NationStates Jolt Archive

They've narrowed down the names for the Joint strike fighter to 6. Some are interesting. I'll post the poll here..hopefully it will work....


Choice of Names for JSF Narrows

By BRUCE ROLFSEN, TIMES STAFF WRITER

decision will be made soon that will affect thousands of airmen for decades to come: what to name the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

With the F-35’s “inaugural debut” set for early July, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley must decide soon what the fighter will be called.

Most Air Force fighters have been named after birds of prey — Eagle, Falcon, Nighthawk, Raptor and Raven. The tradition dates to the late 1970s.

But there is no requirement that the Air Force carry on the tradition with the F-35, especially with the Navy and Marine Corps set to buy the jet, too.

As of late May, a list of potential names had been narrowed to six finalists, said Moseley’s spokesman, Maj. Glen Roberts.

They are: Black Mamba, Cyclone, Lightning II, Piasa, Reaper and Spitfire II.

While Moseley has the final say on naming the F-35, the general will consult with the Marine Corps and Navy service chiefs before making a decision, Roberts said.

The Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy are looking to buy about 2,445 jets at an estimated cost of $256 billion.

Name it the REAPER! C'mon! REAPER! The others are just weird.

Let the Brits name it. They do a better job. The P-51 Mustang was called the Apache 'til the Brits got ahold of it. Apache might be an OK name for a helicopter but Mustang is WAAAAY cooler.

Of the names given I like black mamba. SpitfireII is just too sequel-ish

They should call the VSTOL version cyclone

they should name it reaper. and also build a massive speaker system on it that they can play the song "dont fear the reaper" while taking out targets. talk about psychological warfare

ORCA like in c&c!

Reaper is a better name for an air superiority fighter than a multirole craft like the JSF. I'm going to retract my pick (reaper) and choose cyclone.

Black Mamba.

It's different, and the only other time I've heard it used was for a Rolls-Royce Engine (and that was just mamba).

Meh, it doesn't sound very fighterish. It'd be a better name for a CAS type aircraft (like the A-10A).

Meh, it doesn't sound very fighterish. It'd be a better name for a CAS type aircraft (like the A-10A).

Good point, but out of the six there, it is still the most appealing.

What with the Typhoon and the Tornado, the whole storm thing has been overdone, and then there's the lightning II and spitfire II, which sound too sequelly, like not bad said. Most people probably don't know what a Piasa is, and Reaper just sounds too morbid - if I was flying something called a reaper I think I'd want to shoot myself.:cool:

Who thought of the name Spitfire II? I mean, how can they name something that was created by Americans, with a British name? It has nothing to do with the original Spit. If they even dare to call it that, it will be an awful start to what looks like a fair aircraft.

I'd have to go for Black Mamba. Snake names have been used before - notably, the Airacobra. And this would be a good move to initialize the next generation of US planes - Boomslang, Taipan, Diamondback, Fer de Lance et al.

How about Muderous or Warmongering?

I don't like any of those :( names but if they are my only choices so I picked Black Mamba. Cobra would have been a cooler sounding name, or perhaps Diamond Back as that is an American deadly snake.

Let the Brits name it. They do a better job. The P-51 Mustang was called the Apache 'til the Brits got ahold of it. Apache might be an OK name for a helicopter but Mustang is WAAAAY cooler.

Of the names given I like black mamba. SpitfireII is just too sequel-ish

The Mustang name actually pre-dates the Apache nickname that North American gave the P-51 being sold to Army Air Corp. The 'Stang was actually created by North American for the RAF and only went into service with US forces later. Flight Journal (http://www.flightjournal.com/plane_profiles/p-51_mustang/p-51_mustang_history.asp)

Unimaginitive group of names they are looking at. Nothing there really does for me. I think they should use the name of a fighter pilot, personally. Who was Britians top ace during WW2? Or ours?

Isn't the mamba a South American dance?

How about 'piece of crap my government never should've gotten involved in'?

Black Mamba. That just sounds awesome.

Black Mamba? Cyclone? I don't know, naming an airplane after a poisonous snake or cataclysmic storm just sounds so boring. Why not name it something goofy for laughs. How about "The Ringworm" or "Mr. Shrapnel" (like mr. Coffe, but it dispenses flying bits of metal instead of a beverage.)?

Well, all six choices are a bit bollocks.

And for fucks sake who decides to call an aircraft [something] 2.

Call it the Lance or something like that. Actually I think a Russian bomber is called the Lancer so that might be classed as taken.

Mjolnir, theres a cool name. The Hammer Of Thor!


Fuck it, call it the Flying Penis for comedy reasons

Well you can't have Spitfire or Lightning, they're ours damnit!
Black Mamba is quite cool, but I'd go for Reaper.

How 'bout "Overpriced Junk"?

How 'bout "Overpriced Junk"?
Is it? I haven't really looked into it.

i say eather the black mamba or the spitfire 2

Black Mamba.

It's different, and the only other time I've heard it used was for a Rolls-Royce Engine (and that was just mamba).

X2 the threat (a computer game) uses that exact name in reference to.. a fighter. Someone except me obviously plays it

Hands off Spitfire you bunch of arsebandits!

Hands off Spitfire you bunch of arsebandits!
Arsebandit would be a great name!

That would be good.

It would go like:
"Arsebandit 3, please report. Why are you behind me? What the hell was that?!"

And:
"We now have several squadrons of arsebandits ready to go if the middle east gets out of hands."

Is it? I haven't really looked into it.

Nope, its really advanced and has a version that will offer VTOL that is superior to the Harrier which in its day was a great plane.

I'd go with the Lightning since the US used a plane called the Lightning during WW2 and the British used a Lightning during the cold war.


Seems as good a name as any...... mind you would'nt be surprised if each country ended up called their F-35's by different names anyways

Mjolnir, theres a cool name. The Hammer Of Thor!

Meh, Mjolnir would be a better name for a bomber than a multi-role aircraft. Reaper probably works best since the purpose of the plane is to be able to kill things in any type of engagement.

That's just sad. They couldn't come up with anything better than that?

Ok...less than 3 minutes on a reference site...and I think I have a name better than any of theirs...

Merlin - A small falcon native to the N hemisphere; lacks white cheeks of other falcons; inhabits open country, hills, and desert; eats mainly birds (some small mammals and insects); nests on ground or in abandoned nests of other species in trees; also known as pigeon hawk. (Family: Falconidae.)

Native to US and Britain.
Sticks with bird of prey tradition.
Highly adaptable animal.

"The Merlin is a swift and aggressive bird, harassing larger hawks and gulls and attacking intruders that approach its nest."

Edit - nm...brits are using "merlin" for a heli

Is "stupidly overpriced replacement for a perfectly good fleet that already had no competitive equal anyway" already taken?

Lets see...

Black Mamba: too "Kill Bill" for me. That, and it doesn't exactly rool off the tongue. The F-35 Black Mamba? It just sounds ungainly.

Lightning II: I agree that sequels suck. And again, three syllables- it seems to drag.

Spitfire II: I love my British buddies too much to jack this name from them. It'd be like calling a new tank the "Panzer" or "Tiger", or maybe a battleship the "U.S.S. Napoleon". It would just be rude.

Cyclone: The storm names are way overdone. And I don't want to read any Typhoon vs. Cyclone threads.

Piasa: Three syllables again, although they are short and it rolls off the tongue. I also like the legend, but how many people outside of Illinois will even know what it is let alone know how to pronounce it? Too obscure for my taste.

Reaper: I am forced to conclude this is the best choice. A little creepy, but hey, they will get to rain down death on opposing ground targets. And should be able to hold their own against all but the elite air to air fighters (i.e. F-22 and the like).

Isn't the mamba a South American dance?

You're thinking of the Mambo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mambo) not the Mamba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamba). :p

That's just sad. They couldn't come up with anything better than that?

Ok...less than 3 minutes on a reference site...and I think I have a name better than any of theirs...

Merlin - A small falcon native to the N hemisphere; lacks white cheeks of other falcons; inhabits open country, hills, and desert; eats mainly birds (some small mammals and insects); nests on ground or in abandoned nests of other species in trees; also known as pigeon hawk. (Family: Falconidae.)

Native to US and Britain.
Sticks with bird of prey tradition.
Highly adaptable animal.

"The Merlin is a swift and aggressive bird, harassing larger hawks and gulls and attacking intruders that approach its nest."

Edit - nm...brits are using "merlin" for a heli

Yeah, I agreee that the falconiforms theme seems like a good tradition. But Merlin is more likely to bring to mind the Authurian wizard first. Maybe Gyrfalcon?

You're thinking of the Mambo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mambo) not the Mamba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamba). :p

Heh. They should call it the Mambo.

I go with Reaper, it just sounds better.

All of them are bland, unimaginative rubbish - which is what I expected to see. They should call it something like the "Rata tat tat" or the "indominatable mr piggles" or something similar to that. Though the second would be a better name for an aircraft carrier.

maybe even the "Irrational Hostility" or "Friendly fire"

Reaper is the coolest. I always imagine death when I hear that name..perfect for the JSF.

I nominate the name 'FV-35 Fedayeen'. A holy warrior with God on his side, how more American can you get?! :D

All of them are bland, unimaginative rubbish - which is what I expected to see. They should call it something like the "Rata tat tat" or the "indominatable mr piggles" or something similar to that. Though the second would be a better name for an aircraft carrier.

maybe even the "Irrational Hostility" or "Friendly fire"

Thank you, you've just named the CISR's navy's new carrier, the CNS Indomitatable Mr. Piggles. And this is why forums and drugs are sometimes a bad mix.

Reaper sounds too much like indescriminant death and mayhem, which is the last thing military equiptment should be for. The other names pretty well suck too.

They should start naming them after random pagan gods or godesses. That would be fun.

F-35 Taranis (Celtic God of Lightning), or something like that.

They should name it strategically. Call it 'Ovulator' or something that the enemies really won't expect. It'll lull them into a false sense of security... then ... WHAM!

I nominate the name 'FV-35 Fedayeen'. A holy warrior with God on his side, how more American can you get?! :D

Yeah...um, you do know Dune was a muslim jihad, right?

Reaper all the way
OwO

Yeah...um, you do know Dune was a muslim jihad, right?

what ARE you talking about? I couldn't see anything linking it to any specific religion, except the hating-of-AI thing they have going. Besides it doesn't really matter... the movie is one of my favourites, it just rocks. hard.

Piasa
http://www.piasanet.com/piasalegnd.htm

Mythical bird of Indian lore ... mythical as the F35 itself. :D

Incom T-65 X-Wing :D

Liasia']what ARE you talking about? I couldn't see anything linking it to any specific religion, except the hating-of-AI thing they have going. Besides it doesn't really matter... the movie is one of my favourites, it just rocks. hard.

You ARE joking, right? The Mahdi? It's Arabic- the Islamic messiah. The religion is a little different, but pretty much 90% Islam if you know what to look for. Which is why it would be completely retarded for a U.S. aircraft.

You ARE joking, right? The Mahdi? It's Arabic- the Islamic messiah. The religion is a little different, but pretty much 90% Islam if you know what to look for. Which is why it would be completely retarded for a U.S. aircraft.

I disagree.. similar names and titles doesn't make it the same religion. Have you actually read the books?

You ARE joking, right? The Mahdi? It's Arabic- the Islamic messiah. The religion is a little different, but pretty much 90% Islam if you know what to look for. Which is why it would be completely retarded for a U.S. aircraft.

Dead on. The Fremen are Muslim through and through - they even complain about being denied the Hajj! Oh, enough has changed in 10 000 years that they've lost a fair number of defining traits, and gained others through surviving on Arrakis - not to mention being manipulated by the Missionaria Protectiva of the Bene Gesserit. But they retain the heart of the religion.

What a bunch of lousy names for a brand new fighter. Even the car companies do better than this.

How about something that is at least aggressive-sounding?

Fortunately, the pilots will soon develop their own nick-name for the plane.

What a bunch of lousy names for a brand new fighter. Even the car companies do better than this.

How about something that is at least aggressive-sounding?

Fortunately, the pilots will soon develop their own nick-name for the plane.

Most fighter plane names seem to be aggressive.

Most fighter plane names seem to be aggressive.
Not a Piasi, or whatever. It sounds like an Italian sports car. Reminds me of when the Atlanta NHL team was named. The Thrashers. Lousy name, except to some bird-watchers here in Georgia.

At least, the Pentagon could have borrowed some names from Detroit. Viper, Firebird, Mustang -- if we're going to recycle a name, do it like the Navy does. How many USS Lexington's have there been? Three, I think. There could be another Mustang, another Thunderbolt, another Dauntless, couldn't there?

Not a Piasi, or whatever. It sounds like an Italian sports car. Reminds me of when the Atlanta NHL team was named. The Thrashers. Lousy name, except to some bird-watchers here in Georgia.

At least, the Pentagon could have borrowed some names from Detroit. Viper, Firebird, Mustang -- if we're going to recycle a name, do it like the Navy does. How many USS Lexington's have there been? Three, I think. There could be another Mustang, another Thunderbolt, another Dauntless, couldn't there?

Piasa is a perfect name - mythical Indian bird and the way J35 is developing, it seems mythical considering how long it's taking.

I think it should be called, "Butt Raper of the Sky."

Piasa is a perfect name - mythical Indian bird and the way J35 is developing, it seems mythical considering how long it's taking.
Maybe in an intellectual way, but I wouldn't want to tell people that I flew a Piasa. Sounds too much like a Miata. Plus, the way pilots think is a devious one. That name looks too much like POS and we know what that stands for. And then there's the whole Indian thing. The plane captains will start calling the pilots S'haib. And who would want to look like this?
http://www.indiainvites.com/Trips_files/Indian%20soldiers%20at%20the%20Wagah%20border%20a.jpg

If you want a mythical bird, how about a Phoenix? I think those missiles are going away with the Turkey(F-14), anyway.

It would go like:
"Arsebandit 3, please report. Why are you behind me? What the hell was that?!"

And:
"We now have several squadrons of arsebandits ready to go if the middle east gets out of hands."

Hahahahah, I think we have a winner!

The F-35 Arsebandit


Its a great name, and it also means people arn't thefting Spitfire or Lightning, hands off our fighters!

Not a Piasi, or whatever. It sounds like an Italian sports car. Reminds me of when the Atlanta NHL team was named. The Thrashers. Lousy name, except to some bird-watchers here in Georgia.

At least, the Pentagon could have borrowed some names from Detroit. Viper, Firebird, Mustang -- if we're going to recycle a name, do it like the Navy does. How many USS Lexington's have there been? Three, I think. There could be another Mustang, another Thunderbolt, another Dauntless, couldn't there?

Viper - I like that...

It need a name like "warthog" "apache" "raptor" - an animally name

Raven is a better name for it.

Name it like some sort of very powerful, popular bird.

F-35 Flying Cock

Isn't the mamba a South American dance?
That's Mambo.

Black Mamba? Cyclone? I don't know, naming an airplane after a poisonous snake or cataclysmic storm just sounds so boring. Why not name it something goofy for laughs. How about "The Ringworm" or "Mr. Shrapnel" (like mr. Coffe, but it dispenses flying bits of metal instead of a beverage.)?
"Mr. Shrapnel"!!!

I've spent the last two days coughing my head off and my sides already hurt -- you made me re-injure my ribs, but it was SOOOOO worth it!

LMFAO!

That would be good.

It would go like:
"Arsebandit 3, please report. Why are you behind me? What the hell was that?!"

And:
"We now have several squadrons of arsebandits ready to go if the middle east gets out of hands."
LO-fucking-L!!!

Stop it! You guys are killing me! Ow!

The F-35...

Collateral Damager
Grey Boondoggle
Unnecessary Superlative
Penis Manifestation
Asskicker
Dominatrix (they're always calling their crafts "she", right?)
Wasp (double meaning there, considering the nation it's from)
Scalawag
Ruffian
Skinhead (the US version, since it'll only attack brown people)
Flying Skunk
Flying Lion (They had Flying Tigers, didn't they? And they flew the awfully-named P-40E Warhawk)
Flying Fucker
Flying Death Machine
Flying Flamethrower
Flying Kickback
Lobbyist (my personal favorite)
Widowmaker
Sandblaster
Turbanator
Unreasonable
Rocker-of-the-Casbah (or for that matter, Clasher, but that would be another theft from England)
Muslim-B-Gone
Islam-away
Audacity
Brazen
Bully (double meaning, the truth plus Teddy Roosevelt)
Blowhard
Acrimony
Ocelot (have we forgotten the feline? Tomcat? Hellcat?)
Ptarmigan
Hummingbird (reverse psychology)

...any of these beats the outright asinine repeat of Lightening (the P-38 being a classic in itself) and the horrifying notion of appropriating Spitfire (the plane that saved England...though some US pilots flew them...).

Not raven . Abu Ghraib Jail where the iraqi tortures went on means that and also the raven was the name for stalins black cars who came and got u and took u to siberia

Black Mamba

Kill Bill style

you can't name a plane "name mark II" unless it is a later version of the same plane. So lightning and spitfire should be removed from contention.

Call it the Lance or something like that. Actually I think a Russian bomber is called the Lancer so that might be classed as taken.

The USAF's B-1B Bomber is called the Lancer



Well you can't have Spitfire or Lightning, they're ours damnit!
Black Mamba is quite cool, but I'd go for Reaper.
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American WW2 aircraft.



And they should call it the Cyclone, but they will be lame and name it Lightning II. Hopefully they wont go fruity and name it Black Mamba or Piasa. Even though the Piasa is a cool dragon thing, we can't have a name like that on our fighters FFS
Reaper wuld be good but its not PC

you can't name a plane "name mark II" unless it is a later version of the same plane. So lightning and spitfire should be removed from contention.
Tell that to the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Tell that to the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Maybe I will

Maybe I will
Oh yeah? I *double* dog dare you!

Oh yeah? I *double* dog dare you!
geesh, I have to find a plane to talk to, give me a sec...

Yeah...um, you do know Dune was a muslim jihad, right?

I am well aware Fedayeen are Muslim holy warriors, never read Dune though.

They were hashshāshīn (hash smokers), the source of the English word 'assassin'. Sure beats 'Crusader' for the name of a weapons platform.

It need a name like "warthog" "apache" "raptor" - an animally name

Why not American? They're the same animals as Apache.