GLOSSARY
Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)
An aircraft fitted with a radar that is designed to detect other aircraft. The AWACS operators can distinguish hostile aircraft from friendly and can direct bombers and fighters to their targets.
Air-to-Air Missile (AAM)
A guided missile fired from one aircraft at another aircraft with the aim of destroying it.
Al-Qaeda
(Literally ‘The Base’) A radical Islamist organisation founded in approximately 1989 by Osama bin Laden with the purpose of uniting Muslims to fight Western countries and expel Western influences from Muslim countries. Responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 and other terrorist attacks around the world since the early 1990s.
Australia Day Council (ADC)
An organisation whose mission is to inspire national pride in being Australian. The Alice Springs council holds fundraising events to help purchase books for schools.
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)
The agency responsible for operations involving foreign intelligence, counterintelligence and liaising with intelligence agencies overseas. The Australian equivalent of the US CIA.
ballistic missile
A rocket that, when launched, follows a sub-orbital ballistic flight path in three phases: powered flight, free flight (comprising the majority of the flight time) and re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The missile can carry one or more warheads (possibly nuclear) to a predetermined target.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
A United States Government civilian intelligence agency whose primary function is to collect intelligence about foreign governments, individuals and corporations in response to security concerns.
COMINT (communications intelligence)
A category of signals intelligence that involves information derived from the interception of foreign communications by other than the intended recipients.
counterintelligence
Information gathered and activities conducted to protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage or assassinations conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organisations, persons or terrorist activities, but not including personnel, physical, document or communications security programs.
cruise missile
A guided missile launched from a land-based, ship-borne or airborne platform at a specified target and that carries an explosive payload. Flight time can vary from several seconds to more than two hours.
cryptanalysis
The steps or processes involved in converting encrypted messages into plain text without the initial knowledge of the algorithm or encryption.
cryptography
The enciphering of plain text so that it will be unintelligible to an unauthorised recipient.
Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)
The Australian government’s intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence and information security. Equivalent in function to the US NSA.
Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
A United States Government official responsible for serving as the principal advisor to the President of the United States, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security. This person also serves as the head of the sixteen-member US intelligence community, overseeing and directing the National Intelligence Program.
electronic attack
A subgroup of electronic warfare that includes any electrical or electronic device or technique designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems with the purpose of denying targeting information to an enemy. Formerly known as electronic countermeasures (ECM).
ELINT (electronic intelligence)
Technical and intelligence information derived from foreign electromagnetic non-communications transmissions by other than the intended recipients.
jamming
An offensive form of electronic warfare that involves radiating concentrated electromagnetic energy signals designed to defeat the function of a radar, communications signal or data transmission.
JDSRF (Joint Defence Space Research Facility)
The original name of the facility located near Alice Springs, Australia, jointly run by the United States and Australia. In the late 1980s the name was changed to the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap.
NRO (National Reconnaissance Office)
A Department of Defense agency tasked to ensure that the United States has the technology and space-borne and airborne assets needed to acquire intelligence worldwide, including support to such functions as monitoring of arms control agreements, indications and warning, and the planning and conducting of military operations.
professionalisation
The process an NSA employee was required to undergo in order to be eligible for promotion to Grade 13. The process usually included writing a thesis paper on a subject in the aspirant’s career field to demonstrate mastery of a particular concept, and successfully answering questions related to their area of expertise. The program was terminated by the NSA around 2001.
SAM (surface-to-air missile)
A guided missile launched from the ground that is designed to destroy aircraft or incoming missiles.
SIGINT (signals intelligence)