Military Aircraft Terminology
A. Alpha
AAF= Army Airfield
AAR= Air to Air Rocket
AB= After Burner (Also called Re Heat by the British)
AB= Air Base
ABDR= Aircraft Battle Damage Repair
ABFC= AB Fuel Control
AC= Aircraft Commander (Pilot)
ACC= Assistant Crew Chief
ACES= Advanced Crew Escape System
Acft= Aircraft
ACLS= Automatic Carrier Landing System
ACMI= Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation
ACRP= Armament Control Relay Panel. (Pronounced A Crap)
ACT= Air Combat Tactics
ADF= Automatic Direction Finder
AFB= Air Force Base
AFCS= Automatic Flight Control System (Autopilot)
Aft= After (Rear)
AGE= Aerospace Ground Equipment
AGL= Above Ground Level (Called Angel by ATC)
AGM= Air to Ground Missile
AGPU= Aviation Ground Power Unit
AHC= Antenna Hand Control
AIM= Air Intercept Missile
Air War Collage= Program for senior officers teaching advanced war planning
Alpha Probe= A vane used to measure pitch (AOA)
ALS= Automatic Landing System (Runway)
ALSE= Aviation Life Support Equipment
Alt= Altitude
AMRAAM= Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile
AOA= Angle Of Attack
APU= Auxiliary Power Unit
ARI= Aileron Rudder Interconnect
ARM= Anti Radiation Missile
ASB= Aviation Support Battalion
ASI= Air Speed Indicator
ASL= Above Sea Level
ASM= Anti Ship Missile
ATC= Air Traffic Control
ATK= Attack (As in attack unit)
Aug= Augmentation Used in conjunction with Pitch Aug (Stab), Yaw Aug (Rudder), and Roll Aug (Aileron). Part of the AFCS Altitude/Heading Hold system.
Auto Acq= Automatic Acquisition. Used with the Radar Boresight Mode. After three sweeps of the Radar, the Radar will automatically lock on to an airborne target.
AVTR= Airborne Video Tape Recorder
AWACS= Airborne Warning and Control System
AWG= Airborne Weapons Group
AWRU= Aircraft Weapons Release Unit. (Pronounced A Rue)
B. Bravo
Bait and Trap= A flight of aircraft flying low and slow using call signs of bombing aircraft to draw enemy fighters into attacking. The most successful was Operation Bolo performed by Col Olds of the 8th TFW.
Ballistic= Missile looses track or lock on and goes un guided
Ball Ammo= Ammo containing a soft outer casing with a hard core
Bandit= Identified Enemy Aircraft
Bar CAP= Barrier CAP
BCP= Both Cockpits
BDA= Battle Damage Assessment
BDHI= Bearing Distance Heading Indicator
BDU= Bomb, Dummy Unit
Bear= Rear seater in a Wild Weasel Acft
Beta Probe= A vane used to measure yaw
BFM= Basic Flight Maneuvers
BIT= Built In Test
Black Box= Flight Data Recorder & Cockpit Voice Recorder
Bingo= Point of safe return (Fuel)
BLC= Boundary Layer Control
BLU= Bomb, Live Unit
BN= Bombardier Navigator
Bogie= Unidentified Aircraft
Boresight Mode= A Radar mode where a very narrow cone from the Radar is transmitted. The target must be maintained within that narrow cone in order to maintain lock on.
BRU= Bomb Rack Unit. Bomb suspension unit allowing up to six bombs or other ordinance to be loaded. It is similar to a MER except it can carry more weight and is supersonic capable. Carried by the F-111 and F-15E
BUFF= Big Ugly Fat Fellow (B-52)
BVR= Beyond Visual Range
C. Charlie
CADC= Central Air Data Computer
CAG= Commander Air Group
CAG Bird= Personal Aircraft of the CAG
CAP= Combat Air Patrol
Cap= Captive. A non launchable weapon used for training
CAS= Close Air Support
CAS= Calculated Air Speed
CATM= Captive Air Training Missile
CB= Circuit Breaker
CBP= Circuit Breaker Panel
CBU= Cluster Bomb Unit
CC= Crew Chief
CCIP= Computer Controlled Impact Point
CFT= Conformal Fuel Tank
C/L= Center Line
Clean off Garbage= Jettison external stores
CLP= Center Line Pylon
CND= Could Not Duplicate
CO= Commanding Officer
COC= Chain Of Command
COD= Carrier Onboard Delivery
Code 1= Aircraft returns from flight with no discrepancies
Code 2= Aircraft returns from flight with minor discrepancies not effecting safety of flight
Code 3= Aircraft returns from flight with major discrepancies effecting safety of flight
Comp= Computer
CONUS= CONtinental United States
CP= Cockpit
CRP= Counter Rotating Propeller
CSAR= Combat Search And Rescue
CSD = Constant Speed Drive
CSD/Gen= CSD & Generator
CW= Continuous Wave (Radar)
D. Delta
DACT= Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics
Daisy Cutter= Any bomb with a 36" fuse extension so it will explode above ground
DCC= Dedicated Crew Chief
DCM= Deputy Commander for Maintenance
Departure= A condition where an aircraft enters un controllable flight
Depot= Acft goes through a complete tear down, inspection, and rebuild
DEROS= Date Estimated Return Over Seas
Det= Detachment
DME= Distance Measuring Equipment
DO= Deputy Commander for Operations
Drone= A RPV target
Dumb Bomb= Any free fall conventional bomb
Dump the Load= Drop Ordinance
E. Echo
EBAD= Engine Bleed Air Duct
ECM= Electronic Counter Measures
ECCM= Electronic Counter Counter Measures
EDGB= Engine Driven Gear Box
Egress= To leave an area or to eject from an aircraft
EGT= Exhaust Gas Temperature
ELINT= Electronic Intelligence
Eng= Engine
Envelope= Parameters of flight in which an aircraft can operate safely or effectively
EPR= Engine Pressure Ratio
ETA= Estimated Time of Arrival
ETD= Estimated Time of Departure
ETIC= Estimated Time In Commission
Eval= Evaluation
Ext= External
F. Fox Trot
FAC= Forward Air Controller
FBW= Fly By Wire
FCC= Flight Control Computer
FCF= Functional Check Flight (A test flight to check aircraft systems)
FCP= Front Cockpit
FDBC= Flight Directional Bombing Computer
FE= Flight Examiner
Feet Dry= Flying over land
Feet Wet= Flying over water
FF= Fuel Flow
FFAR= Folding Fin Aerial Rocket
FF Ind= Fuel Flow Indicator
FL= Flight Level
FLIR= Forward Looking Infra Red
FLR= Forward Looking Radar
Flt= Flight
FO= Foreign Object
FOD= Foreign Object Damage
FOL= Forward Operating Location
Fox= Fire Missile (Never say fire unless some one is burning)
FPM= Feet Per Minute
FUBAR= Fowled Up Beyond All Repair (or Recognition)
Fwd= Forward (Front)
G. Golf
GAR= Guided Aircraft Rocket
GB= Gear Box
GBU= Guided Bomb Unit
GCA= Ground Control Approach
GCU= Guidance Control Unit
GD= Gear Door
GIB= Guy In Back
GPH= Gallons Per Hour
GPM= Gallons Per Minute
GPS= Global Positioning System
GPU= Ground Power Unit
Green Flag= US Air Force sponsored electronic warfare training program
GS= Ground Speed
GSE= Ground Support Equipment
GTU= Gas Turbine Unit
H. Hotel
Hard Target= Armored vehicles, hardened buildings, or bunkers
Hard Wing= Aircraft equipped with or without leading edge wing flaps
HARM= High speed Anti Radiation Missile
HAS= Hardened Aircraft Shelter
HDGP= High Drag General Purpose (bomb)
Herd Sheep= Fighter aircraft push or herd enemy aircraft into a position where other fighters are in position to attack.
HF= High Frequency
HiPAC= High Pressure Air Compressor
HOTAS= Hands On Throttle And Stick
Horz= Horizontal
HSI= Horizontal Situation Indicator
HUD= Heads Up Display
HVAR= High Velocity Aerial Rocket
I. India
IAS= Indicated Air Speed
IAW= In Accordance With
IFE= In Flight Emergency
IFF= Identification, Friend or Foe
IFR= In Flight Refueling
IFR= Instrument Flight Rules
IGV= Inlet Guide Vanes (Eng)
ILS= Instrument Landing System
Inbd= Inboard
Ingress= To enter an area
Inert= Non explosive
Inop= Inoperative
INS= Inertial Navigation System
Inst= Instrument
Int= Internal
IP= Instructor Pilot
IR= Infra Red
IRAN= Inspect, Repair As Necessary (See Depot)
IRGB= Infra Red Guided Bomb
Iron= Conventional high explosive bomb
IRST= Infrared Search/Track
ISA= Integrated Servo Actuator
J. Juliet
Jammer= Aircraft used to jam enemy radar sites
Jammer Pod= ECM Pod
JATO= Jet Assist Take Off
JDAM= Joint Direct Attack Munition
Jett= Jettison
JFS= Jet Fuel Starter
JP= Jet Petroleum (fuel) (Followed by a number which specifies the grade of fuel such as JP-4 or JP-7)
JSAW= Joint Stand Off Weapon
JTIDS= Joint Tactical Information Distribution System
K. Kilo
K-Ball= Cannibalize (Taking parts from one aircraft or equipment to fix another)
KIAS= Knots, Indicated Air Speed
KIR= Keyed Interrogation Receiver (Part of the IFF system)
KIT= Keyed Interrogation Transmitter (See Above)
KTAS= Knots, True Air Speed
KTS= Knots
L. Lima
LABS= Low Altitude Bombing System
LAL= Left Aft Launcher
LANTIRN= Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra Red for Night
LAPES= Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System
LAU= Launcher
Laugh In= Wing Commanders Staff Meeting
LCP= Left Center Pylon
LDG= Landing Gear
LDGP= Low Drag General Purpose (bomb)
LEF= Leading Edge Flaps
LES= Leading Edge Slats
LEX= Leading Edge Extensions
LF= Low Frequency
LFL= Left Fwd Launcher
LGB= Laser Guided Bomb
LIP= Left Inbd Pylon
LMG= Left Main Gear
LMGD= Left Main Gear Door
Lock On= Radar has acquired a target and is feeding information to a missile
LOP= Left Obd Pylon
LoPAC= Low Pressure Air Compressor
LORAN= Long Range Aerial Navigation
LOX= Liquid Oxygen
LRU= Line Replacement Unit
Lt= Left
M. Mike
M= Model
Maple Flag= Canadian sponsored aircrew air combat training program
MASI= Mach Air Speed Indicator
Max= Maximum
MCAS= Marine Corp Air Station
MDS= Mission Design Series (B-52H, Bomber, 52nd designed, number eight in the series)
MER= Multiple Ejector Rack. Bomb suspension adapter allowing up to six bombs or other ordinance to be loaded.
MFC= Main Fuel Control
MFD= Multi Function Display
MIG CAP= Aircraft performing CAP for strike aircraft
Mil= Military. Usually followed by a number which specifies type such as Mil-L-7808 (Engine Oil) Mil-H-5606 (Hydraulic Fluid)
Mike Mike= Millimeter (As in 20 Mike Mike)
Min= Minimum
MK= Mark
MLG= Main Landing Gear
MLGD= Main Landing Gear Door
MO= Maintenance Officer
MPT= Motion Pickup Transducer
MR= Main Rotor
MRP= Miscellaneous Relay Panel (also called Missy Panel)
MSL= Mean Sea Level
Mud Mover= Term used to describe ground support pilots
MWA= Missile Well Adapter
N. November
N1= Number one compressor section, low pressure (Engine)
N2= Number two compressor section, high pressure (Engine)
NAS= Naval Air Station
NBC= Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
NCOIC= Non Commissioned Officer In Charge
NDAS= Nose Dome Accessory Housing ( A covering that goes on front of engine covering the nose accessory drive section.)
NDB= Non Directional Beacon
NFT= No Fine Tune (Missile fails to finalize data from the aircraft Radar)
NLG= Nose Landing Gear
NLGD= Nose Landing Gear Door
NORDO= No Radio (Inop)
NPA= Non Powered Age (Ladders, work stands, oil and hydraulic service carts, jacks, etc)
NVG= Night Vision Goggles
O. Oscar
O2= Oxygen
O & B= Out and Back
Obd= Outboard
Office= Cockpit
OGB= Optical Guided Bomb
OIC= Officer In Charge
OPAH= Oil Pump Accessory Housing
OT&E= Operational Test and Evaluation
Over the wing= Method of refueling using hand held nozzel to fill each fuel tank or cell
P. Papa
PACAF= PACific Air Force
Paint= Radar is tracking several targets
PAM= Pylon Attachment Mechanism
PAR= Precision Approach Radar
PC= Primary Control
PCA= Permanent Change of Assignment
PCS= Permanent Change of Station
PCU= Power Control Unit
PDM= Programmed Depot Maintenance (Only items contracted will be accomplished at depot)
PFD= Personal Flotation Device
PGM= Precision Guided Munitions
Pickle= To fire or drop one weapon when the release button is depressed
PMS= Preventive Maintenance Service
Pnl= Panel
POL= Petroleum, Oil, Lubricant
Powered AGE= Generators, air conditioners, compressors, hydraulic test stands, etc.
PPH= Pounds Per Hour
PPM= Pounds Per Minute
PPI= Planned Point of Impact
Primary AB Eyelids= Interior adjustable exhaust nozzles, located inside the AB section
PSI= Pounds per Square Inch
PSOB= Pilots System Operators Bucket (Lower part of the ejection seat)
PTSP= Pressure/Temperature Sensor Probe (T shaped probe found inside of aircraft intakes)
Q. Quebec
QA= Quality Assurance (After 1978)
QC= Quality Control (Prior to 1978)
QD= Quick Disconnect
QRC= Quick Replacement Component
QRF= Quick Reaction Force
QRK= Quick Replacement Kit
QRM= Quick Replacement Module
R. Romeo
R2= Remove and Replace
R3= Remove, Repair, Reinstall
RADAR= Radio Aerial Detection And Ranging
RAF= Royal Air Force
RAL= Right Aft Launcher
RAM= Radar Absorbent Material
RAM Team= Rapid Area Maintenance Team
RAT= Ram Air Turbine
RATO= Rocket Assist Take Off
RCP= Rear Cockpit
RCP= Right Center Pylon
RCS= Radar Cross Section
RDF= Radio Direction Finder
Red Ball= Request for priority maintenance assistance
Red Flag= US Air Force sponsored aircrew air combat training program
RESCAP= Aircraft performing CAP for Rescue operations.
RF= Radio Frequency
RFL= Right Fwd Launcher
RHAW= Radar Homing And Warning
RIO= Radar Intercept Officer (USN) Also see WSO
RIP= Right Inbd Pylon
Rip & Strip= Parts are taken from one or more aircraft to fill fly away kits prior to a deployment
Ripple= Weapons release steps from station to station or pylon to pylon to maintain balance
RMG= Right Main Gear
RMGD= Right Main Gear Door
RNG= Range
ROE= Rules Of Engagement
RON= Remain Over Night
ROP= Right Obd Pylon
ROPE= Radome Open, Package Extended
RPV= Remote Piloted Vehicle
Rt= Right
R/T= Receiver, Transmitter
RWR= Radar Warning Receiver
S. Sierra
SAI= Standby Attitude Indicator
Salvo= Weapons will release or fire as long as release button is held down
SAM= Surface to Air Missile
SAR= Search And Rescue
Scan= Radar is looking or searching a specific area or location
SEADS= Suppress Enemy Air Defense System
Secondary AB Eyelids= Exterior adjustable engine exhaust nozzles
Sel= Select
Short Between Headset= Aircrew doesn’t know what he is talking about. Results in a lot of CND’s
SLAM= Stand-off Land Attack Missile
Slicks= Term used to describe the MK-80 series of low drag bombs
SLR= Side Looking Radar
SLUFF= Short Little Ugly Fat Fellow (A-7)
Smart Bomb= Any guided conventional bomb
SNAFU= Situation Normal, All Fowled Up
SOBAC= Signed Off By Air Crew
SOF= Supervisor Of Flying
Soft Target= Non armored vehicles
Soft Wing= Aircraft equipped with leading edge wing slats
Sortie= One flight or mission flown by an aircraft
SOV= Shut Off Valve
Special Weapon= A nuclear bomb
Speed of Heat= Traveling at max allowable speed
SPR= Single Point Refueling. An adapter is hooked to the aircraft allowing high pressure refueling. Normal flow is around 600 GPM
Squawk= Send or Transmit
Stab= Stabilizer
Stand Off= Safe area when attacking a target
Store(s) = Any external ordinance
STOL= Short Take Off and Landing
SWA= Special Weapons Adapter
SWP= Special Weapons Panel
T. Tango
T1= Number one turbine section (Engine)
T2= Number two turbine section (Engine)
TACAN= Tactical Air Navigation
TAD= Temporary Assigned Duty (USN & Marines)
TAIM= Training Air Intercept Missile (Fully functional missile with an inert warhead)
TARPS= Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod
TAS= True Air Speed
TBA= To Be Announced
TBO= Time Between Overhaul
TDA= Temporary Duty Assignment (USN & Marines)
TDY= Temporary Duty (USAF)
TEF= Trailing Edge Flaps
TER= Triple Ejector Rack. Bomb suspension adapter allowing up to three bombs or other ordinance to be loaded
TFR= Terrain Following Radar
TIC= Target Intercept Computer
TIG= Time In Grade
TIS= Time In Service
TISEO= Target Identification System, Electro Optical
TIT= Turbine Inlet Temperature
TK= Tank (Fuel)
TLP= Tactical Leadership Program (German sponsored program teaching tactical leadership)
Top Gun= US Navy sponsored aircrew air combat training program
TP= Target Practice (Ammo)
TPT= Tail Pipe Temperature
TR= Tail rotor
Track= Radar is following one target (See Paint)
T/R Pac= Transformer/Rectifier Package
TTSP= Total Temperature Sensor Probe
Tune= Missile receiving data from the Radar prior to launch (See NFT)
Turkey Feathers= Aerodynamic covering that goes over the Secondary AB Eyelids
TWS= Track While Scan (Radar)
U. Uniform
UAV= Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UHF= Ultra High Frequency
Unload= Maneuver where aircraft enters a negative G condition and at the same time engines put into Max AB. The result is rapid acceleration of the aircraft.
USAF= United States Air Force
USAFE= United States Air Force in Europe
V. Victor
Vert= Vertical
VFR= Visual Flight Rules
VHF= Very High Frequency
Victor Alert= Aircraft on alert status loaded with Nukes
VOR= VHF Omni-directional Radio
VTOL= Vertical Take Off and Landing
VVI= Vertical Velocity Indicator
W. Whiskey
WCP= Weapons Control Panel
Whiskey Alert= Aircraft on alert status loaded for Air to Ground mission
Willy Pete= White Phosphorus
Wing King= Wing Commander
WOD= Wind Over Deck
Wpn= Weapon
WRM= War Ready Material (Also War Reserve Material)
WSEM= Weapons System Evaluation Missile (Non launchable missile that contains a recorder to verify aircraft launch system). (Pronounced Wizzum)
WSEP= Weapons System Evaluation Program (Pronounced Wessup)
WSO= Weapons System Operator (Pronounced wizzo) (USAF)
WSP= Weapons Select Panel
WW= Wild Weasel. (Any aircraft used to kill radar sites)
X. X Ray
X-Mitter= Transmitter
X-Mit= Transmit
X-Ponder= Transponder
X-Ray Alert= Aircraft on Recon Alert Status
Y. Yankee
Yankee Alert= Aircraft on alert status loaded for RESCAP
Z. Zulu
Zulu= GM time
Zulu Alert= Aircraft on Air Defense Alert
Up dated 4 April 2011