History Main / ReportingNames

It's worth noting that all of the Covenant species' "names" are ''also UNSC designations. "Brute" is a lot faster and easier to say than "Jiralhanae". Grunt is obvious, Jackal is a behavioral thing, and Elites refer to their role. Drones are obvious, Hunters are a role, and Brutes are behavioral. The Flood, the Forerunners, and the Prophets are exceptions, being names translated by advanced human AI.

* AceOnline has them too:

* The names of the different zerg broods in ''Videogame/Starcraft'' (back when the zerg had discreet broods) were explicitly stated to be names given by terran analysts. Their units are presumably named similarly. The zerg ''are'' shown to use these names themselves, but that's probably just TranslationConvention.

* Inverted in ''EveOnline'', where every ship type has [[ThemeNaming an official nickname]], but no actual designations; it's TranslationConvention from the languages of the four Empires to English. Which may not help you as a newbie listening in to player's combat coms. "Get a point and a web on that Phoon! Put damps on it!"[[note]]Get a warp jammer and a stasis webifier on the Typhoon. Also, sensor dampeners.[[/note]]

Do not confuse with "naming names", which was a rather different Cold War phenomenon. Also don't confuse with "ReportingMarks", which are the 1- to 4-character code used to identify rolling stock operated by a railroad or rail-stock owner in the United States.

Also, if the "proper" name of a ship/fighter/tank/missile/etc. is used by all of the (on-screen) factions, then don't list it here; this page is for instances where a name ''other than'' the "proper" one is ''commonly'' used by at least one faction. If there is a pattern among "proper" names, then take it to ThemeNaming or the respective subtrope thereof. Conversely, if the faction that uses a piece of equipment uses a name that is significantly different from its "proper" name, then it counts and should be listed here. %%please help to trim extant violations of this note.

!!The {{Trope Codifier}}s and other RealLife Examples

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' the vehicles used by the Tau are known only by their Imperial designations, which are all based on sea life: Hammerhead Tanks, Orca {{Drop Ship}}s, Barracuda fightercraft, ect...
** Tau Battlesuits are also known by Imperial designations. XV (short for the Tau term, which translates to "mantle of the hero"), followed by a number indicating weight class and a second number indicating specialisation. For example XV-8 is a general purpose heavy battlesuit, while XV-88 is the same class but fitted for fire support and XV-25 is a light stealth suit. The new XV-104 mech is therefore properly called "ten-four" rather than "hundred and four".
** Similarily, the various [[BugWar Tyranid]] creatures are only ever referred to by their Imperial reporting names due to the fact that the 'Nids don't have any kind of [[StarfishLanguage language that humans or other intelligent life are capable of comprehending]]. The imperial names, gathered from different encounters all over the galaxy, don't really have a common theme, except that many sound vaguely like dinosaur names, and some are Latin names for things from the Romans: Lictors were public bodyguards for Roman magistrates, Carnifexes were executioners for the lower classes, it also means Butcher as in the job description. On the other hand, the Tyranid ''Hive Fleets'' follow a clear ThemeNaming scheme that draws upon the names of monsters and {{eldritch abomination}}s from ancient long-dead mythologies and legends (from in-universe POV, which includes 20th/21st-century fiction), e.g. [[TheBible Behemoth]], {{Kraken|AndLeviathan}}, [[ClassicalMythology Hydra]], [[NorseMythology Jormungandr]], and [[CthulhuMythos Dagon]], with some being named after fearsome prehistoric animals, like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon Magalodon]] [sic].
** Eldar tanks are also commonly known by their imperial type names. For some vehicles, the Eldars' own name for them is also known, for example the Falcon is properly called Enfaolchu and is named after a bird in the Eldar mythology.
* The early [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]] used by the Clans in ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'' usually have two names: The more famous names used by the Inner Sphere they're invading (such as the Thor or Mad Cat), and the 'Mech's true clan designation (Summoner or Timber Wolf, same two 'Mechs). Which ones are used by any individual fan are a matter of preference. Later Clan mechs have only one name, as the Clanners maintain contact with the Inner Sphere and share some data.
[[/folder]]

* In the Franchise/{{Halo}} series, [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] vehicles are known only by their UNSC designations, which are ethereal or supernatural beings -- Ghost scout vehicles, Wraith tanks, Phantom and Spirit dropships, Banshee fliers, Seraph starfighters, Shadow troop transports, and Vampire support fighters. Mobile assault platforms are named after non-mythical insects with ties to mythology instead -- Locust light assault platform and Scarab ultra heavy assault platform.
** Human vehicle designations are themed after animals, divided between terrestrial and flying species depending on whether or not the vehicle is an aircraft - Warthog jeeps, Scorpion, Rhino, Cobra, Wolverine and Grizzly tanks, Mongoose [=ATVs=], Pelican and Albatross dropships, Sparrowhawk, Hornet, and Vulture gunships, Wombat [=UAVs=], Elephant mobile command center.
*** A few exceptions to this are human fighters, designated the Longsword, the Shortsword, and the Sabre in keeping with the theme of bladed weapons. Also, irregular vehicles like the Cyclops combat exoskeleton and Gremlin [=EMP=] tank are instead named after mythical creatures.
** And starships, both Human and (translated) Covenant, have individual names that are almost poetic - ''Pillar of Autumn'', ''Truth and Reconciliation'', ''Forward Unto Dawn'', ''In Amber Clad'', ''Harbinger of Piety'', ''Sacred Promise'', ''Far Sight Lost'', ''Resplendent Fervor'', etc.
** It's worth noting that all of the Covenant species' "names" are UNSC designations. "Brute" is a lot faster and easier to say than "Jiralhanae". Grunt is obvious, Jackal is a behavioral thing, and Elites refer to their role. Drones are obvious, Hunters are a role, and Brutes are behavioral. The Flood, the Forerunners, and the Prophets are exceptions, being names translated by advanced human AI.

* StarCraft Terran vehicles sometimes also have such names, such as Vultures or Wraiths, but some units are also simply known as Siege Tanks or Battlecruisers. These units actually do have names(the Siege Tank for example is called the Arclite, and replaced by the Crucio in StarCraft 2), but they are rarely used.
** The battlecruisers in the original were ''Behemoth''-class, whereas the ones in the sequel are ''Minotaur''-class. Some of the background material suggests an older ''[[ThemeNaming Leviathan]]''-class that was already outdated when the series began.
** The names of the different zerg broods (back when the zerg had discreet broods) were explicitly stated to be names given by terran analysts. Their units are presumably named similarly. The zerg ''are'' shown to use these names themselves, but that's probably just TranslationConvention.
* In ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'', everything that shoots and/or moves, as well as all experimentals, have a name.
** Same goes for spiritual ancestor ''TotalAnnihilation'', at least for anything with a gun (i.e. not construction units or non-turret structures). Also, excepting the unit called "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Mobile Artillery]]".

** Shadow Mirror's Soulgain is refered to as Mustache Man (or White Wrath in the English version, despite it being blue), while Zweizergain is refered to as Horned Man. The Shura gods Ialdaboth and Valefor are both refered to as "the haired one" by the EFA until Folka joins and tells everyone their actual names. Meanwhile the Shura refer to Compatible Kaiser as the "Red Demon".

* In the 1998 [[VideoGameRemake Remake]] of ''VideoGame/{{BattleZone|1998}}'', the Soviet-made Cosmo Colonist Army vehicles are all known by ReportingNames. The "fighter" tank is called the Flanker, after the Su-27.

** The few vehicles we see also have reporting names. The tanks are the [[HoverTank Hammerhead]] and the [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier Mako]] (and the Grizzly, but we never actually see that). The shuttle in the 2nd and 3rd games is the Kodiak, and [[AcePilot Cortez]] mentions that he used to fly a fighter called a Trident.

* In the manga version of ''{{Bokurano}}'', the names of the enemy robots get a name based on their description in alphabetical order. For example, the first is Arachne, the second is Bayonet, the third is Crab, and so on and so forth.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' uses the real-world reporting names and/or designations for all the military hardware portrayed. It also includes and in-universe example "Didn't know the real name so we made one up" when the enemy's new non-nuclear bombs are christened "Trinity". Even after the project details are discovered, the name sticks.

[[folder:Unsorted]]
* Nearly every vehicle used by ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and Cobra have similar names. In the case of Cobra vehicles, ThemeNaming is also in effect.
* "Finback" has been allocated to the fictional [=MiG-28=]s that appear in some works, but the name is actually given in real life to a Chinese fighter, the J-8.
* "Ferret-E"- the fictional [=MiG=]-37 stealth fighter, an Italeri model.
[[/folder]]

During the ColdWar, Western reporting names were one of the main ways to refer to Soviet and Chinese military technology, for the reasons of language differences and because the actual designations (except for most aircraft), especially in the missile field, weren't generally known.

Western military technology tends to get public names, often with help from the PR department (the companies make more sales if the item has a catchy name). The Soviet and Chinese technology was (is) secret and they didn't admit it even existed, never mind the name. Of course, some super secret ("Black") projects in the USA and other nations are given "reporting names" by other nations and the press when their rumored existence is guessed at.

Some of these names are drawn up by the Air Standardization Coordinating Committee, made up of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, so these are known as ASCC designations too, but this is somewhat inaccurate, as other groups chip in too.

Understandably, Soviet types and NATO's believed types don't fully match up.

[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_reporting_name The Wikipedia entry]] covers this in a lot more depth, but here's some of the better known reporting names:
* "Backfire" - The Tupolev Tu-22M medium bomber, which plays a major role in ''Red Storm Rising''. Mach 2+ capable and with the capacity to carry three nuclear or conventional anti-shipping missiles (or a lot of bombs), it scared the West so much that they got the USSR to take the refuelling probes out.

* "Firefox" - The fictitious reporting name for the [=MiG-31=] from the [[{{Firefox}} book (and film) of the same name]], which was [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory Very Loosely Based]] on contemporary rumours that the new aircraft would be some kind of SovietSuperScience-powered GameBreaker. The RealLife [=MiG-31=], which looks nothing like the plane in the movie, has the reporting name "Foxhound" -- it's an interceptor with a Mach 2.8 top speed, the ability to climb to the edge of space, an advanced PESA radar and 10 missiles. Undergoing upgrades to become a multi-role aircraft.

** According to references in TheOtherWiki, the Russian pilots liked the NATO reporting name so much (they found the [=MiG=]-29 to be rather "pivotal") that they started using the Fulcrum name themselves.
*** This was somewhat common for Soviet aircraft; they didn't have official names, just model numbers, so if the pilots hadn't already come up with their own nickname (see next entry), they'd likely adopt the NATO reporting name.

*** The Hind's role as a troop transport is a distant second after its primary role as a gunship, one reason being that with the increased weight of a full load of passengers it has to make a ''rolling takeoff'' to get airborne.

By the way, that message at the top of this page means incoming Tu-22Ms armed with Kh-22 anti-shipping missiles (which could be equipped with a nuclear warhead), backed up by Su-27s.

Variants have a letter added after them, such as "Backfire-C" for the [=Tu-22M3=]. There can be sub-categories of these too.

The Russians generally feel a bit insulted by many of these names, many of which are a bit derogatory. Who, for example, would want to fly a "Fishpot" (the Su-9), a "Fishbed" ([=MiG-21=]), a "Farmer" ([=MiG-19=]) or, for that matter, a "Flogger" ([=MiG-23=]/27)? The ultimate prize has to go to the [=MiG-15=], which has UnfortunateImplications (It's 'fagot'. A name for a bassoon.). Some, however, are liked by their crews- "Bear" and "Fulcrum", for example.

It's also worth noting there ''is'' a method to these names. They are all phonetic within class. In simpler terms:
* All Bombers have names starting with "B"
* All Fighters start with "F"
* All Helicopters start with "H"
* All Cargo and transports Aircraft start with "C"
* All Other Aircraft (reconnaissance, tankers, AWACS) begin with "M"- Miscellaneous.
* All Air to Air missiles start with "A"
* All Air to Surface missiles start with "K"
* All Surface to Surface missiles (anti-tank, anti-ship, tactical nuke, ICBM, whatever) start with "S".
* All Surface to Air missiles start with "G".


Additionally, for fixed-wing aircraft if the name had two syllables it was jet propelled. One syllable meant propeller driven.

Compare MarketBasedTitle, which is a case of different names given by the ''manufacturer'' for use in different countries.

See MnogoNukes, RedsWithRockets and TricoloursWithRustingRockets for more examples of Soviet/Russian reporting names. Somewhat naturally, the idea has carried into fiction, such as the Inner Sphere-given names of Clan Omnimechs in ''{{Battletech}}''.

Do not confuse with "naming names", which was a rather different Cold War phenomenon. Also don't confuse with "ReportingMarks", which are the 1- to 4-character code used to identify rolling stock operated by a railroad or rail-stock owner in the United States.

----

* The aforementioned "Firefox"
* "Finback" has been allocated to the fictional [=MiG-28=]s that appear in some works, but the name is actually given in real life to a Chinese fighter, the J-8.
* "Ferret-E"- the fictional [=MiG=]-37 stealth fighter, an Italeri model.
* "Cooker"- In the second book of the ''Literature/TheThirdWorldWar'', a section is devoted to an Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) version of the Il-76 "Candid" transport plane, called the Il-76C. Just before the war kicks off in the Central Region of NATO (i.e. WestGermany), one has to make an emergency landing at a Polish airport. The Polish ground crew nick the operating manuals and pass them to {{NATO}}. As the crew don't wish to feel the wrath of their superiors for losing the documents, they don't report the theft and NATO is able to render the "Cooker" ineffective.

* The Terrans in [[FreeSpace FreeSpace 2]] used Egyptian- and demonic-themed reporting names, respectively, for Vasudan and Shivan themed spacecraft, in contrast to the Greco-Roman names they gave to their own ship classes. The Vasudans, who admired Ancient Egypt, adopted the reporting names when they merged their government with the Terrans. The [[StarfishAliens Shivans]] are too [[OmnicidalManiac belligerent]] and use some kind of [[StarfishLanguage communication method]] that prevents them from being asked for their opinion of GTVA reporting names.
* Used in the games set in the [[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]. Due to the fact that no human is able to pronounce the original names of alien ships, all have got reporting names -- Boron ships have [[AnimalMotifs fish names]], Paranids use names from [[MythicalMotifs Greek mythology]], and so on.

*** Tau Battlesuits are also known by Imperial designations. XV (short for the Tau term, which translates to "mantle of the hero"), followed by a number indicating weight class and a second number indicating specialisation. For example XV-8 is a general purpose heavy battlesuit, while XV-88 is the same class but fitted for fire support and XV-25 is a light stealth suit. The new XV-104 mech is therefore properly called "ten-four" rather than "hundred and four".

* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', particularly the XWingSeries, is unsurprisingly full of this. Really big, impressive ships, like ''Executor''-class Star Dreadnoughts, got no nicknames, but ships that were encountered more frequently tended to attract short names that could be shouted by surprised pilots when they came out of hyperspace. Some of the more recurring names:
** "Eyeballs" (TIE fighters)
** "Squints" (TIE Interceptors)
** "Dupes" (TIE Bombers)
** "Brights" (special models like TIE Advanced)
** "Trips" (TIE Defenders)
** "Clutches" (Tri-Fighters)
** "Pointers" (X-Wings)
** "Wishbones" or, alternately, "[[InterserviceRivalry Wallowing Pigs]]" (Y-Wings)
** "Slims" (A-Wings)
** "Crosses" (B-Wings)
** "Uglies" (Cobbled-together mix and match ships)
*** A sub-class of Uglies is the "die-wing", a particularly lethal combo of Y-wing and TIE fighter. (Lethal to the pilot, that is. TIE has no shields, and the Y-wing bomber is ''really'' slow. Do the math.)
*** There's also the X-Tie, the rather amusing combination of the two great rivals. TIE solar panels on an X-Wing fuselage.
*** And X-Ceptor, which is the X-Tie with TIE Interceptor wings.
** "Lambs" (''[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lambda-class_T-4a_shuttle Lambda]]''-class T-4a shuttles)
** "Drag ships" ([[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Interdictor_Star_Destroyer Interdictor Star Destroyers]])
** "Impstar Destroyers" (''Imperial''-class Star Destroyers, v. [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_I-class_Star_Destroyer one]] and [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_II-class_Star_Destroyer two]])
*** The second edition went by "Impstar deuce"
** "Vics" (''[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_II-class_Star_Destroyer Victory]]''-class Star Destroyers)
** "Skips" ([[NewJediOrder Vong coralcraft]])
*** Corralskippers (Yorik-et)
*** Worldship (Koros-Strohna)

* In the {{Halo}} series, [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] vehicles are known only by their UNSC designations, which are ethereal or supernatural beings -- Ghost scout vehicles, Wraith tanks, Phantom and Spirit dropships, Banshee fliers, Seraph starfighters, Shadow troop transports, and Vampire support fighters. Mobile assault platforms are named after non-mythical insects with ties to mythology instead -- Locust light assault platform and Scarab ultra heavy assault platform.

** And starships, both Human and (translated) Covenant, have individual names that are almost poetic - ''Pillar of Autumn'', ''Truth and Reconciliation'', ''Forward Unto Dawn'', ''In Amber Clad''...
*** More from the Covenant side: ''Harbinger of Piety'', ''Sacred Promise'', ''Far Sight Lost'', ''Resplendent Fervor'', ect.

* In ''MobileSuitGundam'', the Zeon refer to the titular HumongousMecha & its carrier as "White Devil" & "Trojan Horse" respectively before learning their true names from Cozun Graham. Oddly, the Guncannon & Guntank apparently don't get reporting names & are simply refered to as "The Red One" & "You Call That A Mobile Suit?". The Core Fighters are refered to as "Mosquitoes" more than once, but this may simply be an insult. On the other side, the Zeon MS, especially the Zakus are often referred to as "Cyclops" by the Feddies due to their [[CyberCyclops distinctive optic sensors]], but this may just be a colloquialism, as the Zakus, at least had been known since before the start of the war. [[LightningBruiser Doms]] are also refered to as "Skirts" at first due to their distinctive armor.
** The Human Reform League in {{Gundam 00}} uses reporting names for the Gundams in the first season. The [[TransformingMecha figter/variable mobile suit Kyrios]] is dubbed 'Wings'[[note]]"Shuttlecock" in the original Japanese[[/note]] while the heavily armed and armoured Virtue is called 'Giant.'
** In ''GundamWing'', the Alliance and OZ simply assigns each of the five Gundams a number -- Wing is 01 (Zero-One), Deathscythe is 02, etc. Of course, these names all match up perfectly with the show's NumericalThemeNaming.
** In ''GundamSEED'', everyone on both sides knows the official names of all mobile suit and ship types. The one exception is the Archangel: despite knowing it was being built, [=ZAFT=] didn't know its name. They simply call it "The Legged Ship" through most of, if not all of, the series.
** ''GundamSEEDDestiny'' follows the same pattern, however Phantom Pain refers to Impulse (who's data they specifically didn't have out of the 4 original Gundams) as some variation of "Combining guy" and the Savior (which wasn't intoduced until much later) as "Newcomer." Zaft meanwhile refers to the Girty Lue (and illegal unregistered Earth ship) as "Bogey-1", and calls the new model Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice by the names of the original units.
* CommandAndConquer vehicles are often given similar names. The GDI Mammoth tank and Orca Aircraft are the most iconic for the series.
** A Nod intelligence item in ''Tiberium Wars'' suggests the name "Gravity Stabilizer" for the Scrin aircraft production is actually a name given by analysts after studying what the unknown "Visitor structure type 8" did. Presumably the other units' names were arrived at similarly, giving them a somewhat more plainly descriptive feel than the original factions' units. One imagines the Scrin themselves were less than interested in telling humans all about their fancy tech.

* ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic'' carries on the NATO tradition of using S-names to refer to Soviet weapons, in this case including "Shamrock", "Savage", and "Shadow". The Codarl family of Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slaves is given the collective codename "Venom".
** Amalgam's other Arm Slaves have demonic names: [[BigBad Belial]], [[EliteMook Eligor]], [[DeceptivelyHumanRobots Alastor]], etc.
** Mithril's experimental ARX series of Arm Slaves are named after weapons: [[FlawedPrototype Halberd]], [[SapientSteed Arbalest]] and [[SuperPrototype Laevatein]].

* Nearly every vehicule used by ''GIJoe'' and Cobra has similar names. In the case of Cobra vehicules, ThemeNaming is also in effect.

* In the ''Literature/StarCarrier'' series the Terran Confederation Navy doesn't know the actual names for Turusch warships, so individual classes are lettered based on the MilitaryAlphabet (for example, a big multikilometer battleship converted from an asteroid is designated ''Bravo''-class). Turusch {{space fighter}}s get nicknamed "Toads" due to their lumpy potato-like shape. The word "Turusch" itself is also an example, being the [[ProudMerchantRace Agletsch]] term for the species, which actually calls itself the Gweh.
* ''WorldOfTanks'' players usually operate with something very close to this trope, consisting of abbreviations and player or historical nicknames for vehicles. Someone calling spots may state "Bathtub, Tumor, E2", meaning [=S35 AC=] and Souma [=SAu-40=] tank destroyers accompanied by a Sherman [=M4A3E2=] "Jumbo".

** These turn up a lot in ColdWar naval games. It's a CoolPlane

* "Bear" - the Tu-95 strategic bomber (Bear-H in its current form) or the Tu-142 anti-submarine plane the subs can hear coming ("Bear-F" in that form), with other variants. Legend has it a Soviet pilot came up with the name, since the bear is the symbol of Russia. Another version has the Russians learning that reporting name from the NATO pilots, and liking it enough to adopt it.

* "Flanker" - the Su-27S ("Flanker-B"), the newer version two-seater Su-30 ("Flanker-C", "Flanker-G" for the Chinese version and "Flanker-H" for the Indian one), the carrier-version Su-33 ("Flanker-D"), the limited-number in service Su-35 ("Flanker-E") and the Su-37 ("Flanker-F" or the "Super Flanker" still in prototype stage). It is long-range aerial interceptor, that is very maneuverable and the family has been exported quite a bit. Can be described as the Russian F-15. Capable of doing a move (some other aircraft can do it too) called "Pugachev's Cobra", where the aircraft effectively slides along on its tail. It looks impressive and is often done at air shows, but is of limited combat utility.
* "Frogfoot" - the Su-25, known to its crews as "Grach" ("rook"). A ground-attack aircraft, a new two-seater version, the Su-39 is in production. Dubbed [[GermanicEfficiency "The German Product"]] by Afghan fighters because they couldn't initially believe that something Soviet-built was that efficient. A counterpart to the A-10: not very high-and-flashy, but boy does it get the job done.

* "Fulcrum" - the [=MiG=]-29, the Russian counterpart to the F-16. Very agile. Its best known feature is the R-73/AA-11 "Archer" missiles. Coupled to a helmet mounted sight (like ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' has), these highly agile missiles can be launched by the pilot merely looking at his target, up to about 60 degrees off the centre-line. This led to the U.S. developing improved Sidewinders in response.

* "Foxbat" - The [=MiG-25=] interceptor aircraft. Capable of Mach 3.2, but had a very short range and wasn't very maneuverable, as the Americans learned when a Soviet pilot defected with one of them (when they were done with it, they gave it back to the USSR. In over 60 boxes).

** In Afghanistan the Russians tended to *use* it carrying only four-man fireteam elements, but this was due entirely to the inadvisability of hanging around under heavy fire. It could carry a full eight-man squad, making it quite comparable to the Blackhawk or Huey. Its armament was somewhat inferior, though; as designed, it had launch rails for only four antitank missiles, compared to the sixteen even an old [=AH1=]-T could carry. It did have stub wings with four hardpoints that in theory could carry an astonishing variety of heavy ordnance but which in the field always got [=UM57=] 57mm dumb rocket launchers bolted on, because Soviet airmobile doctrine envisioned using the transport helicopter in a secondary direct-fire fire-support role as a sort of flying Katyusha artillery rocket launcher.

* "''Kiev''"- the Krechyet (Gyrfalcon) class of hybrid cruiser/carriers. This name gets extra flavor from the fact that the first in the class was, in fact, named ''Kiev''. This class was equipped with one of the worst naval fighter in ColdWar history, the Yak-38 "Forger".
* "''Admiral Kuznetsov''"- this is actually the Russian name (the final one anyway- going through a few) for the class, but it became the NATO reporting name too, since it fit the scheme. It's a one-of-a-kind large aircraft carrier with a heavy anti-ship missile battery, although three brother (Russian ships are generally male) vessels were planned. Has suffered from maintenance problems and once had to be towed home from the Mediterranean by a tug.

During the ColdWar, Western reporting names were one of the main ways to refer to Soviet and Chinese military technology, for the reasons of language differences and because the actual designations (except for most aircaft), especially in the missile field, weren't generally known.

If you didn't understand that, you're probably not alone. [[note]]And if you ''did'' understand it, it probably [[NukeEm gave you the shivers]][[/note]]. That was an example of using Reporting Names, which are names given to units whose real names aren't known for some reason. For instance, if American forces keep encountering a particular type of Russian submarine, they might start referring to those submarines as "turtles" or something.

A similar system was used for Japanese aircraft during WorldWarII. "Zeke" referred to the Mitsubishi [=A6M=] Reisen fighter more commonly known as the "Zero". (Although when a new version, the [=A6M3=], was issued, the Allies, unaware that it was a new iteration of the Zero, gave it initially the reporting name "Hap." However, [[ExecutiveMeddling General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold wasn't too thrilled with the name]], and it was changed in ''extremely'' short order to "Hamp.") The naming scheme was a mostly simple one, with fighters being given male names (Zeke, Oscar, Rufe), bombers/recon planes given female names (Betty, Dinah), trainers being named after kinds of trees (Maple, Ash), and a rocket-powered kamikaze guided bomb being quite appropriately referred to as "Baka" [[note]]"Insane" in Japanese language[[/note]].

** In ''TheSixthBattle'', a Eurasian character mentally notes that while badgers are ferocious carnivores, they are prized for their pelts.

* In ''SuperRobotWars'' the various Balmar mechs are all simply given reporting names by humans based on what they look like. The six-legged ones are called "Bugs", the ones with wings are called "Birds", etc. The various humanoid types are called "[[{{Mooks}} Soldiers]]", "[[EliteMooks Knights]]" & "[[GiantMook Fatmen]]". They are also asigned a numerical designation based on the order they were first encountered in. The Bugs, being recon units are therefore designated AGX-01. The funny thing is that their real names are also Earth words, only this time in [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Ancient]] [[SpaceJews Hebrew]]...

The other way of referring to missiles (and space launchers) is by a Department of Defense letter designation i.e. SS-20. SS means surface to surface and 20 was the 20th type identified. If there's an N in the designation, it's a naval missile. X means [=eXperimental=] (i.e. in development). This system remains today, with the under-development[[hottip:* :and not exactly working]] Bulava missile (for the Borey class submarines) being the SS-NX-30.

A similar system was used for Japanese aircraft during WorldWarII. "Zeke" referred to the Mitsubishi [=A6M=] Reisen fighter more commonly known as the "Zero". (Although when a new version, the [=A6M3=], was issued, the Allies, unaware that it was a new iteration of the Zero, gave it initially the reporting name "Hap." However, [[ExecutiveMeddling General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold wasn't too thrilled with the name]], and it was changed in ''extremely'' short order to "Hamp.") The naming scheme was a mostly simple one, with fighters being given male names (Zeke, Oscar, Rufe), bombers/recon planes given female names (Betty, Dinah), trainers being named after kinds of trees (Maple, Ash), and a rocket-powered kamikaze guided bomb being quite appropriately referred to as "Baka" [[hottip:*:"Insane" in Japanese language]].

** The Human Reform League in {{Gundam 00}} uses reporting names for the Gundams in the first season. The [[TransformingMecha figter/variable mobile suit Kyrios]] is dubbed 'Wings'[[hottip:*:"Shuttlecock" in the original Japanese]] while the heavily armed and armoured Virtue is called 'Giant.'

* Inverted in ''EveOnline'', where every ship type has [[ThemeNaming an official nickname]], but no actual designations; it's TranslationConvention from the languages of the four Empires to English. Which may not help you as a newbie listening in to player's combat coms. "Get a point and a web on that Phoon! Put damps on it!"[[hottip:*:Get a warp jammer and a stasis webifier on the Typhoon. Also, sensor dampeners.]]

It's also worth noting there "is" a method to these names. They are all phonetic within class. In simpler terms:

* "Flanker" - the Su-27S ("Flanker-B"), the newer version two-seater Su-30 ("Flanker-C", "Flanker-G" for the Chinese version and "Flanker-H" for the Indian one), the carrier-version Su-33 ("Flanker-D"), the limited-number in service Su-35 ("Flanker-E") and the Su-37 ("Flanker-F" or the "Super Flanker" still in prototype stage). A long-range aerial interceptor, it's a pretty maneuverable aircraft and the family has been exported quite a bit. Can be described as the Russian F-15. The former would probably win a fight- although one-on-one fights rarely happen in modern aerial warfare. Capable of doing a move (some other aircraft can do it too) called "Pugachev's Cobra", where the aircraft effectively slides along on its tail. It looks impressive and is often done at air shows, but is of limited combat utility.

* ''WorldOfTanks'' players usually operate with something very close to this trope, consisting of abbreviations and player or historical nicknames for vehicles. Someone calling spots may state "Bathtub, Tumor, E2", meaning [=S35 AC=] and Souma [=SAu-40=] tank destroyers accompanied by a Sherman [=M4A3E2=] "Jumbo".

If you didn't understand that, you're probably not alone. [[note]]And if you ''did'' understand it, it probably [[NukeEm gave you the shivers]][[note]]. That was an example of using Reporting Names, which are names given to units whose real names aren't known for some reason. For instance, if American forces keep encountering a particular type of Russian submarine, they might start referring to those submarines as "turtles" or something.

If you didn't understand that, you're probably not alone. [[hottip:*:And if you ''did'' understand it, it probably [[NukeEm gave you the shivers]]. That was an example of using Reporting Names, which are names given to units whose real names aren't known for some reason. For instance, if American forces keep encountering a particular type of Russian submarine, they might start referring to those submarines as "turtles" or something.

* In the ''MassEffect'' universe, this is how the different varieties of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent husks]] are referred to. Some of them are meant to be descriptive, such as the Cannibals (which can eat their fallen comrades to regain health) or the [[DemonicSpiders Banshees]] (which announce their presence with a terrifying wail). The only variety not to receive a nickname are the original basic human models, simply called "husks".

** Similarily, the various [[BugWar Tyranid]] creatures are only ever referred to by their Imperial reporting names due to the fact that the 'Nids don't have any kind of [[StarfishLanguage language that humans or other intelligent life are capable of comprehending]]. The imperial names, gathered from different encounters all over the galaxy, don't really have a common theme, except that many sound vaguely like dinosaur names.
*** Some are Latin names for things from the Romans: Lictors were public bodyguards for Roman magistrates, Carnifexes were executioners for the lower classes, it also means Butcher as in the job description.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'' players usually operate with something very close to this trope, consisting of abbreviations and player or historical nicknames for vehicles. Someone calling spots may state "Bathtub, Tumor, E2", meaning [=S35 AC=] and Souma [=SAu-40=] tank destroyers accompanied by a Sherman M4A3E2 "Jumbo".

* Inverted in ''EveOnline'', where every ship type has [[ThemeNaming an official nickname]], but no actual designations; it's TranslationConvention from the languages of the four Empires to English. Which may not help you as a newbie listening in to player's combat coms. "Get a point and a web on that Phoon! Put damps on it!"[[hottip:*:Get a warp jammer and a statis webifier on the Typhoon. Also, sensor dampeners.]]

* ''VideoGame/AceComabtAssaultHorizon'' uses the real-world reporting names and/or designations for all the military hardware portrayed. It also includes and in-universe example "Didn't know the real name so we made one up" when the enemy's new non-nuclear bombs are christened "Trinity". Even after the project details are discovered, the name sticks.

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* "Firefox" - The fictitious reporting name for the [=MiG-31=] from the [[{{Firefox}} book (and film) of the same name]], which was VeryLooselyBased on contemporary rumours that the new aircraft would be some kind of SovietSuperScience-powered GameBreaker. The RealLife [=MiG-31=], which looks nothing like the plane in the movie, has the reporting name "Foxhound" -- it's an interceptor with a Mach 2.8 top speed, the ability to climb to the edge of space, an advanced PESA radar and 10 missiles. Undergoing upgrades to become a multi-role aircraft.

** These turn up a lot in ColdWar naval games. It's a CoolPlane.

* ''StarWars'', particularly the XWingSeries, is unsurprisingly full of this. Really big, impressive ships, like ''Executor''-class Star Dreadnoughts, got no nicknames, but ships that were encountered more frequently tended to attract short names that could be shouted by surprised pilots when they came out of hyperspace. Some of the more recurring names:

[[quoteright:319:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Juliett-US-Navy-Photo.jpg]]

*** Tau Battlesuits are also knwon by Imperial designations. XV (short for the Tau term, which translates to "mantle of the hero"), followed by a number indicating weight class and a second number indicating specialisation. For example XV-8 is a general purpose heavy battlesuit, while XV-88 is the same class but fitted for fire support and XV-25 is a light stealth suit. The new XV-104 mech is therefore properly called "ten-four" rather than "hundred and four".

A similar system was used for Japanese aircraft during WorldWarII. "Zeke" referred to the Mitsubishi [=A6M=] Reisen fighter more commonly known as the "Zero". (Although when a new version, the [=A6M3=], was issued, the Allies, unaware that it was a new iteration of the Zero, gave it initially the reporting name "Hap." However, [[ExecutiveMeddling General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold wasn't too thrilled with the name]], and it was changed in ''extremely'' short order to "Hamp.") The naming scheme was a mostly simple one, with fighters being given male names (Zeke, Oscar, Rufe), bombers/recon planes given female names (Betty, Dinah), trainers being named after kinds of trees (Maple, Ash), and a rocket-powered kamikaze guided bomb being quite appropriately referred to as "Baka."