# Eastern bloc fighter jets - "F" names?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eastern-bloc-fighter-jets-f-names/198786>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 31, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eastern-bloc-fighter-jets-f-names/198786 "2003-08-31T07:41:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![capnfutile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@capnfutile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capnfutile)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eastern-bloc-fighter-jets-f-names/198786/1 "2003-08-31T07:41:59Z")

</div>

What’s with the Eastern Bloc fighter jets (MiG, etc) all having names beginning with F? ie Flogger, Flanker, Fagot…

Where did this practice start and are these Nato designations?

thanks,  
capn

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eastern-bloc-fighter-jets-f-names/198786/2 "2003-08-31T07:57:24Z")

</div>

[Nato codenames for Soviet aircraft](http://aeroweb.lucia.it/~agretch/RAFAQ/NatoCodenames.html)

> [@](#):
>
> During the Cold War, it was common for the West to know (or suspect) that an aircraft existed in the Soviet inventory, but not know its correct designation. Even when the USSR released publicity pictures of their aircraft (or allowed Western journalists to film them flying past during displays), the aircraft’s name was usually never mentioned. Because of this, a system of codenames was invented by NATO.
> 
> Each type was given a name starting with “B” for bombers, “C” for cargo or passenger transports, “F” for fighters, “H” for helicopters, or “M” for miscellaneous (everything else). Fixed-wing aircraft received names with one syllable if they were propeller-driven, two syllables if they were jets (there is no rule for the number of syllables in a helicopter’s codename). Variants were indicated by suffix letters (e.g. the fourth version of the MiG-25 “Foxbat” to be identified became “Foxbat-D”).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eastern-bloc-fighter-jets-f-names/198786/3 "2003-08-31T08:00:48Z")

</div>

These are NATO Desigations. The reason is we would learn of the existence of a new Soviet airplane well before we knew the Soviet name. Names are chosen so they are phoenetically different. Fighters begin with F, Bombers with B , Carbo planes with C. During WWII. the allies had the same problem with Japan so Their fighers became boys. (Zeke,TONY, Oscar, Irving,) and bombers were female. (VAL,JUDY,KATE, BETTY.)