Canadian Military Aircraft Designations
Copyright © 2001-2024 Andreas Parsch
1 Canadian Aircraft Designation System
3 Sources
1 Canadian Aircraft Designation System
Since 1968, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) use standardized aircraft designations.
Examples: | C | C | - | 144 | A | Challenger-600 | |
C | F | - | 116 | CF-5 | |||
C | F | - | 101 | B | Voodoo | ||
(1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) |
(1) All designations start with "C", standing for "Canada".
Following the initial C is the type letter (2), describing the purpose of the aircraft. The current letters are essentially a subset of the type letters used by the current U.S. system:
- C - Cargo/Transport
- E - Special Electronic Installation
- F - Fighter
- H - Helicopter
- P - Patrol/Reconnaissance/Anit-Submarine Warfare
- T - Trainer
- U - UAV
- X - Research/Experimental
Note: The "U" category is a relatively recent addition. "U" probably stands for "UAV", but this is unconfirmed.
In earlier versions of the system, more letters were defined, most of which were never used. The ones that were, but are now obsolete, are:
- O - Observation
- SR - Search & Rescue
The number (3) is a three-digit number. There is only one numbering sequence for all aircraft types. A number, which has been allocated to one aircraft, will not be re-allocated to another one later, even if the original allocation has been cancelled. The numbers are not necessarily allocated in sequence, but are instead often chosen to "match" another designation (like manufacturer's or U.S. military) of the aircraft. The type number is also used as the first three digits of the five- or six-digit serial number. Variants of an aircraft for a different purpose retain the number, but use a different type letter. E.g., the Electronic Support Trainer version of the CC-144A Challenger-600 is called CE-144A Challenger-EST. However, the allocation of a new type letter is not done very often, only if the aircraft is significantly altered.
An optional suffix letter (4) may follow the designation, to distinguish between different versions of a type. Letters are assigned alphabetically, omitting I and O. Some letters are reserved for special purposes:
- D - Dual-seat version of a single-seat aircraft
- NT - Navigation trainer
(5) Most aircraft types have an official "Popular Name" assigned. As can be seen from the above CF-116 example (with a popular name of CF-5), this popular name doesn't have to be a proper name ;-)!
2 Designation Listing
Designation | Popular Name | Manufacturer | Model; Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
CF-100 | Canuck | Avro Canada | C.100 |
CF-101B | Voodoo | McDonnell | F-101B |
CF-101F | Voodoo | McDonnell | TF-101B, F-101F |
(102) | not assigned (to avoid confusion with Avro Canada C-102 Jetliner) | ||
(103) | not assigned (reserved for proposed Avro Canada "CF-103") | ||
CF-104 | Starfighter | Canadair | CL-90 (license-built Lockheed F-104 Model 683-04-12) |
CF-104A | Starfighter | Lockheed | Model 183-92-02 (single-seat F-104) |
CF-104D | Dual Starfighter | Lockheed | Model 583-04-15 (two-seat F-104); Mk 1 (Dual Training Aircraft), Mk2 (Dual Operational Aircraft) |
CF-105 | Arrow | Avro Canada | project cancelled, designation not reused |
CC-106 | Yukon | Canadair | CL-44-6 |
CP-107 | Argus | Canadair | CL-28-1 (Argus 1), CL-28-2 (Argus 2) |
CC-108 | Caribou | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-4/4A Caribou 1/1A/1B |
CC-109 | Cosmopolitan | Canadair | CL-66B; license-built Convair CV-440 |
CSR-110 | Albatross | Grumman | G-111 (U.S. designation: HU-16) |
CF-111 | Starfighter | Canadair/Lockheed | original designation of CF-104 |
CT-111(?) | Firefly | Slingsby | T67C3 (U.S. designation: T-3); Note: The CT-111 designation is most probably not officially allocated to the Firefly! |
CH-112 | Nomad | Hiller | UH-12E (U.S. designation: OH-23 Raven) |
CH-113 | Labrador | Boeing-Vertol | 107.II-9 (U.S. designation: CH-46) |
CH-113A | Labrador | Boeing-Vertol | 107.II-28; orignally named Voyageur |
CT-114 | Tutor | Canadair | CL-41A |
CC-115 | Buffalo | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-5A |
CF-116 | CF-5 | Canadair | CL-219-1A10; license built Northrop F-5A; originally named Freedom Fighter |
CF-116D | CF-5D | Canadair | CL-219-1A17; license built Northrop F-5B |
CC-117 | Falcon | Dassault-Breguet | Falcon 20C |
CH-118 | Iroquois | Bell | Model 205 (U.S. designation: UH-1H) |
CO-119 | Cessna | Model 305 (U.S. designation: L-19A/E) and Model 182; although different designs, both models became CO-119 | |
CT-120 | Chipmunk | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-1B |
CP-121 | Tracker | DeHavilland Canada | G-103; license-built Grumman S2F/S-2 Tracker |
CP-122 | Neptune | Lockheed | P2V/P-2 |
CC-123 | Otter | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-3; originally designated CSR-123 |
CSR-123 | Otter | DeHavilland Canada | original designation of CC-123 |
CH-124 | Sea King | Sikorsky | S-61A (U.S. designation SH-3); also CH-124A and CH-124B |
CH-125 | Vertol | Model 42 (U.S. designation: H-21) | |
CH-126 | Sikorsky | S-58 (U.S. designation: H-34) | |
CH-127 | Vertol | Model 44 (similar to Model 42) | |
CT-128 | Expeditor | Beech | C18S (Mk 1/2), D18S (Mk 3); U.S. designations: C-45B (MK 1), UC-45F (Mk 2) |
CC-129 | Dakota | Douglas | C-47/C-47A/C-47B/R4D-1 |
CC-130B/E/H | Hercules | Lockheed | C-130B/E/H |
CC-130NT | Hercules Nav Trainer | Lockheed | C-130E |
CX-131 | Canadair | CL-84-1 | |
CC-132 | Dash 7 | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-7 Series 102/103 |
CT-133 | Silver Star | Canadair | CL-30; license-built Lockheed T-33 (T-33AN) |
CT-134 | Musketeer | Beech | Musketeer C23-19 |
CT-134A | Musketeer II | Beech | Sundowner C23 |
CH-135 | Twin Huey | Bell | Model 212 (U.S. designation: UH-1N) |
CH-136 | Kiowa | Bell | Model 206A (U.S. designation: OH-58A) |
CC-137 | Boeing 707 | Boeing | Model 707-347C |
CC-138 | Twin Otter | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-6-300 |
CH-139 | Jetranger | Bell | Model 206B-III |
CP-140 | Aurora | Lockheed | Model 285B (U.S. designation: P-3 Orion) |
CP-140A | Arcturus | Lockheed | Model 285L (U.S. designation: P-3 Orion) |
CC-141 | Starlifter | Lockheed | C-141; order was cancelled |
CC-142 | Dash 8 | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-8-102 |
CT-142 | Dash 8 Nav Trainer | DeHavilland Canada | DHC-8-102 |
CH-143 | BK 117 | Eurocopter (MBB) | BK 117A-3D |
CC-144A | Challenger-600 | Canadair | CL-600/600S |
CE-144A | Challenger-IEST | Canadair | CL-645 (based on CL-600S); IEST = Interim EW Support Trainer |
CP-144A | Challenger-CP | Canadair | CL-646 (based on CL-600S); CP = Coastal Patrol; program cancelled |
CX-144A | Challenger-X | Canadair | based on CL-600S |
CC-144B | Challenger-601 | Canadair | CL-601-1A |
CE-144B | Challenger-ARS | Canadair | based on CL-600S; ARS = Airborne Receiver System (for ELINT gathering) |
CC-144C | Challenger 604 | Canadair | CL-604 |
CE-144C | Challenger-EST | Canadair | based on CL-600S; EST = EW Support Trainer |
CC-144D | Challenger 650 | Canadair | CL-650 |
CT-145 | King Air | Beech | King Air 200 |
CE-145C | Vigilante | Beech | King Air 350ER MAISR (Manned Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) |
CH-146 | Griffon | Bell | Model 412CF |
CH-147 | Chinook | Boeing-Vertol | BV-173 (U.S. designation: CH-47) |
CH-147D | Chinook | Boeing-Vertol | CH-47D |
CH-147F | Chinook | Boeing-Vertol | CH-47F |
CH-148 | Petrel | European Helicopter Industies | EH 101 (Anti-Submarine); order cancelled |
CH-148 | Cyclone | Sikorsky | H-92 |
CH-149 | Chimo | European Helicopter Industies | EH 101 (Search and Rescue); order cancelled |
CH-149 | Cormorant | European Helicopter Industies | EH 101 Series 511 (Search and Rescue); similar, but not identical to original Chimo version |
CC-150 | Polaris | Airbus | A310-304/304F |
(151...154) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CT-155 | Hawk | BAE | Hawk 115 |
CT-156 | Harvard II | Raytheon/Beech | T-6A-1 Texan II |
(157...159) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CU-160 | Eagle | IAI/EADS | Eagle-1 UAV |
CU-161 | Sperwer | SAGEM | Sperwer UAV |
CU-162 | Vindicator | Meggitt | Vindicator UAV |
CU-163 | Altair | General Atomics | Altair UAV |
(164) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CU-165 | Scan Eagle | Boeing Insitu | MQ-27 ScanEagle |
(166) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CU-167 | Silver Fox | Advanced Ceramics Research | Silver Fox UAV |
CU-168 | Skylark | ELBIT | Skylark mini-UAV |
CU-169 | Maveric | Prioria Robotics | Maveric micro-UAV |
CU-170 | Heron | IAI | Heron UAV |
CU-171 | Super Hauler | Bruce Tharpe Engineering | Super Hauler UAV |
CU-172 | Blackjack | Boeing Insitu | RQ-21A Integrator |
CU-173 | Raven | AeroVironment | RQ-11B Raven B |
(174) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CU-175 | Puma | AeroVironment | RQ-20 |
CU-176 | Gargoyle | UMS | Skeldar V-200 |
CC-177 | Globemaster III | Boeing | C-17A |
CH-178 | Mil | Mi-17-V5 (Mi-8TV5) | |
(179...187) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CF-188 | CF-18A | McDonnell Douglas | Model 267A (U.S. designation: F/A-18A Hornet) |
CF-188B | CF-18B | McDonnell Douglas | Model 267B (U.S. designation: F/A-18B Hornet); originally planned designation was CF-188D CF-18D |
(189...294) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CC-295 | Kingfisher | Airbus | Model C295 |
(296...329) | (not yet assigned) | ||
CC-330 | Husky | Airbus | Model A330 MRTT |
3 Sources
[1] Jeff Rankin-Lowe and Andrew Cline: "The Aircraft of the Canadian Armed Forces"
[2] R.W.R. Walker: Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers
Comments and corrections to: Andreas Parsch
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Last Updated: 4 March 2024