Space Force’s New Naming Scheme Ushers in New Era
▼ Summary
– The US Army Air Service established a 1924 aircraft designation system using prefixes like B for bomber and P for pursuit, later changed to F for fighter.
– The Space Force has created a new mandatory naming system for its weapon systems, outlined in a 2023/2024 document obtained by Ars.
– The new system will use letters to indicate a system’s purpose and orbital regime, followed by numbers or letters for its design series.
– Compliance with the new naming instruction is required for all new Space Force programs but not for existing satellites.
– The Space Force’s ability to create its own naming system resolves previous challenges faced when trying to fit satellite names into Air Force nomenclature.
The United States Space Force is charting a new course for its future by adopting a formal naming and designation system for its orbital and ground-based assets. This initiative marks a significant departure from the cumbersome acronyms often associated with military bureaucracy, aiming instead for a streamlined and memorable nomenclature similar to the legendary aircraft designations of the past. The move establishes a distinct identity for the newest military branch, one that traces its heritage back to the Army Air Service of the early 20th century.
A century ago, the US Army Air Service implemented a system that gave the world iconic aircraft names like the B-17 Flying Fortress and the P-51 Mustang. This 1924 code used letters to denote a plane’s primary role, ‘B’ for bomber, ‘A’ for attack, and ‘P’ for pursuit, which was later changed to ‘F’ for fighter, leading to modern mainstays like the F-15 Eagle. The Space Force is now creating its own legacy with a foundational document, Space Force Instruction 16-403, which outlines the framework for naming its “weapon systems.” This directive, first written in 2023 and amended in 2024, provides a mandatory process for all new programs.
The objective is to move away from unwieldy bureaucratic labels. The transformation is analogous to how the Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter program ultimately became known as the F-35 Lightning II, a name that is both functional and evocative. The new Space Force designations will consist of letters that identify a system’s mission and its operating regime, followed by a sequence of numbers or letters indicating its design number and series. This structure is designed to be intuitive and scalable as the service’s portfolio of technology expands.
The memorandum that enacted this new policy was signed in 2023 by then-Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, who served as the branch’s chief strategy and resource officer. Bratton has since been promoted to a four-star general and now holds the position of vice chief of space operations, the second-highest uniformed role within the Space Force. His endorsement underscores the strategic importance the service places on establishing a coherent and lasting identity for its capabilities.
Internal discussions about overhauling the naming convention for military satellites predate the establishment of the Space Force itself. John Shaw, a retired Space Force lieutenant general, recalled efforts from as early as 2018. At that time, they attempted to fit space assets into the existing Air Force nomenclature, but the project stalled. “The Air Force just wasn’t set up well for this,” Shaw explained. “You really needed to start over. That wasn’t going to happen very easily. Now that we have a Space Force, we can start over… I’m glad to see that it’s becoming reality.” This fresh start allows the branch to build a system from the ground up, perfectly tailored to the unique domain of space. The instruction does not require existing satellites to be renamed, ensuring a focused application on future systems.
(Source: Ars Technica)