Glossary
Please note, weapons or systems marked with an asterisk* are currently still under development. If there is no asterisk, then the system has already been deployed by at least one nation.
3D PRINTER: A printer which can recreate a 3D object based on a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession
AI: Artificial Intelligence, as applied in aircraft to assist pilots, in intelligence to assist with intelligence analysis, or in ordnance such as drones and unmanned vehicles to allow semi-autonomous decision making
AIM-120D: US medium-range supersonic air-to-air missile
AMD-65: Russian-made military assault rifle
AN/APG-81: The active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system on the F-35 Panther that allows it to track and engage multiple air and ground targets simultaneously
ANGELS: Radio brevity code for ‘thousands of feet’. Angels five is five thousand feet
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier; a wheeled or tracked lightly armored vehicle able to transport troops into combat and provide limited covering fire
ARMATA T-14: Next-generation Russian main battle tank
ASRAAM: Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (infrared only)
AWACS: Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, otherwise known as AEW&C (airborne early warning and control)
AXEHEAD: Russian long-range hypersonic air-to-air missile
B-21 RAIDER*: Replacement for the retiring US B-2 Stealth Bomber and B-52. The Raider is intended to provide a lower-cost, more stealthy alternative to the B-2 with similar weapons delivery capabilities
BATS*: Boeing Airpower Teaming System, semi-autonomous unmanned combat aircraft. The BATS drone is designed to accompany 4th- and 5th-generation fighter aircraft on missions either in an air escort, recon or electronic warfare capacity
BELLADONNA: A Russian-made mobile electronic warfare vehicle capable of jamming enemy airborne warning aircraft, ground radars, radio communications and radar-guided missiles
BIG RED ONE: US 1st Infantry Division (see also BRO), aka the Bloody First
BINGO: Radio brevity code indicating that an aircraft has only enough fuel left for a return to base
BLOODY FIRST: US 1st Infantry Division, aka the Big Red One (BRO)
BOGEY: Unidentified aircraft detected by radar
BRADLEY UGCV*: US unmanned ground combat vehicle based on a modified M3 Bradley Combat Fighting Vehicle. A tracked vehicle with medium armor, it is intended to be controlled remotely by a crew in a vehicle, or ground troops, up to two miles away. Armed with 5kw blinding laser and autoloading TOW anti-tank missiles. See also HYPERION
BRO: Big Red One or Bloody First, nickname for US Army 1st Infantry Division
BTR-80: A Russian-made amphibious armored personnel carrier armed with a 30mm automatic cannon
BUG OUT: Withdraw from combat
BUK: Russian made self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system designed to engage medium-range targets such as aircraft, smart bombs and cruise missiles
CAP: Combat Air Patrol; an offensive or defensive air patrol over an objective
CAS: Combat Air Support; air action by rotary-winged or fixed-wing aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces
CASA CN-235: Turkish Air Force medium-range twin-engined transport aircraft
CBRN: Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear
CENTURION: US 20mm radar-guided close-in weapons system for protection of ground or naval assets against attack by artillery, rocket or missiles
CO: Commanding Officer
COALITION: Coalition of Nations involved in ‘Operation Anatolia Screen’: Turkey, US, UK, Australia, Germany
COLT: Combat Observation Laser Team; a forward artillery observer team armed with a laser for designating targets for attack by precision-guided munitions
COP: Combat Outpost (US)
C-RAM: Counter rocket, artillery and mortar cannon, also abbreviated counter-RAM
CROWS: Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, a weapon such as .50-caliber machine gun, mounted on a turret and controlled remotely by a soldier inside a vehicle, bunker or command post
CUDA*: Missile nickname (from Barracuda) for the supersonic US short- to medium-range ‘Small Advanced Capabilities Missile’. It has tri-mode (optical, active radar and infrared heat-seeking) sensors, thrust vectoring for extreme maneuverability and a hit-to-kill terminal attack
DARPA: US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a research and development agency responsible for bringing new military technologies to the US armed forces
DAS: Distributed Aperture System; a 360-degree sensor system on the F-35 Panther allowing the pilot to track targets visually at greater than ‘eyeball’ range
DFDA: Australian armed forces Defense Forces Discipline Act
DFM: Australian armed forces Defense Force Magistrate
DIA: The US Defense Intelligence Agency
DRONE: Unmanned aerial vehicle, UCAV or UAV, used for combat, transport, refuelling or reconnaissance
ECS: Engagement Control Station; the local control center for a HELLADS laser battery which tracks targets and directs anti-air defensive fire
EMP: Electro-magnetic pulse. Nuclear weapons produce an EMP wave which can destroy unshielded electronic components. The major military powers have also been experimenting with non-nuclear weapons which can also produce an EMP pulse.
ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival
F-16 FALCON: US-made 4th-generation multirole fighter aircraft flown by Turkey
F-35: US 5th-generation fighter aircraft, known either as the Panther (pilot nickname) or Lightning II (manufacturer name). The Panther nickname was first coined by the 6th Weapons Squadron Panther Tamers
FAC: Forward Air Controller; an aviator embedded with a ground unit to direct close air support attacks. See also TAC(P)
FAST MOVERS: Fighter aircraft
FELON: Russian 5th-generation stealth fighter aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-57
FISTER: A member of a FiST (Fire Support Team)
FLANKER: Russian Sukhoi-30 or 35 attack aircraft
FOX (1, 2 or 3): Radio brevity code indicating a pilot has fired an air-to-air missile, either semi-active radar seeking (1), infrared (2) or active radar seeking (3)
G/ATOR: Ground/Air Oriented Task Radar (GATOR); a radar specialized for the detection of incoming artillery fire, rockets or missiles. Also able to calculate the origin of attack for counterfire purposes
GBU: Guided Bomb Unit
GPS: Global Positioning System, a network of civilian or military satellites used to provide accurate map reference and location data
GRAY WOLF*: US subsonic standoff air-launched cruise missile with swarming (horde) capabilities. The Gray Wolf is designed to launch from multiple aircraft, including the C-130, and defeat enemy air defenses by overwhelming them with large numbers. It will feature modular swap-out warheads
GREYHOUND: Radio brevity code for the launch of an air-ground missile
GRU: Russian military intelligence service
HARM: Homing Anti-Radar Missile; a missile which homes on the signals produced by anti-air missile radars like that used by the BUK or PANTSIR
HE: High Explosive munitions; general purpose explosive warheads
HEAT: High-Explosive Anti-Tank munitions; shells specially designed to penetrate armor
HELLADS*: High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System: an alternative to missile or projectile-based air defense systems which attacks enemy missiles, rockets or bombs with high energy laser and/or microwave pulses. Currently being tested by US, Chinese, Russian and EU ground, air and naval forces
HOLMES*: A natural language learning system (AI) used by the NSA to conduct sophisticated analytical research support. The NSA has publicly reported it is already using AI for cyber-defense and exploring machine learning potential
HORDE*: Drones, missiles or smart bombs with onboard AI and the ability to coordinate their actions with other drones while in flight, either autonomously or using preselected protocols. ‘Horde’ tactics differ from ‘swarm’ tactics in that they rely on large numbers to overwhelm enemy defenses. See also SWARM
HPM*: High Power Microwave; an untargeted local area defensive weapon which attacks sensitive electronics in missiles and guided bombs to damage electronics such as guidance systems
HYPERION*: Proposed lightly armored unmanned ground vehicle. Can be fitted with turret-mounted 50kw laser for anti-air, anti-personnel defense and autoloading TOW missile launcher. See also BRADLEY UGCV
HYPERSONIC: Speeds greater than 5x the speed of sound
ICC: Information Coordination Center; command center for multiple air defense batteries such as PATRIOT or HELLADS
IED: Improvised explosive device, for example, a roadside bomb
IFF: Identify Friend or Foe transponder, a radio transponder that allows weapons systems to determine whether a target is an ally or enemy
IFV: Infantry fighting vehicle, a highly mobile, lightly armored, wheeled or tracked vehicle capable of carrying troops into a combat and providing fire support
IMA BK: The combat AI built into Russia’s Su-57 Felon and Okhotnik fighter aircraft
IR: Infrared or heat-seeking system
ISIS: Self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
JASSM: AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile; long-range subsonic stealth cruise missile
JDAM: Joint Direct Attack Munition; bombs guided by laser or GPS to their targets
JLTV*: US Joint Light Tactical Vehicle; planned replacement for the US ground forces Humvee multipurpose vehicle, to be available in recon/scout, infantry transport, heavy guns, close combat, command and control, or ambulance versions
K-77M*: Supersonic Russian-made medium-range active radar homing air-to-air missile with extreme maneuverability. It is being developed from the existing R-77 missile
KC-135 STRATOTANKER: US airborne refueling aircraft
KRYPTON: Supersonic Russian air-launched anti-radar missile, it is also being adapted for use against ships and large aircraft
LAUNCH AND LOITER: The capability of a missile or drone to fly itself to a target area and wait at altitude for final targeting instructions
LEOPARD: Main battle tank fielded by NATO forces including Turkey
LS3*: Legged Squad Support System – a mechanized dog-like robot powered by hydrogen fuel cells and supported by a cloud-based AI. Currently being explored by DARPA and the US armed forces for logistical support or squad scouting and IED detection roles
LTMV: Light Tactical Multirole Vehicle; a very long name for what is essentially a jeep.
M1A3 Abrams*: US Main Battle Tank. In 2016, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps began testing out the Israeli Trophy active protection system to provide additional defense against incoming projectiles. Improvements planned for the M1A3 are to include a lighter 120 mm gun, added road wheels with improved suspension, a more durable track, lighter-weight armor, long-range precision armaments, and infrared camera and laser detectors.
M-27: US-made military assault rifle
MBT: Main battle tank; a heavily armored combat vehicle capable of direct fire and maneuver
MEFP: Multiple Explosive Formed Penetrators; a defensive weapon which uses small explosive charges to create and fire small metal slugs at an incoming projectile, thereby destroying it
MEMS: Micro-Electro-Mechanical System
METEOR: Long-range air-to-air missile, with active radar seeker, but also able to be updated with target data in-flight by any suitably equipped allied unit
MIA: Missing In Action
MIKE: Radio brevity code for minutes
MIL-25: Export version of the Mi-25 ‘Hind’ Russian helicopter gunship
MOPP: Mission Oriented Protective Posture protective gear; equipment worn to protect troops against CBRN weapons
MP: Military Police
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NORAD: The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America. Aerospace warning includes the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands.
NSA: US National Security Agency, cyber intelligence, cyberwarfare and defense agency
OFSET*: Offensive Swarm Enabled Tactical drones. Proposed US anti-personnel, anti-armor drone system capable of swarming AI (see SWARM) and able to deploy small munitions against enemy troop or vehicles while moving
OKHOTNIK: 5th-generation Sukhoi S-70 unmanned stealth combat aircraft using avionics systems from the Su-57 Felon and fitted with two internal weapons bays, for 7,000 kg of ordnance. Requires a pilot and systems officer, similar to current US unmanned combat aircraft. Can be paired with Su-57 aircraft and controlled by a pilot
OMON: Otryad Mobil’nyy Osobogo Naznacheniya; the Russian National Guard mobile police force
OVOD: Subsonic Russian-made air-launched cruise missile capable of carrying high-explosive, submunition or fragmentation warheads
PANTHER: Pilot name for the F-25 Lightning II stealth fighter, first coined by the 6th Weapons Squadron ‘Panther Tamers’
PANTSIR: Russian-made truck-mounted anti-aircraft system which is a further development of the PENSNE: ‘Pince-nez’ in English. A Russian made autonomous ground to air missile currently being rolled out for the BUK anti-air defense system.
TUNGUSKA, featuring both missile and 30mm cannon defenses guided by phased-array radar
URAGAN: Russian 220mm 16-tube rocket launcher, first fielded in the 1970s
PARS: Turkish light armored vehicle
PATRIOT: An anti-aircraft, anti-missile missile defense system which uses its own radar to identify and engage airborne threats
PEACE EAGLE: Turkish Boeing 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft (see AWACS)
PERDIX*: Lightweight air-launched armed microdrone with swarming capability (see SWARM). Designed to be launched from underwing canisters or even from the flare/chaff launchers of existing aircraft. Can be used for recon, target identification or delivery of lightweight ordnance
PHASED-ARRAY RADAR: A radar which can steer a beam of radio waves quickly across the sky to detect planes and missiles
PODNOS: Russian-made portable 82mm mortar
QHS*: Quantum Harmonic Sensor; a sensor system for detecting stealth aircraft at long ranges by analyzing the electro-magnetic disturbances they create in background radiation
RAAF: Royal Australian Air Force
RAF: Royal Air Force (UK)
ROE: Rules of Engagement; the rules laid down by military commanders under which a unit can or cannot engage in combat. For example, ‘units may only engage a hostile force if fired upon first’
RPG: Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RTB: Return to Base
SAM: Surface-to-Air Missile; an anti-air missile (often shortened to SA) for engaging aircraft
SAR: Synthetic Aperture Radar, a specialized radar used to map ground targets at distance
SEAD: Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses; an air attack intended to take down enemy anti-air defense systems; see also WILD WEASEL
SIDEWINDER: Heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missile
SITREP: Situation Report
SLR: Single Lens Reflex camera, favored by photojournalists
SMERCH: Russian-made 300mm rocket launcher capable of firing high-explosive, submunition or chemical weapons warheads
SPEAR/SPEAR-EW*: UK/Europe Select Precision at Range air-to-ground standoff attack missile, with LAUNCH AND LOITER capabilities. Will utilize a modular ‘swappable’ warhead system featuring high-explosive, anti-armor, fragmentation or electronic warfare (EW) warheads
SPETSNAZ: Russian Special Operations Forces
SPACECOM: United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations above 100 kilometers above mean sea level.
SPLASH: Radio brevity code indicating a target has been destroyed
STANDOFF: Launched at long range
STINGER: US-made man-portable, low-level anti-air missile
STINGRAY*: The MQ-25 Stingray is a proposed unmanned US airborne refueling aircraft
STORMBREAKER*: US air-launched, precision-guided glide bomb that can use millimeter radar, laser or infrared imaging to match and then prioritize targets when operating in semi-autonomous AI mode
SUBSONIC: Below the speed of sound (under 767 mph, 1,234 kph)
SUNBURN: Russian-made 220mm multiple rocket launcher capable of firing high-explosive, THERMOBARIC or penetrating warheads
SUPERSONIC: Faster than the speed of sound (over 767 mph, 1,234 kph); see also HYPERSONIC
SWARM: Drones, missiles or smart bombs with onboard AI and the ability to coordinate their actions with other drones while in flight, either autonomously or using preselected protocols. ‘Swarm’ tactics differ from ‘horde’ tactics in that swarms place more emphasis on coordinated action to defeat enemy defenses. See also HORDE
SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (SAR): a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide finer spatial resolution than conventional beam-scanning radars
SYSOP: The systems operator inside the control station for a HELLADS battery, responsible for electronic and communications systems operation
T-14 ARMATA: Russian next-generation main battle tank
T-90: Russian-made main battle tank
TAC(P): Tactical Air Controller, a specialist trained to direct close air support attacks. See also FAC
TCA: Tactical Control Assistant, non-commissioned officer (NCO) in charge of identifying targets and directing fire for a single HELLADS or PATRIOT battery
TCO: Tactical Control Officer, officer in charge of a single HELLADS or PATRIOT missile battery
TD: Tactical Director; the officer directing multiple PATRIOT or HELLADS batteries
TEMPEST*: British/European 6th-generation stealth aircraft under development as a replacement for the RAF Tornado multirole fighter. It is planned to incorporate advanced combat AI to reduce pilot data overload, laser anti-missile defenses, and will team with swarming drones such as BATS. It may be developed in both manned and unmanned versions
TERMINATOR: A Russian-made infantry fighting vehicle (see IFV) based on the chassis of the T-90 main battle tank, with 2x 30mm autocannons and 2x grenade or anti-tank missile launchers. Developed initially to support main battle tank operations, it has become popular for use in urban combat environments
THERMOBARIC: Weapons, otherwise known as thermal or vacuum weapons, that use oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion and long-duration blast wave
THUNDER: Radio brevity code indicating one minute to weapons impact
TOW: US wire-guide anti-tank missile, fired either from a tripod launcher by ground troops or mounted on armored cavalry vehicles
TROPHY: Israeli-made anti-projectile defense system using explosively formed penetrators to defeat attacks on vehicles, high-value assets and aircraft. It is currently fitted to several Israeli and US armored vehicle types
TUNGUSKA: A mobile Russian-made anti-aircraft vehicle incorporating both cannon and ground-to-air missiles
UAV: Unmanned aerial vehicle or drone, usually used for transport, refuelling or reconnaissance
UCAV: Unmanned combat aerial vehicle; a fighter or attack aircraft
UI: Un-Identified, as in ‘UI contact’. See also BOGEY
UNIT 8200: Israeli Defense Force cyber intelligence, cyberwarfare and defense unit, aka the Israeli Signals Intelligence National Unit
U/S: Un-serviceable, out of commission, broken
USO: United Services Organizations; US military entertainment and personnel welfare services
VERBA: A Russian-made man-portable low-level anti-air missile with data networking capabilities, meaning it can use data from friendly ground or air radar systems to fly itself to a target
VYMPEL: Russian air-to-air missile manufacturer/type
WILD WEASEL: An air attack intended to take down enemy anti-air defense systems; see also SEAD
WINCHESTER: Radio brevity code for ‘out of ordnance’
YPG: Kurdish People’s Protection Unit militia (male)
YPJ: Kurdish Women’s Protection Unit militia (female)