How to Name an Airplane

One of the fun parts of my job is occasionally when we buy new aircraft or develop new models we can request an informal name for it.  For example most people know the C-130 is called "the Hercules," but we have a fair number of varieties with informal names that have been approved by the Air Force Chief of Staff.

For example:  the AC-130H is known as "Spectre" while the AC-130U is known as "Spooky.  Both trace their lineage back to the original gunships of Viet Nam. The HC-130 rescue version is known as "King," again from its Viet Nam days.  Since I deal mostly with multi-mission aircraft designated MC-130 lets talk about them.  The original MC-130E is known as Combat Talon, the newer MC-130H is called the "Combat Talon II."  We have an MC-130P called "Combat Shadow" and a MC-130W named Combat Spear.  We are buying new MC-130Js that will be called "Combat Shadow II."

MC-130W Combat Spear

I am somewhat disappointed we can't come up with better names than just adding a roman numeral to the end, but that is what we've got.  When we developed the MC-130W we kind of kludged together a bunch of stuff and added it to a basic C-130H.  When we started the process of recommending new names for it.  Here are some the candidate names thrown around that didn't make the cut.  COMBAT KNIFE, COMBAT DAGGER, COMBAT PHOENIX, and my personal favorite COMBAT WOMBAT!  Wombat was for the W at the end of the designation.  We even had a motto for it:  Marsupials rule the night!

Once we have a list of candidate names we write to the Chief of Staff and unless he hates the name he approves (there are a few steps I am leaving out here) and wham-bam! You have a name.