Not all military systems and platforms have names. Some have only model numbers or formal designations. In other cases, there are the designations and names, but how those names are chosen isn’t always crystal clear.
The United States Army has generally named its tanks for generals. In contrast, some firearms were named for the inventor/designer. However, Colt, the manufacturer, was honored by naming the famed Colt M1911 automatic pistol after its designer, John Moses Browning, rather than the gun itself.
The Air Force’s aircraft naming scheme is one it inherited from the Army Air Corps.
The United States Space Force, the sixth and newest branch of the U.S. military, is now set to cut through some of the confusion by clarifying how it will select names for its future spacecraft and space-based weaponry.
At the Third annual Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told attendees that the Space Force would adopt a new naming scheme for its mission areas to “cement the identities of space weapon systems.”
Looks To the Stars
The Space Force’s naming themes will include subjects such as Norse mythology and ghosts. It unveiled the seven themes in a playing-card-like format. This will help Space Force guardians select names and organize them in the process.
The seven naming themes include:
- Orbital warfare: Norse pantheon
- Electromagnetic warfare: Snakes
- Cyber warfare: Mythological creatures
- Navigation warfare: Sharks
- Satellite communications: Constellations
- Missile warning: Sentinels
- Space domain awareness: Ghosts
“After a lot of feedback and deliberation, we’ve chosen to represent each of our mission areas with specific symbology. These symbols conjure the character of the systems, the importance of their mission, and the identity of the Guardians who employ them,” Saltzman explained.
“These include Norse Pantheon, representing the power and dominance of orbital warfare; mythological creatures, conjuring the cunning and adaptability of cyber warfare systems; constellations, reflecting the reach and enduring connection of satellite communications; and ghosts, evoking the silent presence of space domain awareness, just to name a few,” the space operations chief added.
First Names Given
Two spacecraft have already been renamed based on their themes.
These include the Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On system, a communications satellite now known as Ursa Major.
“The Big Dipper — as you all know, part of the Ursa Major constellation — famously points to Polaris, our north star, always linking us to our most important missions,” Saltzman explained.
The other is Bifrost, named for the fiery rainbow bridge in Norse mythology that connects Midgard (Earth) to Asgard, the realm of the gods. It will be used by the Space Force’s 1st Space Operations Squadron (1 SOPS) to track satellites in high orbits.
“Bifrost is a bridge between Earth and the realm of the gods, just as the Bifrost system in low Earth orbit bridges the divide between the Earth and the higher geostationary orbit of the other 1 SOPS systems,” Saltzman added.
The goal of the naming scheme is to help the Space Force establish a unique identity from the other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
“These symbols conjure the character of the systems, the importance of their mission, and the identity of the Guardians who employ them,” Saltzman continued.
Six Years of Space Force
Saltzman’s remarks at the Spacepower Conference also came just in advance of the Space Force’s sixth anniversary. The general noted how the service has seen the transition of Space Operations Command to Combat Forces Command, representing a significant shift toward training.
“Our combat forces are better prepared, fully integrated, and ready to respond to any threats to our mission,” he noted.
Saltzman also encouraged Space Force guardians to continue to communicate the importance of space operations to the American people. As the newest and smallest branch, it still has many who don’t know it exists, and these efforts aim to rectify that.
“Our work can sometimes feel invisible. But we provide vital capabilities that enable our security and our way of life. The nation is counting on us,” Saltzman said, adding that the service is prepared to meet future demands. “It’s clear that the U.S. Space Force is not just a participant in the joint fight. We are vital to our nation’s security, and essential to the American way of life.”
