- Mark (designation)
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The word Mark, followed by number, is a method of specifically designating a standardized, integrated, assumed to be functional and unique version of a mechanical and/or electrical hardware product that has completed the design process and has been approved to be put into final production, as well as its later improved or upgraded versions. The kind of products that use this convention vary widely in mechanical complexity, and may include models of can-openers, aircraft and ICBMs. The concept shares some similarities with both the "Type (designation)" (Hardware) and the 1.0+ (1.1, 1.12, 2.0, 3.0, etc) Software versioning convention often used to designate general software product releases. It is often abbreviated as ""MK"", Mk or M. Because a mark is often made to measure height or progress, by metonymy the word mark is used to note a defined level of development thus designations like "Mark I", "Mark II", "Mark III", "Mark IV", etc. come to be used as proper names. However, since the same name is used for a wide variety of products, it can have varied connotations for different persons.
Contents
Usage
United Kingdom
In British military practice, Mark designations have been given in Roman numerals, often as sub-designations of "Number" designations. For example, the Number 1 rifle, the Number 2 rifle, etc. were major types of equipment, with "Mark" designating a minor variant or production change, i.e. "Number 1 Mark III" or "Number 4 Mark I."
The United States Navy uses the terms "MARK" and "MOD" as a method to uniquely designate specific types and configurations of equipment that would otherwise lack military designations. The practice was adopted by the Naval Ordnance group in 1944, and was formalized in MIL-STD-1661[1] in 1978. As the system came from the Ordnance group, it is primarily used to describe naval guns, gun mounts, and other similar weapon systems.
Examples
Military
- the Mark I combat tank (British Army)
- the Mark II electromechanical computer system commissioned as a military project (US Navy)
- the Mark III, Merkava main battle tank (Israel Defense Forces)
- the Mark 4 aerial atomic bomb, several US atomic gravity bombs employed a Mark-# scheme (USAF)
- the Mk V Anti-tank mine (British Army)
- the Mk 6 Assault Boat (British Army)
- the Mk 11 Sniper Weapon System (US Armed Forces)
- the Mark 12 Mod X Special Purpose Rifle (US Special Operations Forces)
- the Mk 13 missile launcher (anti-ship/anti-aircraft) (US Navy)
- the Mark 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle (US Armed Forces)
- the Mk 16 SCAR-L and Mk 17 SCAR-H assault rifle and battle rifle commissioned by the US Army
- the Mk 18 CQBR M4A1 Receiver upgrade (US Armed Forces)
- the Mk 19 grenade launcher (US Armed Forces)
- the Mark 48 torpedo as well as other torpedoes used by the British and US Navies
Vehicles
- Various Jaguar Cars — Jaguar Mark 2, Jaguar Mark IV, Jaguar Mark X, etc.
- The Lincoln Mark series - Continental Mark II, Lincoln Mark VIII, Lincoln MKX, etc.
- Various Toyota vehicles, especially the MR2 — MkI, MkII, MkIII
- Volkswagen Golf automobile — Mk1, Mk2, Mk3, Mk4, Mk5, Mk6
- British Rail Coaches — Mark 1, Mark 4, etc.
Musical and photo instruments
- Rhodes piano — Mark I, Mark II
- Telharmonium, an early electronic musical instrument, Mark I to III
- Canon EOS-1D series — 1Ds Mk II, 1D Mk III, 1Ds Mk III, etc.
See also
- Mark I
- Mark II
- Mark III
- Mark IV
- Mark V
- Mark VI
- Mark VII
- Mark VIII
- Mark IX
- Mark X
- Mark XI
- Mark XII
- Mark XIII
- Mark XIV
- Mark XV
- Mark XVI
- Mark XVII
- Mark XVIII
- Mark XIX
- Type (designation)
References
- ^ MIL-STD-1661 (1978-08-01). "Mark and Mod Nomenclature System". https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/basic_profile.cfm?ident_number=37053. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
External links
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