Mark 23 Mod 0: Special operations offensive handgun system. Double action, 12-round magazine. Ambidextrous safety and mag-release catches. Knight screw-on suppressor. Snap-on laser for sighting. 45-caliber. Weighs 4 pounds loaded. 9.5 inches long, with silencer 16.5 inches long.
Mark II Knife: Navy-issue combat knife.
Mark VIII SDV: Swimmer Delivery Vehicle. A bus, SEAL talk. 21 feet long, beam and draft 4 feet, 6 knots for 6 hours.
MAVRIC Lance: A nuclear alert for stolen nukes or radioactive goods.
MC-13 °Combat Talon: A specially equipped Hercules for covert missions in enemy or unfriendly territory.
Mcmillan M-87R: Bolt-action sniper rifle. 50-caliber. 53 inches long. Bipod, fixed 5-or 10-round magazine. Bulbous muzzle brake on end of barrel. Deadly up to a mile. All types of .50-caliber ammo.
MGS: Modified Grooming Standards. So SEALs don’t all look like military and can do undercover work.
MH-53j: Chopper, updated CH-53 from Nam days. 200 mph, called the Pave Low III.
MH-60K Blackhawk: Navy chopper. Forward infrared system for low-level night flight. Radar for terrain following and avoidance. Crew of 3, takes 12 troops. Top speed 225 mph. Ceiling 4,000 feet. Range radius 230 miles. Arms 2 12.7mm machine guns.
MIDEASTFOR: MIDdle EAST FORce.
Mig: Russian-built fighter, many versions, used in many nations around the world.
Mike Boat: Liberty boat off a large ship.
Mike-Mike: Short for mm, millimeter, as 9-mike-mike.
Milstar: Communications satellite for pickup and bouncing from SATCOM and other radio transmitters. Used by SEALS.
Minigun: In choppers. Can fire 2,000 rounds per minute. Gatling gun-type.
Mitrajez M80: Machine gun from Yugoslavia.
MI5: British domestic intelligence agency.
Mocha: Food energy bar SEALs carry in vest pockets.
Mossburg: Pump-action shotgun, pistol grip, 5-round magazine. SEALs use it for close-in work.
Motorola Radio: Personal radio, short range, lip mike, earpiece, belt pack.
MRE: Meals, Ready to Eat. Field rations used by most of U.S. Armed Forces, and the SEALs as well. Long-lasting.
MSPF: Maritime Special Purpose Force.
Mugger: MUGR, miniature underwater locator device. Sends up antenna for pickup on positioning satellites. Works underwater or above. Gives location within 10 feet.
Mujahideen: A soldier of Allah in Muslim nations.
NAVAIR: NAVY AIR command.
NAVSPECWAR: NAVal SPECial WARfare section. SEALs are in this command.
NAVSPECWARGRUP-TWO: NAVal SPECial WARfare section GROUP TWO, based at Norfolk.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. A civilian operation not reporting to any Navy authority to make it more responsible and responsive. Replaces the old NIS, Naval Investigation Service, that did report to the closest admiral.
NEST: Nuclear Energy Search Team. Non-military unit that reports at once to any spill, problem, or Broken Arrow to determine the extent of the radiation problem.
Newbie: A new man, officer, or commander in an established military unit.
NKSF: North Korean Special Forces.
NLA: Iranian National Liberation Army. About 4,500 men in South Iraq, helped by Iraq for possible use against Iran.
Nomex: The type of material used for flight suits and hoods.
NPIC: National Photographic Interpretation Center in D.C.
NRO: National Reconnaissance Office, runs and coordinates satellite development and operations for the intelligence community.
NSA: National Security Agency.
NSC: National Security Council. Meets in Situation Room, support facility in the Executive Office Building in D.C. Main security group in the nation.
Nsvhurawn: Iranian Marines.
NUCFLASH: An alert for any nuclear problem.
NVG One Eye: Litton single-eyepiece Night Vision Goggles. Prevents NVG blindness in both eyes if a flare goes off. Scope shows green-tinted field at night.
NVGS: Night Vision Goggles. One eye or two. Give good night vision in the dark with a greenish view.
OAS: Obstacle Avoidance Sonar. Used on many low-flying attack aircraft.
OIC: Officer In Charge.
Oil Tanker: Regular-sized tanker: 885 feet long, 140 feet beam, 121,000 tons, 13 cargo tanks that hold 35.8 million gallons of fuel, oil, or gas. Crew of 24. Not a super tanker.
OOD: Officer Of the Deck.
Orion P-3: Navy’s long-range patrol and antisub aircraft. Some adapted to ELINT roles. Crew of 10. Max speed loaded 473 mph. Ceiling 28,300 feet. Arms: internal weapons bay and 10 external weapons stations for a mix of torpedoes, mines, rockets, and bombs.
Passive Sonar: Listening for engine noise of a ship or sub. It doesn’t give away the hunter’s presence as an active sonar would.
Pave Low III: A Navy chopper.
PC-170: Patrol Coastal-class 170-foot SEAL delivery vehicle. Powered by four 3,350-hp diesel engines, beam of 25 feet and draft of 7.8 feet. Top speed 35 knots, range 2,000 nautical miles. Fixed swimmer platform on stern. Crew 4 officers, 24 EM, and 8 SEALS.
Plank Owners: Original men in the start-up of a new military unit.
Polycarbonate material: Bullet-proof glass.
PRF: People’s Revolutionary Front. Fictional group in Nucflash SEAL book.
Prowl and Growl: SEAL talk for moving into a combat mission.
Quitting Bell: In BUD/S training. Ring it and you quit the SEAL unit. Helmets of men who quit the class are lined up below the bell in Coronado. (Now the bell is no longer rung. Just place your helmet and go.)
RAF: Red Army Faction. A once-powerful German terrorist group not so active now.
Remington 200: Sniper rifle. Not used by SEALs now.
Remington 700: Sniper rifle with Starlight Scope. Can extend night vision to 400 meters.
Ring Knocker: An Annapolis graduate with the ring.
RIO: Radar Intercept Officer. The officer who sits in the backseat of an F-14 Tomcat off a carrier. RIO’s job: find enemy targets in the air and on the sea.
Roger That: A yes, an affirmative, a go answer to a command or statement.
RPG: Rocket Propelled Grenade. Quick and easy, shoulder-fired. Favorite weapon of terrorists, insurgents.
S&W Mark 23 MOD: .45-caliber Special. 12-round magazine. Large handgun. Has suppressor.
SAS: British Special Air Service. Commandos. Special warfare men. Best that Britain has. Works with SEALS.
SATCOM: Satellite-based communications system for instant contact with anyone anywhere in the world. SEALs rely on it.
SAW: Squad Automatic Weapon. Usually a machine gun or automatic rifle.
SBS: Special Boat Squadron. On-site Navy unit that transports SEALs to many of their missions. Located across the street from the SEALs’ Coronado, California, headquarters.
SD3: Sound-suppression system on the H&K MP-5 weapon.