The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945 and by the Chinese of both the KMT and CCP from 1945-1956. It is universally known as Zero from its Japanese Navy designation, Type 0 Carrier Fighter (Rei shiki Kanjo sentoki,, taken from the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940), and shortened to the unofficial Rei-sen. The official Allied code name was Zeke (Hamp for the A6M3 model 32 variant), since "Zero" could create some confusion if mis-interpreted as numerical. A combination of excellent maneuverability and very long range made it one of the best fighters of its era. In early service the Zero gained a legendary reputation, outclassing its contemporaries. Later, design weaknesses and the increasing scarcity of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer fighters.