December 2008}} "WS" designation was the 1954 WS-117L.<ref name=Stares/>{{Rp|22}} Circa February 1950, an [[Air Research and Development Command]] "''study prepared by Maj Gen [[Gordon P. Saville]] ... recommended that a 'systems approach' to new weapons be adopted ''[whereby]'' development of a weapon "system" required development of [[ground support equipment|support equipment]] as well as the actual hardware itself.''"<ref name=Daso/>{{Rp|166}}
'''Weapon System''' was a [[United States Armed Forces]] military designation scheme for experimental weapons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.acronymfinder.com/Military-and-Government/MX.html|title=MX - Military and Government|website=www.acronymfinder.com}}</ref> (e.g., WS-220) before they received an official name — e.g., under a [[United States military aircraft designation systems|military aircraft designation system]]. The new designator reflected the increasing complexity of weapons that required separate development of auxiliary systems or components.


The [[Convair F-102 Delta Dagger]] in November 1949 was decided by the USAF to be built around a fire-control system<ref>Donald 2003, pp. 68–69</ref>--"the real beginning of the weapon system approach [and the] aircraft would be integrated into the weapon system "as a whole from the beginning, so the characteristics of each component were compatible with the others.".<ref>Grant Historical Study No. 126 p. 53</ref>
In November 1949, the Air Force decided to build the [[Convair F-102 Delta Dagger]] around a [[fire-control system]].<ref>Donald 2003, pp. 68–69</ref> This was "the real beginning of the weapon system approach [and the] [[aircraft]] would be integrated into the weapon system "as a whole from the beginning, so the characteristics of each component were compatible with the others".<ref>Grant Historical Study No. 126 p. 53</ref>


Around February 1950, an [[Air Research and Development Command]] "study prepared by Maj Gen [[Gordon P. Saville]]...recommended that a 'systems approach' to new weapons be adopted [whereby] development of a weapon "system" required development of [[ground support equipment|support equipment]] as well as the actual hardware itself."{{sfn|Daso|1997|p=166}}
US weapon programs often were initiated by numbered government specifications such as an Advanced Development Objective (e.g., ADO-40) or a General Operational Requirement (e.g., GOR.80), although some programs were initially identified by contractor numbers (e.g., CL-282).{{ref|1|1}}


The first WS designation was WS-100A.<ref name="Parsch" />
{{Expand list|date=December 2008}}

US weapon programs were often begun as numbered government specifications such as an Advanced Development Objective (e.g., ADO-40) or a General Operational Requirement (e.g., GOR.80), although some programs were initially identified by contractor numbers (e.g., CL-282).{{efn|When a government program number is not available, a contractor number (if available) is used in the table, e.g., Lockheed CL-282 for the U-2.}}

==List of Weapon Systems==
{{Incomplete list|date=December 2008}}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+valign=top| '''List of numbered programs for US military systems'''
|+List of weapon system programs for US military systems
! Number
!style="background:silver" width=18% | Number
! Project
!style="background:silver" | Link to Wikipage
|-
|{{sort|3|Project 3}}<ref name=Burroughs/>{{Rp|67}}
|TCP for technical intelligence collection systems
|-
|{{sort|101|Program 101}}, 102 (GOR-170)[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/saint.htm]
| [[Samos (satellite)]]
|-
|-
|{{sort|104|[http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/sm-64.html WS-104A]}}
|{{sort|104|WS-104A}}<ref name="auto"/>
|[[SM-64 Navaho]]
|[[SM-64 Navaho]]
|-
|-
Line 33: Line 33:
|[[SM-65 Atlas]]
|[[SM-65 Atlas]]
|-
|-
|WS-110
|[[XB-70 Valkyrie|WS-110]] (GOR.82)
|[[North American XB-70 Valkyrie]]
|
|-
|-
|[[Missile Defense Alarm System|WS-117L]] (GOR.80){{sfn|Burroughs|1998|p=80–87}}
|[[WS-110A]]
|Advanced Reconnaissance System (originally Project 1115);{{sfn|Stares|1985|p=30}} recoverable capsule - Pied Piper/Sentry/[[SAMOS]]; television transmission - unfeasible;{{sfn|Burroughs|1998|p=87}} [[Missile Defense Alarm System|Subsystem G: MiDAS]]
|
|-
|-
|WS-119B (USAF 7795){{sfn|Burroughs|1998|p=139}}
|[[XB-70 Valkyrie|WS-110L]]
|supersonic reconnaissance aircraft
|-
|[[Missile Defense Alarm System|WS-117L]] (GOR.80)<ref name=Burroughs/>{{Rp|80–87}}
|Advanced Reconnaissance System (originally Project 1115);<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|30}} recoverable capsule - Pied Piper/Sentry/[[SAMOS]]; television transmission - unfeasible;{{Rp|87}} [[Missile Defense Alarm System|Subsystem G: MiDAS]]
|-
|WS-119B (USAF 7795)<ref name=Burroughs />{{Rp|139}}
|[[ASM-135 ASAT|Bold Orion ASAT]]
|[[ASM-135 ASAT|Bold Orion ASAT]]
|-
|-
|WS-119L
|WS-119L
|[[Project Moby Dick]] (originally Project Genetrix)<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|31–32}}
|[[Project Moby Dick]] (originally Project Genetrix){{sfn|Stares|1985|p=31–32}}
|-
|-
|WS-120A
|WS-120A
|BGM-75 AICBM
|BGM-75 AICBM
|-
|-
|WS-124A
|{{sort|121|Article 121}}
| [[WS-124A Flying Cloud]] Project<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/ws-124a.html|title=WS-124A Flying Cloud|last=Parsch|first=Andreas|date=21 March 2006|website=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles|publisher=Designation-Systems|access-date=2017-12-10}}</ref>
| [[Lockheed A-12]]
|-
|-
|[[WS-124A Flying Cloud|WS-124A]]
|[[WS-125]]
| (B-72)
| Project Flying Cloud]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/ws-124a.html|title=WS-124A Flying Cloud|last=Parsch|first=Andreas|date=21 March 2006|website=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles|publisher=Designation-Systems|accessdate=2017-12-10}}</ref>
|-
|-
|WS-125A (GOR.81)
|WS-133A
|[[AN/DRC-8 Emergency Rocket Communications System]] (Program 494L) [[LGM-30 Minuteman]]
|[[XB-70 Valkyrie]]
|-
|WS-133A ([[Program 494L]])
|[[LGM-30 Minuteman]]
|-
|{{sort|148|GOR 148}}
| [[AGM-28 Hound Dog]]
|-
|-
|{{sort|199|[[WS-199]]}}
|{{sort|199|[[WS-199]]}}
Line 83: Line 71:
|{{sort|201A|WS-201A}}
|{{sort|201A|WS-201A}}
| [[1954 interceptor]]
| [[1954 interceptor]]
|-
|{{sort|212|NA-211}}
| interceptor design similar to fighter-bomber design that would become [[North American F-107]]
|-
|{{sort|212|NA-212}}
| [[North American F-107]]
|-
|-
|WS-224A
|WS-224A
|Phase I: [[BMEWS]], Phase II: [[Wizard missile]] system<ref>Cite NORAD Historical Summary 1958 January–June, p. 106</ref>
|Phase I: [[BMEWS]], Phase II: [[Wizard missile]] system<ref>NORAD Historical Summary 1958 January–June, p. 106</ref>
|-
|CL-282<ref name=Burroughs />{{Rp|71}}
|[[Lockheed U-2]]
|-
|-
|{{sort|306A|WS-306A}}
|{{sort|306A|WS-306A}}
| [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]] (misidentified as [http://www.icodap.org/papers/AFHRL-Index/1956-1956.pdf WS-3061])
| [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]] (misidentified as WS-3061<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.icodap.org/papers/AFHRL-Index/1956-1956.pdf | access-date=2023-10-29 | title=Research Report - Index to Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216063833/http://www.icodap.org/papers/AFHRL-Index/1956-1956.pdf | archive-date=2010-12-16}}</ref>)
|-
|-
| WS315A
| WS315A
| [[PGM-17 Thor]] missile<ref name=Flight1959>{{Cite journal |date=6 February 1959 |title=Correspondence: Weapon System |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%200401.html |format=Flighglobal/Archive |journal=[[Flight (magazine)|Flight]] |accessdate=2011-09-13}}</ref>
| [[PGM-17 Thor]] missile<ref name=Flight1959>{{Cite journal |date=6 February 1959 |title=Correspondence: Weapon System |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%200401.html |via=Flightglobal Archive |journal=[[Flight (magazine)|Flight]] |access-date=2011-09-13}}</ref>
|-
|-
|{{sort|324A|WS-324A<ref>{{cite web| url=http://tig.ludost.net/plane_f111.html | title=F-111 Aadvark| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303183658/http://tig.ludost.net/plane_f111.html | archive-date=2012-03-03 | access-date=2023-10-29}}</ref>}}
|{{sort|324|MX-324}}
| [[Northrop XP-79]]
|-
|{{sort|324A|[http://tig.ludost.net/plane_f111.html WS-324A]}}
|[[General Dynamics F-111]]
|[[General Dynamics F-111]]
|-
|{{sort|400|CL-400}}<ref name=Burroughs />{{Rp|149}}
| [[Lockheed CL-400 Suntan]]
|-
|[[Program 437]] (ADO-40)<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|120}}
|"nonorbital collision course [[NOTS-EV-2 Caleb|satellite interceptor]]" using modified [[Thor]]
|-
|Program 437 X (AP)
|Alternate payload (AP) for satellite inspection ("a heritage of [[Project SAINT|SAINT]]")<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|125}}
|-
|Program 437 Y<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|128}}
|second development plan for Program 437 (later renamed Program 922)
|-
|[[Program 437|Program 505]]<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|118}}
|[[Nike (rocket)#Nike Zeus|MUDFLAP ASAT]]
|-
|{{sort|544|MX-544}}<ref name=Cooksley >{{cite book
|last=Cooksley |first=Peter G
|year=1979
|title=Flying Bomb
|location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner’s Sons
|page=141
}}</ref>
| US copy of [[V-1 flying bomb]] ([[Republic-Ford JB-2]] "Loon")<!--DOES COOKSLEY IDENTIFY [[Operation Aphrodite]] WITH THIS NUMBER?-->
|-
|{{sort|558|D-558}}
| [[Douglas Skystreak]], [[Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket|Skyrocket]]
|-
|{{sort|572|Project 572}}
|[[Distant Early Warning Line]]
|-
|{{sort|606|MX-606}}
| cruise missile precursor to Bomarc
|-
|{{sort|609A|Air Force System 609A}}
| [[Scout (rocket family)|Blue Scout]]
|-
|Air Force System 621B'''<ref name=Preston >{{cite web |last=Preston |first=Bob |year=1994 |title=Plowshares and Power: The Military Use of Civil Space |url=http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA311050 |page=250 }}</ref>
|[[Global Positioning System|GPS]]
|-
|DSP-647<ref name=Burroughs />{{Rp|99}}
|[[Defense Support Program]]
|-
|{{sort|653|MX-653}}[http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/HistoricAircraft/X-1/background.html]
| [[Bell X-1]]
|-
|{{sort|770|MX-770}}
| [[SM-64 Navaho]]
|-
|{{sort|771|MX-771}}
| Navy tactical cruise missile superseded by MX-773
|-
|{{sort|773|MX-773}}
| [[SSM-N-8 Regulus]]
|-
|{{sort|774|[[MX-774]]}}
|feasibility designs for subsonic and supersonic surface-to-surface missiles (three [[White Sands Missile Range|WSPG]] launches July–December 1948)<ref name=Braun >{{cite book
|last=Braun |first=Wernher von |authorlink=Wernher von Braun
|author2=[[Frederick I. Ordway III|Ordway III, Frederick I]] |author3=Dooling, David Jr
|title=Space Travel: A History
|origyear=1975
|year=1985
|publisher=Harper & Row |location=New York
|isbn=0-06-181898-4
|page=132
}}</ref> leading to [[SM-65 Atlas]]
|-
|{{sort|776A|MX-776A}}
| [[X-9 Shrike|RTV-A-4 Shrike]]
|-
|{{sort|776B|MX-776B}}
| [[GAM-63 RASCAL]]
|-
|{{sort|813|MX-813}}
| [[Convair XF-92]]
|-
|Program 893<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|128}}
|ICBM ASAT
|-
|{{sort|904|MX-904}}
| [[GAR-1 Falcon]] missile
|-
|Program 922<ref name=Stares />{{Rp|129}}
|rename of Program 437 Y
|-
|{{sort|1393|System 1393}} ||[[Western Electric System 1393 Radar Course Directing Central|Western Electric RCDC]] for the [[Project Nike|Improved Nike Hercules Air Defense Guided Missile System]]
|-
|{{sort|1554|Project MX-1554}}
| 1954 Interceptor (Convair's proposed airframe was used for an interim interceptor—F-102A; as well as the 1954 interceptor-- [[F-102B]]; Republic's proposed design was used for the separate F-103 project.)<!--Grant Historical Study No. 126 p. 53-->
|-
|{{sort|1589|[[Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion#MX-1589|MX-1589]]}}
|nuclear-powered [[Convair B-36]]
|-
|{{sort|1626|MX-1626}} (FZP-110)
| initial Convair proposal for eventual [[Convair B-58 Hustler]] award
|-
|{{sort|1712|MX-1712}}
| Boeing Generalized Bomber Study (GEBO II) proposal]] (competitor against winning Convair MX-1712 design for [[B-58 Hustler]])
|-
|{{sort|1599|MX-1599}}
| [[CIM-10 Bomarc]]
|-
|{{sort|1964|MX-1964}}
|[[B-58 Hustler|Convair B-58 Hustler (previously MX-1626)]]
|-
|{{sort|1965|MX-1965}}
| [[Boeing XB-59]]
|-
|-
|}
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==

{{note|1|1}}When a government program number is not available, a contractor number (if available) is used in the table, e.g., Lockheed CL-282 for the U-2.
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{Reflist|30em|refs=


<ref name=Parsch>{{cite web |last=Parsch |first=Andreas |title=Designations Of U.S. Air Force Projects |url=http://designation-systems.net/usmilav/projects.html |access-date=2020-01-18}}</ref>
<ref name=Burroughs>{{Cite book |last=Burroughs |first=William E. |authorlink=William E. Burroughs |year=1988|edition=paperback|origyear=1986 |title=[[Black reconnaissance|Deep Black]] |location=New York |publisher=Berkley Publishing Group |isbn=0-425-10879-1}}</ref>


}}
<ref name=Daso>{{cite book |last=Daso |first= Dik (Major, USAF) |date=September 1997 |title=Architects of American Air Supremacy: General [[Hap Arnold]] and Dr [[Theodore von Kármán]] |publisher=[[Air University Press]] |pages=76,166 }}</ref>
*{{Cite book |last=Burroughs |first=William E. |year=1988|edition=paperback|orig-year=1986 |title=Deep Black |location=New York |publisher=Berkley Publishing Group |isbn=0-425-10879-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Daso |first= Dik (Major, USAF) |date=September 1997 |title=Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr Theodore von Kármán |publisher=[[Air University Press]] |pages=76,166 }}
*{{citation |last=Stares |first=Paul B. |title=The Militarization of Space |location=Ithaca |publisher= Cornell University Press |date= 1985}}


{{USAF system codes}}
<ref name=Stares>{{cite web |last=Stares |first=Paul B. |title=The Militarization of Space |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19851201fabook11624/paul-b-stares/the-militarization-of-space-u-s-policy-1945-1984.html |accessdate=2008-11-24}}</ref>

}}


[[Category:United States military-related lists]]
[[Category:United States military-related lists]]
[[Category:Weapons of the United States| ]]

[[sv:Vapensystem]]

Latest revision as of 18:00, 29 October 2023

This article is about naming of US military programs. For the general topic of weapons systems and for other US designations, see Weapon. For United States military aircraft designation systems, see Joint Electronics Type Designation System.

Legend for Numeric Designations
CL: Lockheed Corporation
D: Douglas Aircraft Company
NA: North American Aviation[1]
WS (Weapon System)

Weapon System was a United States Armed Forces military designation scheme for experimental weapons[2] (e.g., WS-220) before they received an official name — e.g., under a military aircraft designation system. The new designator reflected the increasing complexity of weapons that required separate development of auxiliary systems or components.

In November 1949, the Air Force decided to build the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger around a fire-control system.[3] This was "the real beginning of the weapon system approach [and the] aircraft would be integrated into the weapon system "as a whole from the beginning, so the characteristics of each component were compatible with the others".[4]

Around February 1950, an Air Research and Development Command "study prepared by Maj Gen Gordon P. Saville...recommended that a 'systems approach' to new weapons be adopted [whereby] development of a weapon "system" required development of support equipment as well as the actual hardware itself."[5]

The first WS designation was WS-100A.[6]

US weapon programs were often begun as numbered government specifications such as an Advanced Development Objective (e.g., ADO-40) or a General Operational Requirement (e.g., GOR.80), although some programs were initially identified by contractor numbers (e.g., CL-282).[a]

List of Weapon Systems

[edit]
List of weapon system programs for US military systems
Number Project
WS-104A[1] SM-64 Navaho
WS-107A SM-65 Atlas
WS-110 North American XB-70 Valkyrie
WS-117L (GOR.80)[7] Advanced Reconnaissance System (originally Project 1115);[8] recoverable capsule - Pied Piper/Sentry/SAMOS; television transmission - unfeasible;[9] Subsystem G: MiDAS
WS-119B (USAF 7795)[10] Bold Orion ASAT
WS-119L Project Moby Dick (originally Project Genetrix)[11]
WS-120A BGM-75 AICBM
WS-124A WS-124A Flying Cloud Project[12]
WS-125 (B-72)
WS-133A AN/DRC-8 Emergency Rocket Communications System (Program 494L) LGM-30 Minuteman
WS-199 Anti-satellite weapon
WS-199B Bold Orion
WS-199C High Virgo
WS-199D Alpha Draco
WS-201A 1954 interceptor
WS-224A Phase I: BMEWS, Phase II: Wizard missile system[13]
WS-306A Republic F-105 Thunderchief (misidentified as WS-3061[14])
WS315A PGM-17 Thor missile[15]
WS-324A[16] General Dynamics F-111

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ When a government program number is not available, a contractor number (if available) is used in the table, e.g., Lockheed CL-282 for the U-2.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "North American SM-64 Navaho". www.designation-systems.net.
  2. ^ "MX - Military and Government". www.acronymfinder.com.
  3. ^ Donald 2003, pp. 68–69
  4. ^ Grant Historical Study No. 126 p. 53
  5. ^ Daso 1997, p. 166.
  6. ^ Parsch, Andreas. "Designations Of U.S. Air Force Projects". Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  7. ^ Burroughs 1998, p. 80–87.
  8. ^ Stares 1985, p. 30.
  9. ^ Burroughs 1998, p. 87.
  10. ^ Burroughs 1998, p. 139.
  11. ^ Stares 1985, p. 31–32.
  12. ^ Parsch, Andreas (21 March 2006). "WS-124A Flying Cloud". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles. Designation-Systems. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  13. ^ NORAD Historical Summary 1958 January–June, p. 106
  14. ^ "Research Report - Index to Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  15. ^ "Correspondence: Weapon System". Flight. 6 February 1959. Retrieved 2011-09-13 – via Flightglobal Archive.
  16. ^ "F-111 Aadvark". Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  • Burroughs, William E. (1988) [1986]. Deep Black (paperback ed.). New York: Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN 0-425-10879-1.
  • Daso, Dik (Major, USAF) (September 1997). Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr Theodore von Kármán. Air University Press. pp. 76, 166.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Stares, Paul B. (1985), The Militarization of Space, Ithaca: Cornell University Press
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