Uncle Chô
07-19-2004, 01:46 PM
I remember some weeks ago someone asked why the US ARMY names its aircrafts fleet after Indian tribes names.
Here is the answer ;)
The general policy of naming Army aircraft after Indians tribes, chiefs or terms has been made official by authority of AR 70-28, dated 4 April 1969. The names are authorized for use in public releases and other documents as a ready reference. The Indian names have been very popular among Army personnel.
The commanding general of the U. S. Army Material Command, St. Louis, Mo., has the responsibility of initiating action to select a popular name for aircraft. For this purpose he has a list of possible names obtained from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (for brevity the names usually consist of only one word).
When a new aircraft reaches the production stage or immediately before it goes into production, the commanding general selects five possible names. He bases his selection on the way they sound, their history and their relationship to the mission of the aircraft. They must appeal to the imagination without sacrificing dignity and suggest an aggressive spirit and confidence in the capabilities of the aircraft. They also must suggest mobility, firepower and endurance. The names are sent to the Trade Mark Division of the U.S. Patent Office to determine if there is any legal objection to their use.
After approval by the Patent Office the five names are sent to the Chief of Research and Development, Department of the Army, with a short justification for each. From these five the Chief of Research and Development selects one.
The approved name then goes to the Aeronautical Systems Division, Directorate of Engineering Standards, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This Department of Defense unit has the responsibility of officially registering the names of all aircraft used by the military. It also prints a list of the names in a publication called "Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets and Guided Missiles."
Some Army aircraft, such as the Bird Dog and Otter, do not have Indian names. Most were named before the present policy went into effect. AR 70-28 specifies that these will not be changed.
The only helicopter recently introduced into the Army without an Indian name is the AH-1G Huey-Cobra. This aircraft was named by its maker before it was purchased by the Army. When the Army started buying the helicopter the name was firmly entrenched in the minds of the public. Also, Huey-Cobra is descriptive of the fighting ability of the AH-IG.
FIXED WING
O-1 Bird Dog U-6 Beaver
OV-1 Mohawk U-8 Seminole
T-41 Mescalero U-9 Aero Commander
T-42 Cochise U-21 Ute
U-1A Otter
ROTARY WING
AH-IG HueyCobra OH-13 Sioux
CH-21 Shawnee OH-23 Raven
CH-34 Choctaw OH-58 Kiowa
CH-37 Mojave TH-55 Osage
CH-47 Chinook UH-1 Iroquois*
CH-54 Tarhe UH-19 Chickasaw
OH-6 Cayuse
*The UH-I is often referred to by its unofficial nickname Huey
Note : from the given examples it seems this article is pretty old since it does not mention the Apache / Commanche (cancelled) and the ...Blackhawk
Here is the answer ;)
The general policy of naming Army aircraft after Indians tribes, chiefs or terms has been made official by authority of AR 70-28, dated 4 April 1969. The names are authorized for use in public releases and other documents as a ready reference. The Indian names have been very popular among Army personnel.
The commanding general of the U. S. Army Material Command, St. Louis, Mo., has the responsibility of initiating action to select a popular name for aircraft. For this purpose he has a list of possible names obtained from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (for brevity the names usually consist of only one word).
When a new aircraft reaches the production stage or immediately before it goes into production, the commanding general selects five possible names. He bases his selection on the way they sound, their history and their relationship to the mission of the aircraft. They must appeal to the imagination without sacrificing dignity and suggest an aggressive spirit and confidence in the capabilities of the aircraft. They also must suggest mobility, firepower and endurance. The names are sent to the Trade Mark Division of the U.S. Patent Office to determine if there is any legal objection to their use.
After approval by the Patent Office the five names are sent to the Chief of Research and Development, Department of the Army, with a short justification for each. From these five the Chief of Research and Development selects one.
The approved name then goes to the Aeronautical Systems Division, Directorate of Engineering Standards, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This Department of Defense unit has the responsibility of officially registering the names of all aircraft used by the military. It also prints a list of the names in a publication called "Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets and Guided Missiles."
Some Army aircraft, such as the Bird Dog and Otter, do not have Indian names. Most were named before the present policy went into effect. AR 70-28 specifies that these will not be changed.
The only helicopter recently introduced into the Army without an Indian name is the AH-1G Huey-Cobra. This aircraft was named by its maker before it was purchased by the Army. When the Army started buying the helicopter the name was firmly entrenched in the minds of the public. Also, Huey-Cobra is descriptive of the fighting ability of the AH-IG.
FIXED WING
O-1 Bird Dog U-6 Beaver
OV-1 Mohawk U-8 Seminole
T-41 Mescalero U-9 Aero Commander
T-42 Cochise U-21 Ute
U-1A Otter
ROTARY WING
AH-IG HueyCobra OH-13 Sioux
CH-21 Shawnee OH-23 Raven
CH-34 Choctaw OH-58 Kiowa
CH-37 Mojave TH-55 Osage
CH-47 Chinook UH-1 Iroquois*
CH-54 Tarhe UH-19 Chickasaw
OH-6 Cayuse
*The UH-I is often referred to by its unofficial nickname Huey
Note : from the given examples it seems this article is pretty old since it does not mention the Apache / Commanche (cancelled) and the ...Blackhawk