Canadian Military Aircraft Designation Systems

needs fixed - Old System

needs fixed - before 19xx, Canadian aircraft used British designations (see British Military Aircraft Designations).

needs fixed - New System

needs fixed - now matches U.S. system - some exceptions used old U.S. system, some used British Mark system (see complete listing).

The first letter of the designation is always C, indicating a Canadian aircraft. The second (and in one case, third) letters of the designation indicates the aircraft's primary mission.

Mission Designators:

A - Attack?- never used
B - Bomber?- never used
C - Cargo Transport
E - Electronic Warfare
F - Fighter
H - Helicopter
K - Tanker?- never used
O - Observation- discontinued
P - Patrol
R - Reconaissance?- never used
S - Antisubmarine?- never used
SR - Search and Rescue- discontinued
T - Trainer
U - Utility?- never used
V - Vertical Takeoff and Landing?- never used
X - Experimental