Wikipedia:Naming conventions (missiles and unguided rockets)

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For article titles, use the most common unambiguous name. A central tenet of wikipedia naming conventions is to give articles names that will be have the greatest chance of being directly linked to within an edit window of another article. Alternative names should be listed in bold type on or near the first line of the article.

Create redirects from all the more common alternative names. For example, the main article for the Molniya R-60 missile should be at Molniya R-60; redirects to it at R-60, AA-8 Aphid, AA-8 and Izdeliye 62.

In general, best practice is probably manufacturer, followed by either number or name, whichever seems to be more common.

[edit] Guidelines for certain specific groups of missiles/unguided rockets

  • US missiles and rockets: Number and name: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-88 HARM. Where there is no name, or where the name is not in general use, use just the number instead: AGM-130. Manufacturer names are rarely used for US missiles and rockets.
  • Russian/Soviet missiles and rockets: Design bureau and number: Vympel R-37, Bisnovat R-40. If the name without design bureau is much more common, use that: S-200. The NATO reporting name, though not part of the official designation, are in many cases the name by which the aircraft is best known in the West, and can redirect to the article under the correct name.

[edit] Missile systems

If the missile system and missile itself have a different name and the missile is not known much better than the system, use the missile system as article name.