MARK nomenclature

David wrote:

What is the history and meaning behind the work "MARK" to designate military
equipment ? The web site www.designation-systems.net says the Navy uses
the Mark - Mod nomenclature but doesn't say what the significance or meaning
of the word "Mark" is. Does anybody know ?

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:
the MK 1 Mod 0 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb, sometimes referred
to as the AGM-62. Think of a big Maverick (AGM-65) missile but
with a bigger warhead and RAT generator instead of the rocket motor.
The Maverick used nearly the same video specs as the earlier
Walleye.

"Dweezil Dwarftosser" wrote in message
...
David wrote:

What is the history and meaning behind the work "MARK" to designate
military
equipment ? The web site www.designation-systems.net says the Navy
uses
the Mark - Mod nomenclature but doesn't say what the significance or
meaning
of the word "Mark" is. Does anybody know ?

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:
the MK 1 Mod 0 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb, sometimes referred
to as the AGM-62. Think of a big Maverick (AGM-65) missile but
with a bigger warhead and RAT generator instead of the rocket motor.
The Maverick used nearly the same video specs as the earlier
Walleye.

Numerous nuclear warheads, and most freefall nuclear bombs (up to/thru
Mk-43, where they started calling things "B-43" in some sources), used the
"Mark" identification. I believe the Mk-28 was still in use while you were
in service?

Brooks

Dweezil Dwarftosser wrote:

David wrote:

What is the history and meaning behind the work "MARK" to designate military
equipment ? The web site www.designation-systems.net says the Navy uses
the Mark - Mod nomenclature but doesn't say what the significance or meaning
of the word "Mark" is. Does anybody know ?

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:
the MK 1 Mod 0 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb, sometimes referred
to as the AGM-62. Think of a big Maverick (AGM-65) missile but
with a bigger warhead and RAT generator instead of the rocket motor.
The Maverick used nearly the same video specs as the earlier
Walleye.

The Mark system was used by BuOrd (the USN's Bureau of Ordnance) to designate
weapons and related systems that they designed (or were designed at their behest),
which included Walleye. The Mk. 80 series bombs are another BuOrd weapon (M-series
bombs like the M117 are Army or Air Force derived). Things get more complicated
because not all navy weapons were designed by BuOrd, and other Bureaus (e.g.
BuAer) used other designation systems. Theoretically the Mark series should have
gone away when the tri-service designations took over in 1962, but remnants of it
remain in use.

Guy

Theoretically the Mark series should have
gone away when the tri-service designations took over in 1962, but remnants
of it
remain in use.

....such as in all types of USN torpedoes in use today. Not to mention
thousands of Mk 82s (and dozens of other weapon types).

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Donate your memories - write a note on the back and send your old photos to a
reputable museum, don't take them with you when you're gone.

Guy Alcala wrote:


The Mark system was used by BuOrd (the USN's Bureau of Ordnance) to designate
weapons and related systems that they designed (or were designed at their behest),
which included Walleye. The Mk. 80 series bombs are another BuOrd weapon (M-series
bombs like the M117 are Army or Air Force derived). Things get more complicated
because not all navy weapons were designed by BuOrd, and other Bureaus (e.g.
BuAer) used other designation systems.


Today, NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) designates "its" items by
MARK/MOD nomenclature, while NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) uses
ASETDS (Aeronautical and Support Equipment Type Designation System).
ASETDS includes, but is not limited to, the xxU-style designations for
bombs etc. (e.g. BLU, GBU).

Theoretically the Mark series should have
gone away when the tri-service designations took over in 1962, but remnants of it
remain in use.


It remains in use for _a lot_ of U.S. Naval equipment - e.g.
torpedoes, mines, projectiles, etc.

The "tri-service designations of 1962" which you refer applied only to
aircraft and (from 1963) missiles. The "new" designations for
air-dropped ordnance (BLU, GBU, etc) were formally introduced in late
1966. This is also the reason why the Walleye was designated with
MARK/MOD and not as GBU-xxx - there was no GBU designator at that time.

Andreas

In article , Andreas Parsch
wrote:

Guy Alcala wrote:


The Mark system was used by BuOrd (the USN's Bureau of Ordnance) to
designate
weapons and related systems that they designed (or were designed at
their behest),
which included Walleye. The Mk. 80 series bombs are another BuOrd
weapon (M-series
bombs like the M117 are Army or Air Force derived). Things get more
complicated
because not all navy weapons were designed by BuOrd, and other Bureaus
(e.g.
BuAer) used other designation systems.


Today, NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) designates "its" items by
MARK/MOD nomenclature, while NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) uses
ASETDS (Aeronautical and Support Equipment Type Designation System).
ASETDS includes, but is not limited to, the xxU-style designations for
bombs etc. (e.g. BLU, GBU).

Theoretically the Mark series should have
gone away when the tri-service designations took over in 1962, but
remnants of it
remain in use.


It remains in use for _a lot_ of U.S. Naval equipment - e.g.
torpedoes, mines, projectiles, etc.

The "tri-service designations of 1962" which you refer applied only to
aircraft and (from 1963) missiles. The "new" designations for
air-dropped ordnance (BLU, GBU, etc) were formally introduced in late
1966. This is also the reason why the Walleye was designated with
MARK/MOD and not as GBU-xxx - there was no GBU designator at that time.

Is that this is intended to confuse the enemy, or that the Army is
defined as the enemy?

Dweezil Dwarftosser wrote:

David wrote:

What is the history and meaning behind the work "MARK" to designate military
equipment ? The web site www.designation-systems.net says the Navy uses
the Mark - Mod nomenclature but doesn't say what the significance or meaning
of the word "Mark" is. Does anybody know ?

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:
the MK 1 Mod 0 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb, sometimes referred
to as the AGM-62. Think of a big Maverick (AGM-65) missile but
with a bigger warhead and RAT generator instead of the rocket motor.
The Maverick used nearly the same video specs as the earlier
Walleye.

The Mark system was used by BuOrd (the USN's Bureau of Ordnance) to designate
weapons and related systems that they designed (or were designed at their behest),
which included Walleye. The Mk. 80 series bombs are another BuOrd weapon (M-series
bombs like the M117 are Army or Air Force derived). Things get more complicated
because not all navy weapons were designed by BuOrd, and other Bureaus (e.g.
BuAer) used other designation systems. Theoretically the Mark series should have
gone away when the tri-service designations took over in 1962, but remnants of it
remain in use.

Guy

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:

The U.S. Army "marks" just about everything, from the M-1 rifle on up.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

I've only seen one such designation, on a weapon - and it passed
out of our on-base inventory sometime in the late 1970s:

The U.S. Army "marks" just about everything, from the M-1 rifle on up.

I believe the current definition behind that "M" in the Army is "model", not
"mark".

Brooks


all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Kevin Brooks wrote:


I believe the current definition behind that "M" in the Army is "model", not
"mark".


I don't know if there is a current definition, but the original
meaning (when introduced in the early 20th century) was indeed "model".

Andreas