scope:

Overview. 

This Air Force instruction establishes guidance and procedures for requesting a Mission Design Series (MDS) designator and/or an MDS popular name for military aerospace vehicles. All requested and approved MDS designators will adhere to the DoD designator reporting system established in 1961 to standardize identification of military aerospace vehicles. This system uses letters and numbers to symbolize identifying characteristics of military aerospace vehicles of direct interest to the DoD (reference Attachments A3 and A4). All requested and approved MDS popular names will be suitable, in accordance with Air Force standards and values, for public release and not violate registered brand names, trademarks, or otherwise infringe upon copyright laws. 

The Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) serves as the DoD Executive Agent (reference DoDD 5101.1, DoD Executive Agent) for the MDS program (reference DoDD 4120.15E). The SECAF delegated authority relating to standardizing references to military aerospace vehicles to HAF/A8PE (reference HAFMD 1-56, Deputy Chief of Staff Strategic Plans and Programs). Acting on the behalf of the DoD Executive Agent, HAF/A8PE may not redelegate full authority of the MDS program, but does reserve the authority to arrange for and execute inter-Service support agreements, memoranda of understanding, and other necessary arrangements, as required, to fulfill assigned DoD Executive Agent responsibilities, functions, and authorities (reference DoDD 5101.1). 

This instruction provides DoD-wide guidance on the following: generating, collecting, evaluating, and processing MDS designator and popular name requests, specifying required and essential coordinating organizations, outlining MDS designator and popular name approval authorities, determining "next-in-series" MDS designators, and publishing updates to this instruction and a single DoD-wide list of approved MDS designators and popular names for aerospace vehicles. Additionally, this instruction will provide the required evaluation criteria and MDS request package templates, standardized MDS designator symbols, and respective military department points of contacts. 

For the remainder length of this instruction, it will be understood that either "MDS designator" or "MDS popular name" terms will relate to the designator or name for military defense aerospace vehicles and/or DoD aerospace vehicles only. Furthermore, when references are made to the generic term "vehicle," it will be understood that it is in reference to military aerospace vehicle unless otherwise described. This instruction does not apply to ground-based systems or vehicles (except for UAV control segments related to aerospace vehicles required to be controlled by rated pilots), any hybrid ground/aerospace vehicle in which its intended operational environment is ground-based, or any specific attachment or subsystem of a military defense aerospace vehicle.