Soviet/Russian Designation
Prefixes and Suffixes

Common Prefixes used in Soviet/Russian Bombs/Weapons

English Letter

Russian Letter

Russian

English

N

H

Nizkovysotnaya

Low Altitude
(as in Kh-22N)

M

M

modurnaya konstrooktsiya

Modular Design
(as in Kh-25M)

U

У

Ukorochennyj

Shortened
(as in AKS-74U)

S

C

Synkhronny

Synchronized
(as in UBS)

K

К

Krylevoy

Wing Mounting
(as in UBK)

S

C

Spetsboyepripahs

Special Munition
(as in Nuclear armed Kh-15S)

A

A

aktivnoye samonavedeniye

Active Radar Homing
(as in Kh-31A)

A

A

Active Jacket
(as in FAB-1500ShA)

B

Б

broneboynaya

Armor Piercing

B

Б

betonoboynyy

Concrete Piercing
(as in S-24B)

B

Б

bronirovannykh

Anti-Armor

B

Б

Belyy

White
(as in White Flare)

Ch

Chornyy

Black
(as in Black Smoke)

D

Д

ob"yomnc~] detoneeruyushchaya

Fuel-Air Bomb
(KAB-500D)

F

Ф

Foogahsnaya

High Explosive

(as in UB-2000F)

K

К

kumulyativnaya

Shaped Charge

K

К

kumulyativnyy

Armor Piercing Warhead

K

К

krasnyy

Red
(as in Red Flare)

KO

КO

kumulyativno-oskolochnyy

Armor Piercing/Fragmentation Warhead

L

Л

Lazernoye

Laser Guidance

N

H

nekontaktnyy vzryvahtel

Proximity Fuze
(as in S-24N Rocket)

NV

HВ

nekontaktnyy vzryvahtel'

Proximity Fuze

O

O

oskolochnyy

Fragmentation

O

O

osvetitel'nyy [snaryad]

Illumination

OF

OФ

oskolochno-foogahsnyy

HE/Fragmentation Warhead

P

П

p'yezoelektricheskiy vzryvahtel

Piezoelectric Fuze
(Equipped With)

P

П

protivorahdiolokatsionnyy [snaryad]

Anti-Radar Round

P

П

Passivnaya

Passive Radar Homing
(As in Kh-22P)

PS

ПC

passivnoye samonavedeniye

Passive Radar Homing
(as in Kh-27PS)

R

P

Raketa

Missile
(as in R-45 Atoll)

S

C

Samonavedeniye

Self-Guided

S

C

Strela

Flechette Warhead

Sh

Shtoormovaya

Ground Attack (Retarded)
(as in FAB-500Sh)

T

T

teplo-vaya [golovka samonavedeniya]

IR Seeker Head

(Equipped With)

T

T

termostoykoye vzryvchatoye veshchestvo

Heat-Resistant Explosive
(as in FAB-500M-62T)

Z

З

zelyonyy

Green
(as in Green Flare)

Zh

iorzholtyy

Yellow
(as in Yellow Flare)

Common Prefixes used in Soviet/Russian Aircraft

English Letter

Russian Letter

Russian

English

bis

--

--

Improved
(as in MiG-21bis)

F

Ф

Forsirovanny

Uprated
(Used when engines are replaced with more powerful ones)

K

К

Korabelnogo bazirovaniya

Deck Based
(as in Carrier A/C; MiG-29K)

F

Frontovoy

Frontline (e.g. Tactical)
(As in MiG-31FE)

K

Kommehrcheskiy

Commercial

M

M

Modifitsirovanny

Modified
(as in MiG-29M)

L

Л

Lyohkiy

Lightweight
(as in MiG-23ML)

U

oochebnyy

Trainer

UB

oochebno-boyevoy

Combat-Capable Trainer

UT

Unarmed Trainer

M

Modernizeerovannyy

Modernized/Upgraded

P

Perekhvatchik

Interceptor
(as in MiG-21P)

R

P

Razvedchik

Reconnaissance
(as in MiG-21R)

T

Toplivo

Fuel
(used for versions with extra fuel, e.g. MiG-21MT)

Nationality Prefixes used by Russian Aircraft Bureaus

English Letter

Russian Letter

Russian

English

I

Indeeyskiy

Indian
(as in Su-30MKI)

K

Kitaiskiy

Chinese
(as in Su-30MKK)

M

Malayzeeyskiy

Malaysian
(as in Su-30MKM)

V

V'yetnahmskiy

Vietnamese
(as in Su-30MK2V)

F

Filippin

Philippine
(as in MiG-29MF)

Un-Common Prefixes used by Soviet/Russian Aircraft Bureaus

English Letter

Russian Letter

Russian

English

D

dahl'nomer

Rangefinder
(used for simplified range-only radar equipped MiG-21D)

I

Imitahtor

Simulator
(Used for MiG-21I used to train Tu-144 Pilots)

I

izmenyayemaya strelovidnost

Variable Sweep
(as in VG Wings)

Zh

zhidkosnyy reaktivnyy dvigatel'

Liquid Fuel Rocket Motor
(One Shot MiG-21Zh)

V

Vodorod

Hydrogen
(as in Tu-160V)

G

Gak

Hook
(Tailhook Equipped)

E

Eksperimentahl'nyy

Experimental
(as in MiG-29E)

D

dozaprahvka

[inflight] refuelling.

PL

protivolodochnyy

ASW
(Ka-25PL)

PS

poiskovo-spasahtel'nyy

SAR
(Ka-25PS)

T

tseleookazahtel

OTH Targeting
(Ka-25T)

RLD

rahdiolokatsionnyy dozor

Radar Picket
(Ka-252RLD)

Other Weapons Prefixes

English Letter

Russian Letter

Russian

English

A

A

aerodinamicheskiy maket

Aerodynamic Mock-Up
(as in R-3A)

bis

--

--

Improved (as in MiG-21bis)

BM

bol'shaya modernizatsiya

Major Upgrade

BZhRK

Rail Mobile
(ICBM)

D

Д

Dalny

Extended/Long Range

D

dorabotannyy

Modified
(as in MiG-25PD)

D

doza-pravka

Refuelling
(capable of IFR; Su-27PD)

DP

distantsionno piloteeruyemyy

Remotely Piloted Vehicle
(MiG-21DP UAV)

DZ

dozaprahvka

Refuelling
(As in MiG-25PDZ)

E

eksperimentahl'noye

Experimental

E

eksportnyy

Export
(as in MiG-31E)

E

energovo'oroozhonnaya

High Powered
(as in R-73E Long Range AAM)

F

forsazh

Afterburning
(Yak-36-70F)

F

Ф

Forsirovanny

Enhanced/Boosted

K

Kolyosnyi

Wheeled

K

Korabelnogo bazirovaniya

Deck Based (as in Carrier A/C; MiG-29K)

K

Krylevoy

Wing Mounting (as in UBK)

K

Krupnokaliberny

Fitted with Large Gun

K

К

Kompleks

Complex
(As in Weapons System)

K

К

Kolyosnyi

Wheeled

K

К

Krupnokaliberny

Fitted with Large Gun
(as in Yak-9K)

KPP

korabel'nyy posta-novshchikpomekh

Shipboard ECM Aircraft
(as in Su-27KPP)

KRT

korabel'nyy razvedchik-tseleookazahtel'

Shipboard reconnaissance/target designator aircraft

KTZ

korabel'nyy toplivozaprahvshchik

Shipboard IFR Tanker
(as in Su-27KTZ)

L

Л

oopravleniye po luchoo rahdiolokahtora

Radar Beam Guidance

LL

letayushchaya laboratoriya

Flying Laboratory
(Used for all kinds of test and research aircraft, such as MiG-31LL)

M

morskoy

Maritime/Naval
(as in Mi-6M)

M

Modifitsirovanny

Modified (as in MiG-29M)

M

M

Mishen

Target
(as in 10KhM Target Drone)

MT

mnogotselevoy

Multi-Role

N

H

Nositel

Carrier [Aircraft]
(as in Be-10N Flying Boat)

OS

O

Silo Variant (ICBMs)

P

passazheerskiy

Passenger
(as in Mi-6P)

P

pogranichnyy

Border Guard Version
(as in Mi-26P)

P

Pushechy

gunship, high calibre arned fighter

P

П

PVO-Strany

Air Defense System
(as in S-300P)

P

П

Pushechy

gunship, high calibre armed fighter

PP

postanovshchik pomekh

ECM Aircraft
(as in Mi-26PP)

PRTBV

podvizhnaya raketno-tekhnicheskaya baza vertolyotnovo

heliborne mobile missile maintenance base
(as in Mi-6PRTBV)

PS

poiskovo-spasahtel'nyy

Search and Rescue
(as in Mi-6PS)

PZh

pozharnyy

Firefighting
(as in Mi-6PZh)

R

Raketa

Missile

R

Reaktivny

Rocket/Jet

R

Razvedchik

Reconnaissance

R

P

Rahdiolokatsionnaya [golovka samonavedeniya]

Radar Seeker Head
as in

R

P

Reaktivny

Rocket/Jet

R

Rekordnyy

Record Breaking

S

Synkhronny

Synchronized (as in UBS)

S

C

Snaryad

Missile

S

C

Skorostnoy

High Speed

S

Sereeynyy

Production
(T-10S Flanker)

S

sdoov [pogra-nichnovo sloya]

Boundary Layer Control
(Blown Flaps)
(Used on MiG-21US)

S

Stroyu

Field [modified]
(e.g. MiG-25PDS; Field Modified Interceptor)

S

siroyevoy

Operational
MiG-31BS, to distinguish from new build MiG-31Bs)

SCh

Stalistyy chu-goon

Cast Iron
(as in AO-2.5SCh)

Sh

Shtoormovik

Ground Attack Craft

ShN

shtoormovaya, nizkovysotnaya

Low Level Strike Mission

ShR

razdelyayushchiyesya boyevyye chasti

Multiple Warheads

T

trahnsportnyy

Transport, Civilian
(as in Mi-26T)

T

T

Tyazhelowooruzhenny

Heavily Armed

T

Turelniy

Turret Mounting (as in UBT)

T

T

Solid Fuel (ICBMs)

T

T

Turelniy

Turret Mounting
(as in UBT)

T

Tankovyi

Anti-Tank Version

TEU

Telescopic Detonation Device

TZ

toplivozapravshchik

Tanker
(as in Mi-26TZ)

U

Uchebnyy

Training

U

Uluchshenny

Improved

U

Ukorochennyj

Shortened (as in AKS-74U)

U

У

Usovershenstvovannyi

Improved
(as in T-80U)

U

У

Unitarnyi

Unitary (as in

U

У

Universal

U

У

Upravlyaemyi

Guided (as in

U

У

Uluchshenny

Improved

U

У

oopravleniye [snaryadami]

Missile Control/Guidance

U

У

oopravlya-yemoye oroozhiye

Guided Weapons

U

oopravlyayemoye soplo

'controllable' or vectoring nozzle
(Used on Engines, AL-31FU)

UTTKh

Improved Technical-Tactical Characteristics

V

В

Voyska

Ground Forces
(as in S-300V)

V

В

Vystrel

Round (As in

V

В

vozdushnodesantii

Airborne

V

В

Vysotnaya

High Altitude
(As in K-6V)

VKP

vozdooshnyy komahndnyy poonkt

airborne command post
(as in Mi-6VKP)

VzPU

vozdooshnyy poonkt oopravleniya

Airborne Control Post
(as in Mi-6VzPU)