Type (designation)

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) began using the Type-Number System in 1921 to designate aircraft accepted for production.

[1] Aircraft ordered for production from 1929 onward were assigned the last two digits of the year marking the continuity of Japanese emperors.

In its place, the aircraft were named with popular terms such as Kyōfū (強風 "Strong Wind") for the Kawanishi N1K introduced in 1943.

[2] The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) began using the Type designation system in 1927, for all weapons, vehicles, military equipment, subassemblies and subsystems such as engines and gunmounts.

Unlike the IJN, the IJA continued to use the system through 1945 with the production of the Kawasaki Ki-100 Army Type 5 Fighter.

World War II-era military dictionaries do not give shiki as the Japanese word for "model"—instead, the kanji character kata is given.

In turn, kata (型 or 形) is translated as "form", "type", "pattern", "mark", or "model".

The Republic of China military uses a type designation system for domestically produced small arms, light weapons, and gun based artillery.