New Typhoon designation

[XV107]

Note to self: tongue in cheek doesn't work on the internet...

The Halifax A9 was for airborne forces, and technically, that designation hasn't been rescinded.

You could also add the Sea King ASaC 7 - with the big 'A' for 'Airborne' and the little 'a' for 'and'...

Tim - wouldn't the 'A' at the end of GR1A have been adopted to denote a major change in equipment fit - i.e. the deletion of the guns and the installation of the recce kit? The suffixes are often applied in an inconsistent manner, but having the whole fleet as Tornado GR1s would've risked creating some interesting admin anomolies - easier to be refer to an airframe as a GR1 or GR1A rather than have to look up the serial to see whether the aircraft was a Strike or a Recce airframe.

[hatchet]

You could also add the Sea King ASaC 7 - with the big 'A' for 'Airborne' and the little 'a' for 'and'...

Ok, what does ASaC really stand for and why the devil isn't there an H somewhere in there

[Dave Fleming]

Ok, what does ASaC really stand for and why the devil isn't there an H somewhere in there

Airborne Surveillance and Control

Rumour was trhey were told NOT to use AWaC

[Tim]

XV107 - that's what I was getting-at. The original GR1 designation was ill-advised. Clearly, it was intended to cover a multitude of sins, but when the reconnaissance fit was actually introduced it was (as you say) prudent to signify a change in equipment/role, hence the "A". But this simply made the original designation look pointless. In effect, it ought to have originally been "GA1" or "SA1" and the reconnaissance aircraft would have been the first true GR1 (well "GR2") airframe. You'd think that a country which prides itself on red tape would be good at this sort of thing and yet...

[MikeC]

"Feared", not "thought" would have been the right word, oops. The reason would be politics, i.e. 'let's not tell anyone it's upgraded, they might think we're using too much money'. ...

I see your point, and not unique to this country or era. The F-84F was so designated as it was easier to get money for an existing programme than a totally new one, which effectively the F-84F was.

[hatchet]

I see your point, and not unique to this country or era. The F-84F was so designated as it was easier to get money for an existing programme than a totally new one, which effectively the F-84F was.

Indeed. Also gave the curious effect of the F-84G being inferior to the F-84F I guess the same could be said of the F-111E vs. the F-111D although that was only an upgrade, not a new programme There's the F/A-18A-D vs F/A-18E/F too.