DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency. The Department of Defense’s intelligence branch.
DO: Deputy commander for operations. Normally, a colonel in a tactical fighter wing responsible for all flying operations.
Dragon: A medium-range, antitank missile that a single man can carry and fire. It is guided by commands transmitted through a very thin wire tailed out behind the missile and connected to the tracker.
ECM: Electronic countermeasures.
EMIS Limit: Emission Limit. A circuit that shuts down electronic emissions coming from an aircraft that might be detected by an enemy.
Flanker: NATO code name for the Su-27, a Soviet clone of the F-15.
FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared.
Flogger: The NATO code name given to the MiG-23.
Fox One: In an air intercept, a code meaning “A radar missile has been released from aircraft.”
Fox Two: In an air intercept, a code meaning “An infrared missile has been released from aircraft.”
Fox Three: In an air intercept, a code meaning “The aircraft’s machine gun or cannon is being employed.”
fulcrum: NATO code name for the MiG-29. Looks like an F-15, but smaller, roughly the size of an F-16.
Gadfly: The NATO code name for the SA-11, the latest Soviet-built surface-to-air missile. By all reports, an awesome system.
GBU: Glide Bomb Unit. A guidance head and a steerable finassembly attached to an ordinary bomb to make it “smart.” The bomb then becomes highly accurate and possesses infinite courage to attack a target.
Have Quick: A radio that uses rapid frequency hopping to defeat jamming and monitoring.
HICAP: High-altitude combat air patrol.
HUD: Head-Up Display. A device that projects vital flight information in front of the pilot so he does not have to check his instruments inside the cockpit.
Hummer: The four-door, four-wheel-drive combat vehicle that is the follow-on to the jeep.
IDF: Israel Defense Forces.
IFF: Identification Friend or Foe. The discrete identification friend-or-foe code assigned to a particular aircraft, ship, or other vehicle for identification by electronic means (usually by radar).
IG: Inspector General. A military organization that investigates complaints and conducts inspections.
IP: Initial point. A well-defined geographical point, easily distinguished visually or electronically, used for starting a bomb run to the target.
IR: Infrared. A device or film sensitive to the near infrared electromagnetic spectrum.
Jink: The constant movement by a fighter aircraft to avoid flying straight and level and to defeat enemy tracking. Absolutely vital to survival in an hostile environment.
Kiloton: The measurement of the energy of a nuclear explosion equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT.
LANTIRN: Low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night system.
LAW: Light antitank weapon.
LOCAP: Low-altitude combat air patrol.
M113: U.S.-built, tracked armored personnel carrier. It weighs twelve tons and can carry a squad of infantry.
MAC: Military Airlift Command.
Mark-82: A five-hundred-pound bomb.
Maverick: An air-to-surface missile with launch and leave capability. It is designed for use against tanks, armored vehicles, and field fortifications.
Mossad: Israel‘s CIA: the Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Missions.
MPCD: Multi-Purpose Color Display. A video screen that presents information in color to the pilot or crew.
MPD: Multi-Purpose Display. A black-and-white video screen that presents information to the pilot or crew.
NBC: Nuclear, biological, and chemical.
NSA: National Security Agency. The U.S. intelligence agency responsible for monitoring communications and breaking codes.
NSC: National Security Council.
ORI: Operational readiness inspection. An evaluation of the operational capability and effectiveness of a unit conducted by a team from the IG. An ORI can be very realistic and a true measure of a unit’s readiness or it can easily degenerate into a bureaucratic sham.
PI: Political influence. A term no longer used in the Air Force because those individuals with it can hurt any person foolish enough to so label them with it.
Puzzle Place: The Pentagon. Lots of PI present.
Ramp: The parking area for aircraft.
Recce: Short for reconnaissance.
Red Flag: An extremely realistic ongoing exercise conducted at Nellis AFB, Nevada, that trains aircrews to survive the first ten days of combat when the casualty rate is the highest.
RM: Resource manager. One of a wing commander’s deputy commanders. The RM is in charge of material and logistics.
ROE: Rules of Engagement. Normally, a collection of very good ideas designed to keep fighter jocks alive.
RPG: Rocket-propelled grenade. A Soviet-built antitank weapon similar to a LAW.
RTB: Return to base.
SA: A surface-to-air missile such as the SA-11. (By all reports, the SA-11 is a very dangerous Soviet-built antiaircraft missile that makes survival extremely difficult for fighter jocks.)
Sagger: Soviet-built, wire-guided, antitank missile.
SAM: Surface-to-air missile.
Sim: Abbreviation for a flight simulator.
SITREP: Situation report.
Snakeye: A Mark-82 500-pound high-explosive bomb that is selectable for either high-or low-drag delivery. Currently being phased out of the inventory.
Stand Evaclass="underline" Standardization and evaluation. A section of officers responsible for conducting proficiency flight checks and insuring aircrews obey standard rules and procedures.
Tallyho: A code meaning “Target visually sighted.”
TEWS: Tactical Electronic Warfare System. The system of “black boxes” in the F-15 that can detect and counter an electronic threat.
TFR: Terrain-following radar. A radar system that provides the pilot or autopilot with climb or dive signals such that the aircraft will maintain a selected height above the ground. Preferably the “selected height” will be in the near vicinity of rocks and weeks.
TSD: Tactical Situation Display. An electronically generated map that scrolls with die position of the aircraft at the center. Navigation and tactical information is superimposed over the map.
UFC: Up Front Controller. Controls many systems in an F-15E through a keyboard.
UHF: A radio transmitter that is limited to line of sight in range and transmits in the ultrahigh frequency band.
USAFE: United States Air Force in Europe.
Vee: A verbal abbreviation of “versus,” as in “one vee many.”
Weapon systems officer: The second crew member in a fighter who performs many functions such as copilot, radar operator, etc. from the backseat. A WSO dies six feet behind his pilot.
Wizzo: A nickname given to weapon systems officers.