Names for CHinese Aircraft

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Just found a post at the ACIG Forum, that reminded me to a similar tread on the Secret Projects Forum regarding "names for Chinese aircraft" ... either CHinese names or even the ASCC/NATO-reporting code.

As such let's put together what we have ... and here's a start:


J-5 (MiG-17) = Fresco (ASCC)
J-6 (MiG-19) = Farmer (ASCC)
J-7 (MiG-21) = Fishbed (ASCC)
J-8 = Finback (ASCC)
FC-1 / JF-17 = ??? - 'Xiao Long' (Fierce Dragon) and Thunder (for the PAF)
J-10 = Firebird (ASCC) - 'Meng Long’ (Vigorous Dragon)
J-11 = Flanker (ASCC)
J-15 = Flanker (ASCC) - 'Fei Sha' (Flying Shark)
J-16 = ??? - 'Hong Ying' (Red Eagle)
J-20 = ??? - '???? Long' (Mighty Dragon)
J-31 = ??? - 'Hu Ying' (Falcon Eagle or better Gyrfalcon)

Q-5 = Fantan (ASCC)
JH-7 = Flounder (ASCC) - 'Fei Bao' (Flying Leopard)

JL-8/K-8 = ??? -Karakorum
JL-9 = ??? - 'Shan Ying' (Plateau Eagle or Mountain Eagle)
L-15 = ??? - '???' (Falcon)

KJ-2000 (A-50) = Mainring (ASCC)

Y-11 = Chan (ASCC)

Z-10 = ??? - 'Pi Li Huo' (Whirlwind or Thunderbolt or even Fierce Thunderbolt ... nickname of Qin Ming)
Z-19 = ??? - 'Hei Xuan Feng' (Black Cyclone or Black Whirlwind ... nickname of Li Kui)


All additions and corrctions - especially for the Chinese names - are wellcome,
Deino

PS: with each new name or correction I will change this original first post so that it will be always the most up to date version !
 
Last edited:

T-U-P

The Punisher
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
J-31 = ??? - 'Shen Fei' (Falcon Eagle or better Gyrfalcon)

I'm pretty sure Shen Fei is the shortened name given the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the company that makes the J-31, not the actual plane itself.
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Yes ... but any idea what Gyrfalcon is called in CHinese !

J-31 = ??? - 'Hu Yin' (Falcon Eagle or better Gyrfalcon)

I changed it above.

Deino
 
Last edited:

vesicles

Colonel
Interesting...

J-31 = ??? - 'Hu Yin' (Falcon Eagle or better Gyrfalcon)

should it be "Hu Ying" (Ying is eagle in Chinese)?

Z-10 = ??? - 'Pi Li Huo' (Whirlwind or Thunderbolt or even Fierce Thunderbolt ... nickname of Qin Ming)
Z-19 = ??? - 'Hei Xuan Feng' (Black Cyclone or Black Whirlwind ... nickname of Li Kui)

Qin Ming and Li Kui are two characters in an ancient Chinese novel called Legend of Shui Hu, one of 4 famous novels in ancient China. They are famous for their ferocity on the battle field, as can be seen from their nicknames given by the author of the novel. Although these two guys are famous (even I know of them), they are definitely not someone that people first think of when discussing fearless warriors. However, their nicknames both involve something powerful and fearsome coming down from the sky, thunderbolt and cyclone. So it has its validity. But it is still weird that the PLA names their priced attack helos after two fictional characters. We all know PLA does not like to name their equipment after people. Is this confirmed?
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Not sure that J-10 has a NATO designation. Where did you get Firebird from?

The problem si - at least as it was discussed in the Secret Projects Forum - that these NATO/ASCC-code names were simply not given to the public but in mind of several Congressial reports (like this:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) and given the rank of the person (the Technical Director for Force Modernization & Employment at the National Air & Space Intelligence Center)giving testimony, and context, I am pretty convinced it must be correct.

By the way ...
 

Attachments

  • USA - Finback Bait.gif
    USA - Finback Bait.gif
    15.3 KB · Views: 28
  • USA - Firebird Bait.jpg
    USA - Firebird Bait.jpg
    39.5 KB · Views: 32

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
The problem si - at least as it was discussed in the Secret Projects Forum - that these NATO/ASCC-code names were simply not given to the public but in mind of several Congressial reports (like this:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) and given the rank of the person (the Technical Director for Force Modernization & Employment at the National Air & Space Intelligence Center)giving testimony, and context, I am pretty convinced it must be correct.

By the way ...

Where did you get the images from?
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
So my transcription to Pidgin is simply wrong ?
 
Top