“Well, gotta go. The news waits for no man.”
“Or woman.” Emily thumped him in the ribs.
“I yield.” He raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Take my story, but give me your heart.”
She scooped a notebook, pen, and tape recorder off her crowded desk.
“Don’t be silly, Ian Sheffield, you have them both. “
GLOSSARY
A-6E Intruder-A twin-engine attack plane, the Intruder is one of the few planes that can strike a target in any weather. It is launched from carriers and has a prodigious payload. The crew of two sits side by side, and although the copilot has no flight controls, he can fly the plane by telling the plane’s computer what to do.
AA-2 Atoll-The first Soviet heat-seeking air-to-air missile, it is a direct copy of the 1950s-vintage AIM-913 Sidewinder. Like the early model of this missile, it can attack targets only from the rear. It has a range of about two miles.
AA-7 Apex—A Soviet radar-guided missile of mediocre performance. It has a range of about twenty miles.
AA-10 Alamo-An advanced Soviet radar-guided missile. It has a better seeker and a higher speed than the Apex.
AA-11 Archer-A Soviet short-range, heat-seeking missile. It has a range of about four miles, and most importantly, the ability to engage enemy aircraft from the front.
Afrikaans—Along with English, one of South Africa’s two official languages. Afrikaans is a variant of Dutch mixed with French and German.
It also includes words brought from Malaya and Madagascar by slaves.
Afrikaner—Term used to described white South Africans descended from
Dutch, German, and French Huguenot settlers first arriving in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Often referred to as Boers, the
Dutch word for “farmer,” they now dominate both South Africa’s politics and its economy.
AFV-Armored Fighting Vehicle-This abbreviation is used to describe any military vehicle that can shoot and expects to be shot at.
AH-64-An American armored attack helicopter, it carries both laser-guided antitank missiles, rockets, and a 30mm chain gun.
AIM-7M Sparrow-The standard U.S. radar-guided missile, its twenty-five mile range is shorter than that of the AIM54C Phoenix, but much longer than that of the Sidewinder or any other heat-seeking missile. It has gone through many improvements. Although the initial versions used in Vietnam were poor performers, the later makes are considered very effective.
AIM-9M Sidewinder-One of the most effective and successful missiles ever made. After launch, it homes in on the heat given off by an aircraft and explodes. Unlike earlier models, or other similar missiles of other countries, it does not need to see the hot tailpipe of a jet aircraft, but can even lock onto an aircraft from the front. It has a range of about ten miles.
AIM-54C Phoenix-A U.S. radar-guided missile, it is linked to the F-14
Tomcat’s AWG-9 weapons system. This huge weapon has a range of over one hundred miles and a speed over five times the speed of sound.
AK-47-A Russian-designed assault rifle, this simple, effective weapon has been widely exported and copied by many nations. A 7.62-caliber rifle, it can be fired either in semi or full automatic. It weighs about ten and a half pounds, and has a thirty-round magazine.
AKM-A newer and slightly lighter version of the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
ANC-First established in 1913, the African National Congress is the largest and most prominent black political group opposing apartheid. It has always had socialist leanings and is closely allied with the South African
Communist Party. Its military arm is Umkhonto we Sizwe—spear of the nation. “
Apartheid-An Afrikaans word literally meaning apart ness or “separation.”
A political philosophy espoused by Afrikaners and first articulated between
World War I and World War II. Implemented as government policy after the
National Party electoral victory in 1948. Apartheid was intended to ensure continued white control by geographically and socially separating racial groups as much as possible. Unlike the American concept of segregation-‘ I separate but equal-apartheid included as one of its explicit assumptions the superiority of the white race.
APC-Armored Personnel Carrier-A general term used to describe vehicles designed to ferry infantry across the battlefield. Their light armor provides protection against artillery fragments and small-arms fire.
AWB-Afrikaner Weerstandbeweging, or Afrikaner Resistance Movement. A political movement and paramilitary group, it could be compared to the Ku
Klux Klan, or the Minutemen in America, except the Armenian groups are too liberal. Its entire political philosophy is based on white supremacy and the use of violence to maintain white rule. The AWB believes that armed resistance to the liberalizing trend of the South African government is necessary.
Battalion-A large ground unit made up of three to five companies. A battalion will have about one thousand men.
If it is a tank or an armored-infantry battalion, it will also have about fifty armored fighting vehicles.
Brigade-A ground unit of three or more battalions, with smaller specialized units attached. Sometimes an ad hoc formation, brigades combine available units for a specific task. A fast, mobile brigade might consist of one tank battalion, two motorized-infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and an antiaircraft company.
Broederbond-Afrikaans for “band of brothers.” A secret society established in 1918. Members had to be both ideologically and racially pure
Afrikaners, committed to the reestablishment of “Afrikaner culture” and the imposition of apartheid as a governmental system. Broederbond cells permeate Afrikaner political parties, businesses, schools, and churches.
Until recently, only Broederbond members held political or party office inside South Africa’s ruling National Party.
BTR-Bronetransportr-A Russian term for a series of armored personnel carriers.
BTR-60-An eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, it first appeared in the early 1960s. The first of a long series of similar designs, it has a boat-shaped hull and can carry fourteen men. One flaw in this design is its two gasoline engines, located behind thin armor. This was corrected in later versions.
Buffel-A wheeled personnel carrier, it is arguably the ugliest an-no red vehicle ever built. Specially designed to be mine resistant, it can carry a squad of infantry and is often used by South African paramilitary or police forces.
C4-The designation for a type of plastic explosive used by the U.S. Army and others. It can be worked like modeling clay, burned, or dropped, but will not detonate without an igniter.
C-5 Galaxy—The largest aircraft in the U.S. inventory, this monster can carry 110 tons of cargo. It can also carry troops,
but is usually used to carry items too bulky or heavy for the C-141
Starlifter.
C-130 Hercules-An American four-engine turboprop cargo plane, this successful design is used by dozens of countries around the world.
C-141 Starlifter-This four-engined transport is the standard cargo plane for the U.S. Air Force. It can carry over two hundred troops or thirty-five tons of cargo.
Cactus-A South African version of the French-designed Crotale, Cactus is a short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to protect high-value installations from air attack. It consists of a wheeled launcher vehicle with four missiles and a guidance radar, and separate command vehicle and search radar. It has a range of about five miles. Although never used in combat, the system has a good reputation.
Carl Gustav-A man-portable antitank weapon, this Swedish-designed weapon is used by many countries. It is lighter and cheaper than an antitank missile, but has shorter range and less hitting power. It can be used to attack targets other than tanks and still packs a respectable punch. In the 1982 Argentine invasion of South Georgia, British troops nearly sank a frigate with two hits from the weapon.