Inner Sphere Designation for Clan BattleMechs

When the Inner Sphere first encountered Clan OmniMechs (and later second-line BattleMechs) they were not privy to the designations each machine was known by among the Clans. They assigned reporting names, often based on the appearance or perceived capabilities, in order to define the units encountered. The practice of assigning reporting names was occasionally continued beyond the initial Clan Invasion. Even a century later, after the Inner Sphere had long since learned the proper name for these units, the initial designations remain in common use. Certain Inner Sphere designations were even adopted by the Clans; for example, Clan Diamond Shark would use the Mad Cat designation for their Inner Sphere-marketed Mad Cat Mk II and Mad Cat III 'Mechs, while Clan Ghost Bear would develop the Ryoken II. In some cases, as with the Cauldron-Born, Grendel or Roadrunner, the Clan designation would be abandoned entirely in favor of the Inner Sphere code name.

Designation	Reporting name
Emerald Harrier	Roadrunner
Howler	Baboon
Ion Sparrow	Butcherbird
Fire Moth	Dasher
Mist Lynx	Koshi
Arctic Cheetah	Hankyu
Kit Fox	Uller
Incubus	Vixen
Horned Owl	Peregrine
Adder	Puma
Viper	Dragonfly
Ice Ferret	Fenris
Mongrel	Grendel
Nova	Black Hawk
Conjurer	Hellhound
Huntsman	Nobori-nin
Vapor Eagle	Goshawk
Stormcrow	Ryoken
Skinwalker	Ryoken III
Glass Spider	Galahad
Mad Dog	Vulture Hagetaka
Ebon Jaguar	Cauldron-Born
Hellbringer	Loki
Hel	Loki Mk II
Summoner	Thor
Grand Summoner	Thor II
Timber Wolf	Mad Cat
Savage Wolf	Mad Cat Mk IV
Black Python	Viper
Gargoyle	Man O' War
Warhawk	Masakari
Executioner	Gladiator
Stone Rhino	Behemoth
Dire Wolf	Daishi
Bane	Kraken

Notes

• The original idea to give Inner Sphere reporting names to the new, unknown 'Mechs (whose Clan designation would obviously not be known to the Inner Sphere) was formulated by Sam Lewis. His Army background taught him the NATO reporting names for Warsaw Pact equipment.