Rapier: British AAA missile system
RE: Royal Engineers
REME: Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Replen: Replenish
Rfn: Rifleman
RIO: Radar Intercept Officer
RM: Royal Marines
RMP: Royal Military Police
RN: Royal Navy
ROC: Republic Of China (Taiwan)
ROC: Generic term for the Taiwanese military
ROE: Rules Of Engagement
RORSAT: Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite
RQMS: Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant (W01 rank)
RSM: Regimental Sergeant Major (WO1 rank)
RV: Rendezvous Point
RVP: Rendezvous Point
SA: Surface-to-Air
SA80: British 5.56mm calibre individual weapon
Sabre: British tracked reconnaissance vehicle
SACEUR: Supreme Allied Commander Europe
SAM: Surface to Air Missile
Samaritan: British tracked armoured ambulance
Samson: British tracked armoured recovery vehicle
SAR: Search-And-Rescue
SAR: Synthetic Aperture Radar
SARH: Surface to Air Radar Homing
SAS: Special Air Service (recruits from British Army)
SASR: Special Air Service Regiment (recruits from Australian Army)
Saxon: British, wheeled APC
SBS: Special Boat Service (recruits from Royal Marines)
Scimitar: British tracked reconnaissance vehicle
Sea Harrier: RN V/STOL Fleet defense aircraft
Sentry: US built AWACS based on Boeing 707 (E-3)
SFO: Specialist Firearms Officer (Police)
SIS: Secret Intelligence Service
Sitrep: Situation report
Six: Directly behind (Six o’clock position)
SLBM: Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine
SLR: Self-Loading Rifle
SMG: Sub Machine Gun
SO12: Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)
SO13: Anti-Terrorist Squad (Metropolitan Police)
SO14: Royalty Protection (Metropolitan Police)
SO16: Diplomatic Protection Group (Metropolitan Police)
SCO19: Specialist Firearms Unit (Metropolitan Police)
Spartan: British tracked vehicle for AAA, MFC, Engineer or Recce
SP HVM: Self-Propelled High Velocity Missile
Spearfish: British advanced, high speed, wire guided torpedo
Spirit: US built stealth bomber (B-2)
SRAM: Short Range Attack Missile
SS: Surface to Surface
SSBN: Ballistic Missile Submarine (Boomer)
SSG: Diesel powered guided missile submarine
SSGN: Nuclear powered guided missile submarine
SSK: Diesel powered attack submarine
SSN: Nuclear powered attack submarine
Starstreak: British advanced, high speed anti-aircraft missile
Striker: British tracked AT vehicle
STOL: Short Take Off and Landing
SU-24: Russian built two seat interdiction and attack aircraft (Fencer)
SU-25: Russian built close air support, ground attack aircraft (Frogfoot)
SU-27: Russian built single seat, twin engined fighter (Flanker)
SU-32: Russian built advanced two seat fighter bomber (Fullback)
Sultan: British tracked, armoured command vehicle
SWAT: Special Weapons and Tactics
T-64: Russian designed MBT
T-72: Russian designed MBT
T-80: Russian designed MBT
T-90: Russian designed MBT
TAO: Tactical Action Officer
TAVR: Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve
TEL: Transporter Erector Launcher
Thunderbolt: US built single seat, close air support, tank killing aircraft (A10 / Warthog)
Tomcat: USN swing wing, twin engine, two seat, strike fighter (F-14)
Tornado F3: British/German twin seat, swing wing fighter
Tornado GR: British/German ground attack aircraft
Tpr: Trooper
Triple A: AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery)
TU-22: Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Blinder)
TU-22M: Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Backfire)
TU-160: Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Blackjack)
UGM: Un-Guided Missile
USAF: United States Air Force
USMC: United States Marine Corps
USN: United States Navy
USSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
VTOL: Vertical Take Off and Landing
Warrior: British AFV
Warthog: A-10: US built single seat, close air support, tank killing aircraft
Wild Weaseclass="underline" Dedicated, specialized, AAA suppression mission
Willy Pete: WP: White Phosphorus
WO: Warrant Officer
WP: White Phosphorus
ZSU: Russian designed series of Self — Propelled AAA vehicles
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Farman was born in Cheshire, England in 1956 into a close family of servicemen and servicewomen who at that time were serving or who had served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army.
As a 'Pad brat' he was brought up on whichever RAF base to which his Father had been posted until he joined the British Army as an Infantry Junior Leader in 1972, at the tender age of 15.
Andy served in the Coldstream Guards on ceremonial duties at the Royal Palaces, flying the flag in Africa and on operational tours in Ulster, and on the UK mainland during Op Trustee.
In 1981, Andy swapped his green suit for a blue one with the Metropolitan Police but continued an active volunteer reserve role in both the Wessex Regiment and 253 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (V).
After twenty four years in front line policing, both in uniform and plain clothes he finally moved to a desk job for six years at an inner city borough, wearing two hats, those of an operation planner, and liaison officer with the television and film industry.
His first literary work to be published was that of a poem about life as a soldier in Ulster, which was sold with all rights to a now defunct writers monthly in Dublin for the princely sum of £ 11 (less the price of the stamp on the envelope that the cheque arrived in.) The 'Armageddon's Song' series began as a mental exercise to pass the mornings whilst engaged on a surveillance operation on a drug dealer who never got out of bed until the mid-afternoon. On retirement he emigrated to the Philippines with his wife Jessica where he took up scuba diving and is a member of the famous IGAT running club.