Glossary of military abbreviations

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List of terms, acronyms, information, related to modern armour, artillery, infantry, weapons, and related military subject matter.

Contents beveled glass window

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z tempered glass shelf

A acid etched glass

AA anti-aircraft

AAA anti-aircraft artillery "Triple A"

AAAV Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle

AAD Armoured Amphibious Dozer

AAG Anti-aircraft gun

AAK Appliqu Armor Kit (US)

AAN Army After Next

AAPC Advanced Armoured Personnel Carrier (Turkey)

AARADCOM Army Armament Research and Development Command

AAV Amphibious Assault Vehicle

AB Air Burst

ABC Atomic, Biological, Chemical (replaced by chemical, biological, radiological (CBR), and nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC))

ABC Automatic Brightness Control

AB(C) Aviation Battalion (Combat)

ABIT Advanced Built-In Test

ABM Air Bursting Munition

ABM Anti-ballistic missile

ABMS Air Bursting Munition System

ABRO Army Base Repair Organisation

ABS Aww-Busting System

ABS Anti-skid Braking System

ABSV Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle

A/C Aircraft commander

AC Alternating current

ACA Ammunition Container Assembly

ACAVP Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle Platform (UK)

ACCE Abrams/Crusader Common Engine

ACCV Armored Cavalry Cannon Vehicle (US)

ACE Armored Combat Earthmover (US)

ACH Advanced Combat Helmet (MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet)

ACLOS Automatic Command to Line of Sight

ACOG Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight

ACP Automatic Colt Pistol

ACR Advanced Combat Rifle

ACR Armored Cavalry Regiment

ACRV Armoured Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle

ACS Artillery Communications System

ACU Army Combat Uniform

ACV Aardvark Cleaning Vehicle (US)

ACV Armoured Combat Vehicle

ACVT Armored Combat Vehicle Technology Program (US)

ADA Air Defense Artillery

ADAM Area Denial Artillery Munition

ADAMS Air Defense Advanced Mobile System (US)

ADATS Air Defence Anti-Tank System

ADC-A Assistant Division Commander - Fire and Maneuver

ADC-B Assistant Division Commander - Combat Support

ADEA Army Development and Employment Agency

ADI Australian Defence Industries

AE Action Express

AEF Allied Expeditionary Force

AEV armoured engineer vehicle

AF air force

AFA/ARA Aerial Field Artillery/Aerial Rocket Artillery (USA, Vietnam war era Attack Helicopter Batteries employing 2.75 in. FFAR)

AFARV Armored, Forward Area, Re-arm Vehicle (US)

AFAS Advanced Field Artillery System

AFC Australian Flying Corps

AFCS Automatic Fire-Control Systems

AFD automatic feeding device

AFSC Air Force Specialty Code

AFSV Armoured Fire Support Vehicle

AFV Armored Family of Vehicles (US)

AFV armoured fighting vehicle

AGC Automatic Gain Control

AGF Army Ground Forces

AGL above ground level

AGL Automatic Grenade Launcher

AGLS Automatic Gun Laying System

AGS Armored Gun System (US)

AGV Assault Gun Vehicle

AGVT Advanced Ground Vehicle Technology

Ah ampere hour

AHC Attack Helicopter Company (USA)

AICS Accuracy International Chassis System

AICW Advanced Individual Combat Weapon

AIF Australian Imperial Force (Australia, WWI

AIFS Advanced Indirect Fire System

AIFV armoured infantry fighting vehicle

AIPS Advanced Integrated Propulsion System (US)

ALAAVS Advanced Light Armored/Amphibious Vehicle System (US)

ALC Advanced Land Combat (US)

ALICE All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment

ALS Advanced Laying System

ALSV Armoured Logistics Support Vehicle

ALT Armoured Launching Turret

AMC United States Army Materiel Command

AMC Advanced Mortar Carrier (Turkey)

AMCCOM Armament Munitions and Chemical Command

AMDS Anti-Missile Discarding Sabot

AMF Amphibische Mehrzweck-Fahrzeuge (multipurpose amphibious vehicle)

AML Automitrailleuse Lgre (light armoured car)

AMLCD Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display

AMOS Advanced Mortar System

AMR Anti-materiel rifle

AMR Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance

AMRWS Advanced Multi-Role Weapon Station

AMS Armoured Mortar System

AMS-H Advanced Missile System - Heavy

AMX Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux

ANAD Anniston Army Depot

ANZAC Australia and New Zealand Army Corps

ANZUS Australia New Zealand United States Treaty

AOI Arab Organisation for Industrialisation

AOS add-on stabilisation

AP Anti-Personnel

AP armour-piercing

APAM anti-personnel, anti-matriel

APBC armour-piercing ballistic cap

APC armoured personnel carrier

APC armour-piercing capped

APCBC armour-piercing capped ballistic cap

APC-T armour-piercing capped - tracer

APCT-BF armour-piercing capped tracer - base fuze

APCNR armour-piercing composite non-rigid

APCR armour-piercing composite rigid

APCRBC armour-piercing composite rigid ballistic cap

APDS armour-piercing discarding sabot

APDS-T armour-piercing discarding sabot - tracer

APE Amphibisches Pionier-Erkundungsfahrzeug (amphibious front-line reconnaissance vehicle)

APEP Armour-Piercing Enhancement Programme

APERS anti-personnel

APERS-T anti-personnel tracer

APFIDS armour-piercing fragmentation incendiary discarding sabot

APFSDS-T armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot - tracer

'APFSDS(P) armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (practice)

APFSDSDU Armour Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot, Depleted Uranium

APG Aberdeen Proving Grounds

APGM Autonomous Precision-Guided Munition

APHC armour-piercing hard core

APHE armour-piercing high explosive

API armour-piercing incendiary

APIT armour-piercing incendiary tracer

APM anti-personnel mine

APS Advanced Propulsion System

APS Artillery Pointing System

APSA Armour Piercing Secondary Effect

APSE armour-piercing secondary effect

APSE-T armour-piercing secondary effect - tracer

APT armour-piercing tracer

APTE Abrams Power Train Evolution (US)

APU auxiliary power unit

APV armoured patrol vehicle

AR Assault Rifle

AR/AAV Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle (US)

ARD Anti-Reflective Device

ARDEC Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center

ARDNOT Automatic Day/Night Optical Tracker

ARE Atelier de Construction Roanne

ARETS Armour Remote Target System

ARFORGEN Army Force Generation

ARMAD Armoured and Mechanised Unit Air Defence

ARMSCOR Armament Manufacturing Corporation (South Africa)

ARMVAL Anti-Armor Vehicle Evaluation (US)

ARP anti-radiation projectile

ARP Armoured Repair Plates

ARRADCOM Armament Research and Development Command

ARRV Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle

ARSV Armored Reconnaissance Scout Vehicle (US)

ART Armoured Recon Transport

ARV armoured recovery vehicle or Armed Robotic Vehicle

ASAAdvanced Security Agency

ASARC Army Systems Acquisition Review Council

ASCOD Austrian Spanish Co-operative Development

ASM Armored Systems Modernisation (US)

ASP Automatic, Self-Powered

ASTROS Artillery Saturation Rocket System (Brazil)

ASV Armored Security Vehicle (US)

ASV ammunition supply vehicle

AT anti-tank

AT Ape Tape

ATACS Advanced Tank Cannon System (US)

ATAS Automatic Target Acquisition System

ATCAS Advanced Towed Cannon System

ATD Advanced Technology Demonstration

ATD Advanced Technology Demonstrator (US)

ATD Automatic Target Detection

ATDT Automatic Target Detection and Tracking

ATDU Armoured Trials and Development Unit (UK)

ATFCS Automated Targeting and Fire Control System

ATG Anti-tank gun

ATGL Anti-tank grenade launcher

ATGM Anti-tank guided missile

ATGW Anti-tank guided weapon

ATK Alliant Techsystems

ATLAS Advanced Technology Light Artillery System

ATLV Artillery Target Location Vehicle

ATM Anti-tank mine

ATR - EDS Automotive Test Rig - Electric Drive System

ATS Atelier de Construction de Tarbes

ATTC All Terrain Tracked Carrier

ATTS Air Transportable Towed System

ATV All-terrain vehicle

ATV Armoured TOW Vehicle (Turkey)

AUG Armee Universal Gewehr

AVF Armoured Fighting Vehicle

AVGP Armoured Vehicle General Purpose (Canada)

AVH Armoured Vehicle Heavy

AVL Armoured Vehicle Light

AVLB armoured vehicle-launched bridge

AVM Armoured Vehicle Medium

AVR armoured vehicle reconnaissance

AVRE Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (UK)

AVT Advanced Vehicle Technologies (US)

AWE Advanced Warfighting Experiment

AWOL Absent Without Official Leave

B

BAe British Aerospace

BAM Broad Assed Marine: i.e., female Marine (US, vulgar)

BAR M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle

BARV Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle

BASE British Aerospace Systems and Equipment

BATES Battlefield Artillery Target Engagement System

BB Base bleed

BBSP Blowback shifted pulse

BC Battery Commander

BCC battery control centre

BCP Battery Command Post

BCT Brigade combat team (US)

BCT Basic Combat Training

BCV Battle Command Vehicle

BD base detonating

BDA Browning Double Action or Bomb Damage Assessment

BDM Bunker Demolition Munition

BDU Battle Dress Uniform

BE base ejection

BFA Blank-firing adaptor or blank firing attachment

BFV Bradley Fighting Vehicle

BGT Brigade Combat Team

bhp brake horsepower

BIFF Battlefield Identification Friend or Foe

BILL Bofors, Infantry, Light and Lethal

BITE built-in test equipment

BL Blank

BL-T black tracer

BLITS Beta Lighted Infantry Telescope System

BLT Battalion Landing Team

BLR Blindado Ligero de Ruedas

BMF Belgian Mechanical Fabrication

BMNT Begin Morning Nautical Twilight

BMP Pronounced "bimp". A Former Warsaw Pact IFV

BMR Blindado Medio de Ruedas

BMS Battalion Mortar System

BMS Battlefield Management System

BNCC (USAF) Base Network Control Center

BNS Bill Night Sight

BOCV Battery Operations Centre Vehicle

BOG-Dwell Boots on the Ground - Dwell (Down Time)

BOL Bearing Only Launch

BOLTS Bolt On Loading Tray System

BOSS Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System

BPS Battery Power Source

BSP Bright Source Protection

BSSG Brigade Service Support Group

BST Basic Skills Trainer

BT Boat Tail

BT Bullet Trap

BTA best technical approach

BTU Bullet Trap Universal

BUA BILL Under Armour or built-up area

BW Bacteriological warfare

BX Bionix AFV

C

C3I Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence

CAB Combat Aviation Battalion

CAD computer-assisted design

CAL Canadian Arsenals Limited

CAP Civil Air Patrol (USAF Civilian Auxiliary)

CAP Combat Air Patrol

CAP Combustible Augmented Plasma

CARRV Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle

CAS Close Air Support

CASEVAC Casualty Evacuation

CAT/FCS Command Adjusted Trajectory/Fire-Control System (US)

CAT/LCV Combined Arms Team/Lightweight Combat Vehicle (US)

CATT Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (UK)

CATT-B Component Advanced Technology TestBed (US)

CAV Composite Armored Vehicle (US)

CAWS Cannon Artillery Weapons Systems (US)

CAX Combined Arms Exercise

CBR Chemical, Biological, Radiological

CBRN Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear

CCC combustible cartridge case

CCD charge-coupled device

CCO Close Combat Optic

CCP Computer Control Panel

CCR Crown Copyright Reserved

CCTV closed-circuit television

CCU Central Control Unit

CCV Close Combat Vehicle

CCV Command and Control Vehicle (US)

CCV-L Close Combat Vehicle - Light

cd candela

CDA Combat Defensive Action

CDM Coastal Defence Missile

CDU Command Display Unit

CDU Computer Display Unit

CE Chemical Energy

C/E Crew/Enlisted (Enlisted Aircrew Member)

CECOM Communications-Electronics Command

CEFO Combat Equipment Fighting Order (webbing contents)

CENTCOM Central Command

CENTO Central Treaty Organisation or Baghdad Pact

CEOI Communications Electronics Operating Instruction

CEP Circular Error of Probability

CEPP Controlled Effect Police Projectile

CET Combat Engineer Tractor

CEU Computer Electronics Unit

CEV combat engineer vehicle

CF Canadian Forces

CF controlled fragmentation

CFE Conventional Forces Europe

CFV Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (US)

CG Commanding General

CGS Crew Gunnery Simulator

CHA Cast Homogeneous Armour

CHARM Challenger Chieftain Armament

CHIP Challenger Improvement Programme

CIFV Composite Infantry Fighting Vehicle

CILAS Compagnie Industrielle des Lasers

CIS Chartered Industries of Singapore

CIS Commonwealth of Independent States

CITV Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (US)

CIWS Close-In Weapons System

CLAMS Clear Lane Marking System (US)

CLASS Computerised Laser Sight System

CLAWS Close Combat Light Armor Weapon System (US)

CLGP Cannon-Launched Guided Projectile (US)

CLOS Command to Line Of Sight

CLU Command Launch Unit

CM Colour-Marking or "Continue Mission"

CMS Common Missile System

CMS Compact Modular Sight

CMT Cadmium Mercury Telluride

CMV Combat Mobility Vehicle (US)

CNVD Clip-on Night Vision Device

CO Commanding Officer

COG Course Over Ground

Comp B Composition B

COMVAT Combat Vehicles Armament Technology (US)

COMZ Communications Zone

COP Combat Out Post

COS Chief of Section

COSCOM Corps Support Command (US Army)

CofS Chief of Staff

COTAC Conduite de Tir Automatique pour Char (tank automatic fire)

COTS Commercial-off-the-shelf

COV Counter Obstacle Vehicle (US)

CP concrete-piercing

CPR Common Practice Round

CPS Cardinal Points Specification (UK)

CPV command post vehicle

CQB Close Quarters Battle

CQBW Close Quarters Battle Weapon

CR Capability Requirement

CRISAT Collaborative Research Into Small Arms Technology

CRR Carro de Reconhecimento Sobre Rodas (reconnaissance tracking scout car)

CRT cathode ray tube

CRU Cable Reel Unit

CS Communications Subsystem

CS Confined Space

CS (USAF) Communications Squadron

CSB Combat Support Boat

CSF Combined Service Forces

CSI computer-synthesised image

CSS Computer Sighting System

CTA Case Telescoped Ammunition

CTD Concept Technology Demonstrator

CTI Central Tyre Inflation

CTIS Central Tyre Inflation System

CTO Central Treaty Organisation or Baghdad Pact

CTR Close Target Recce

CTRA Carro de Transporte Sobre Rodas Anfibo (amphibious tracking scout car)

CTT Challenger Training Tank

CV90 Combat Vehicle 90

CVAST Combat Vehicle Armament System Technology (US)

CVR(T) Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (UK)

CVR(W) Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled) (UK)

CVRDE Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (India)

CVT controlled variable time

CVTTS Combat Vehicle Targeting System

CW Chemical Warfare

CWR continuous wave radar

CWS cupola weapon station

D

DA Double Action

DAHA dual axis head assembly

DAO Double Action Only

DARCOM US Army Matriel Development and Readiness Command

DAREOD Damaged Airfield Reconnaissance Explosive Ordnance Disposal

DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DAS Deep Air Support

DAS Defensive Aid System/Suite

DASP Demountable Artillery Surveillance Pod

DC Direct Current

DCA Dfense Contre Avions (anti-aircraft)

DCCT Dismounted Close Combat Trainer

DD Detroit Diesel

DDA Detroit Diesel Allison

DDS Department of Defense Support

DDU digital display unit

DECA Digital Electronic Control Assembly

DEFA Direction des tudes et Fabrications d'Armement

DERA Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (UK)

DESO Defence Export Sales Organisation (UK)

DFCS Digital Fire-Control System

DFSV Direct Fire Support Vehicle

DFV Desert Fighting Vehicle

DHSS Data Handling SubSystem

DIA Defense Intelligence Agency (US)

DICON Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria

DIP driver instrument panel

DISCOM Division Support Command

DIVARTY Division Artillery

DMC Digital Magnetic Compass

DMR Dedicated Marksman Rifle

DMU Distance Measurement Unit

DNRS Day/Night Range Sight

DoD Department of Defense (US)

DOIM (US Army) Directorate of Information Management

DOP Department of Productivity

DP Demonstration Purpose

DP Dual Purpose

DPA Defence Procurement Agency (UK)

DPICM Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (US)

DPTR Diopter

DRA Defence Research Agency (UK)

DROPS Demountable Rack Offloading and Pick-up System

DS/T practice discarding sabot/tracer

DSACS Direct Support Armored Cannon System (US)

DSETS Direct Support Electrical Test System

DSO Defence Sales Organisation

DSRV Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (US)

DSWS Division Support Weapon System

DTAT Direction Technique des Armements Terrestres

DTT Driver Training Tank

DU depleted uranium

DV Demining Vehicle

DVE Driver's Vision Enhancer

DWFK Deep Water Fording Kit

E

EAAK Enhanced Appliqu Armor Kit (US)

EAOS Enhanced Artillery Observation System

EBG Engin Blind Gnie (armoured combat vehicle)

EBR Engin Blind de Reconnaissance (armoured reconnaissance vehicle)

EBRC Engine Blind roues de Contact

EC Enhanced Carbine

ECM Electronic countermeasures

ECOS Enhanced Combat Optical Sight

ECS Environmental Control Subsystem

ECV Enhanced Capacity Vehicle

EDS Electric Drive System

EFAB Etablissement d'Etudes et de Fabrications d'Armement de Bourges

EFC equivalent full charge

EFCR equivalent full charge rounds

EFM Explosives Factory Maribyrnong

EFP Expanded Feasibility Phase

EFP Explosively Formed Penetrator

EFV Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (New name for AAAV)

EFVS Electronic Fighting Vehicle System (US)

EG External Gun

EGLM Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module

ELB Extended Life Barrel

ELKE Elevated Kinetic Energy Weapon (US)

ELS Electromagnetic Launcher System

ELSAP Elektronische Schiessanlage fr Panzer (electronic fire system for tanks)

EM electromagnetic

EMC Executive Management Committee

EMD Engineering and Manufacturing Development

EMDG Euromissile Dynamics Group

EMG externally mounted gun

EMP electromagnetic pulse

ENGESA Engesa Engenheiros Especializados (Brazil)

EOD explosive ordnance disposal

EOR Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance

EOTS Electro-Optical Tracking System

EPC electronic plane conversion

EPC Engin Principal de Combat (future main battle tank)

EPG Enhanced Performance Grenade

EPG European Production Group

EPG European Programme Group

EPS Electrical Power Subsystem

EPU Electronics Processing Unit

ER enhanced radiation

ER extended range

ERA explosive reactive armour

ERA extended range ammunition

ERC Engin de Reconnaissance Canon

ERFB extended range full-bore

ERFB-BB extended range full-bore - base bleed

ERGFCDS Extended Range Gunnery Fire-Control Demonstration System

ERGP extended range guided projectile

ERMIS Extended Range Modification Integration System

ERP Extended Range Projectile

ERSC extended range subcalibre

ERV emergency rescue vehicle

ERV Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle

ES Extreme Spread

ESAF Elecronic Safety and Arm Function

ESD Electronique Serge Dassault

ESLDE Eyesafe Laser Daylight Elbow

ESPAWS Enhanced Self-Propelled Artillery Weapon System (US)

ESRS electro-slag refined steel

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

ETC ElectroThermal Cannon

ETD Estimated Time of Departure

ETM Electronic Technical Manuals

ETS Elevated TOW System

ETS Engineer Tank System

EW electronic warfare

EWK Eisenwerke Kaiserslautern Gppner

EWS external weapon station

F

FAAD Forward Area Air Defense

FAAR Forward Area Alerting Radar (US)

FAARP Forward Area Arming & Refueling Point

FAASV Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (US)

FAC Forward Air Control(er)

FAC-A Forward Air Control(er)-Airborne

FACE Field Artillery Computer Equipment

FAL Fusil Automatique Lgre

FAPDS Frangible Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot

FARP Forward Arear Refueling Point

FARS field artillery rocket system

FARV-A Future Armored Resupply Vehicle - Artillery (US)

FAST Forward Area Support Team

FAV Fast Attack Vehicle (US)

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBRV Future Beach Recovery Vehicle (UK)

FCC Fire Command Centre

FCC Fire-Control Computer

FCCVS Future Close-Combat Vehicle System (US)

FCE fire-control equipment

FCLV Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (UK)

FCS fire-control system/subsystem

FCS Future Combat System

FCU Fire Control Unit

FDC fire direction centre

FDCV fire direction centre vehicle

FDSWS Future Direct Support Weapon System

FEBA Forward Edge of the Battle Area

FEP Firepower Enhancement Programme

FET Future Engineer Tank

FFAR Folding Fin Aerial Rocket

FFE Fire for Effect

FFSS Future Fighting Soldier System

FG field gun

FH field howitzer

FIBUA Fighting In Built-Up Areas

FID Foreign Internal Defenses

FIFV Future Infantry Fighting Vehicle (US)

FIRM Floating Integrated Rail Mount

FIS Fuze Interface System

FISH Fighting In Someone's House (UK) (Colloquial. Slang term for FIBUA)

FIST Future Integrated Soldier Technology (UK), FIre Support Team (US)

FISTV Fire Support Team Vehicle (US)

FITOW Further Improved TOW (US)

FLEA Frangible Low Energy Ammunition (i.e. a fragmentation grenade or a low yield IED)

FLIR forward-looking infra-red

FLOT forward line of own troops

FLSW Future Light Support Weapon

FM Titanium tetrachloride (code designation)

FMBS Family of Muzzle Brake/Suppressors

FMC Food Machinery Corporation

FMF Fleet Marine Force

FMJ Full Metal Jacket

FMJBT Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail

FMJLF Full Metal Jacket Lead Free

FMS Foreign Military Sales

FMTV Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles

FN Fabrique Nationale (Manufacturer)

FO Forward Observer

FOB Forward Operating Base

FOC Full Operational Capability

FOD Foreign Object Damage (i.e. damage not caused by enemy fire. Includes bugs, dirt, etc.) (Aviation)

FOG Fibre Optic Gyro

FOM Fibre Optic Missile

FOO forward observation officer

FORTIS Forward Observation and Reconnaissance Thermal Imaging System

FOTT Follow On To TOW

FOV field of view

FPA Focal Plane Array

FRAG fragmentation

FRAGO FRAGmentary Order. (see OPORD)

FRES Future Rapid Effects System

FROG free rocket over ground

FSCL fire support coordination line

FSCM fire support coordination measure

FSCV fire support combat vehicle

FSE fire support element

FSED full-scale engineering development (US)

FSSG Force Service Support Group

FST Future Soviet Tank/Follow-on Soviet Tank

FSV fire support vehicle

FSV Future Scout Vehicle (US)

FTA Frangible Training Ammunition

FTMA Future Tank Main Armament

FTS Future Tank Study

FTT Field Tactical Trainer

FUE First Unit Equipped

FUG Felderit Us Gpkosci

FV fighting vehicle

FV/GCE fighting vehicle gun control equipment

FVDD Fighting Vehicle Development Division

FVRDE Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (UK)

FVS Fighting Vehicle System (US)

FVSC Fighting Vehicle Systems Carrier (US)

FY fiscal year

G

g gramme(s)

G gendarmerie

GAMA Gun Automatic Multiple Ammunition

GAO General Accounting Office

GAP Gun Aiming Post

GBAD Ground Based Air Defence

GCE gun control equipment

GCT Grande Cadence de Tir (high rate of fire)

GCU Gun Control Unit

GCW Gross Combat Weight

GD General Dynamics

GDLS General Dynamics Land Systems

GDU Gun Display Unit

GFE Government Furnished Equipment

GH gun-howitzer

GIAT Groupement Industriel des Armements Terrestres

GL Grenade Launcher

GLC gun lay computer

GLDNSM Grenade Launcher Day-Night Sight Mount

GLH-H Ground-Launched Hellfire-Heavy (US)

GLLD Ground Laser Locator Designator (US)

GLS Gesellschaft fr Logistischen Service

GM, MVO General Motors, Military Vehicle Operations

GMC General Motors Corporation

GMG Grenade Machine Gun

GMLRS Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System

GMS Gun Management System

GOCO government-owned, contractor-operated (US)

GOP General Out Post

GP General Purpose

GP guided projectile

GPMG General Purpose Machine Gun

GPO gun position officer

GPS Global Positioning System

GPS gunner's primary sight

GPSS Gunner's Primary Sight Subsystem

GREM Grenade Rifle Entry Munition

GRU Glavnoe Razvedyvatel'noe Upravlenie, meaning Main Intelligence Directorate

GSR General Staff Requirement (US)

GSRS General Support Rocket System

GST General Staff Target

GST Gesellschaft fr System-Technik

GTCS Gun Test and Control System

GTI German Tank Improvement

GVW Gross Vehicle Weight

GW guided weapon

H

h hour(s)

H&K Heckler and Koch

HAB Heavy Assault Bridge (US)

HAG Heavy Artillery Gun

HALO High Altitude Low Opening, High Activity/Low Observable

HAMS Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron - Marine Aircraft Group (USMC)

HAWK Homing-All-the-Way-Killer (US)

HB heavy barrel

HBAR Heavy Barrel Assault Rifle

HC Hexachloroethane/zinc

HC high capacity

HC Hollow Charge

HCER high-capacity extended range

HCHE high-capacity high explosive

HCT HOT Compact Turret

HDS HOLOgraphic Diffraction Sight

HE high explosive

HE-APERS high-explosive anti-personnel

HE-FRAG high-explosive fragmentation

HE-FRAG-FS high-explosive fragmentation - fin-stabilised

HE-FS high-explosive - fin-stabilised

HE-S high-explosive spotting

HE-T high-explosive tracer

HE/PR high-explosive practice

HEAA High Explosive Anti-Armour

HEAB High Explosive Air Burst

HEAP High Explosive Armor Piercing

HEAP-T high-explosive anti-personnel - tracer

HEAT high-explosive anti-tank

HEAT-FS high-explosive anti-tank fin-stabilised

HEAT-MP high-explosive anti-tank multipurpose

HEAT-MP(P) high-explosive anti-tank multipurpose (practice)

HEAT-T high-explosive anti-tank - tracer

HEAT-T-HVY high-explosive anti-tank - tracer - heavy

HEAT-T-MP high-explosive anti-tank - tracer - multipurpose

HEAT-TP-T high-explosive anti-tank - target practice - tracer

HED-D Hybrid Electric Drive-Demonstrator

HEDP high-explosive dual-purpose

HEER High-Explosive Extended Range (US)

HEF High Explosive Fragmentation

HEFT High Explosive Follow Through

HEI high-explosive incendiary

HEIT high-explosive incendiary tracer

HEL High-Energy Laser (US)

HEL Human Engineering Laboratory (US)

HELP Howitzer Extended Life Program (US)

HEMAT Heavy Expanded Mobility Ammunition Trailer (US)

HEMP High Explosive Multi-Purpose

HEMTT Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (US)

HEP high-explosive plastic

HEP-T high-explosive practice - tracer

HEPD high-explosive point detonating

HERA high-explosive rocket-assisted

HESH high-explosive squash head

HESH-T high-explosive squash head - tracer

HET-PF high-explosive tracer - percussion fuze

HETF High Explosive Time Fuzed

HETS Heavy Equipment Transport System

HFCC Howitzer Fire-Control Computer (US)

HFHTB Human Factors Howitzer TestBed (US)

HFM Heavy Force Modernisation (US)

HIFV Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle

HIMAG High-Mobility Agility Test Vehicle (US)

HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (US)

HIP Howitzer Improvement Program (US)

HIRE Hughes Infra-Red Equipment

HITP High Ignition Temperature Propellant

HIU Heading Indicator Unit

HMC Howitzer Motor Carriage

HMD Helmet-Mounted Display

HMG Heavy Machine Gun

HMH Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron

HMLC High-Mobility Load Carrier

HML/A Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron

HMM Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron

HMMWV High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

HMX Marine Special Mission Helicopter Squadron

HOE Holographic Optical Element

HOT Haute subsonique Optiquement Tlguid

How howitzer

HP High Power; Hollow Point

hp horsepower

HPFP High-Performance Fragmentation Projectile

HPS Helmet Pointing System (or Sight)

HPT high-pressure test

HRU Heading Reference Unit

HS Headquarters Squadron - Marine Wing Support Group (USMC)

HSS Hunter Sensor Suite

HSTV(L) High-Survivability Test Vehicle (Lightweight) (US)

HTTB High-Technology TestBed (US)

HVAP high-velocity armour-piercing

HVAP-T high-velocity armour-piercing tracer

HVAPDS-T high-velocity armour-piercing discarding sabot - tracer

HVAPFSDS high-velocity armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot

HVCC High Velocity Canister Cartridge

HVM Hypervelocity Missile

HVSS horizontal volute spring suspension

HVSW Hypervelocity Support Weapon

HVTP-T high-velocity target practice - tracer

HWSTD High Water Speed Technology Demonstrator

HYPAK Hydraulic Power Assist Kit

I

I Incendiary

IAFV infantry armoured fighting vehicle

IAI Israel Aircraft Industries

IAL Infra-red Aiming Light

IASD Instant Ammunition Selection Device

IBAS Improved Bradley Acquisition System

ICC information co-ordination centre

ICM improved conventional munition

ICM BB improved conventional munition base bleed

ICV Infantry Combat Vehicle

IDF Israel Defence Forces

IDW Individual Defence Weapon

IED Improvised Explosive Device

IEPG Independent European Program Group

IFCS Improved/Integrated Fire-Control System

IFF Identification Friend or Foe

IFV infantry fighting vehicle

IFVwCM Infantry Fighting Vehicle with Integrated Countermeasures (US)

IGLS Individual Grenade Launcher System

II image intensification/intensifier

IIR Imaging Infra-Red

ILL illuminating

ILMS Improved Launcher Mechanical System

ILS Integrated Logistic Support

IM Insensitive Munition(s)

IMMLC Improved Medium Mobility Load Carrier

IMU Inertial Measurement Unit

INSAS Indian Small Arms System

InSb Indium-antimonide

IOC initial operational capability

IOF Indian Ordnance Factory

IPB Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield

IPF Initial Production Facility

IPO International Programme Office

IPPD Integrated Product Process Development

IR Infra-Red

IRBM intermediate-range ballistic missile

IRU Inertial Reference Unit

IS internal security

ISD In Service Date

ISGU Integrated Sight and Guidance Unit

ISR Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance

ISU Integrated Sight Unit

ISV Internal Security Vehicle

ITAS Improved Target Acquisition System

ITOW Improved TOW

ITPIAL Infra-red Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser

ITT Invitation To Tender

ITV Improved TOW Vehicle (US)

IVPDL Inter-Vehicle Positioning and Data Link (US)

IW Individual Weapon

IWS Improved Weapon System

J

JBMoU Joint Ballistic Memorandum of Understanding

JERRV Joint Engineer Rapid Response Vehicle

JGSDF Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force

JHP Jacketed hollow point

JLTA Javelin Composite Launch Tube

JMAC Joint Medium-calibre Automatic Cannon

JPO Joint Project Office

JSC Joint Steering Committee

JSCS Joint Service Combat Shotgun

JSDFA Japanese Self-Defence Force Agency

JSP Jacketed Soft Point

JSSAMP Joint Services Small Arms Master Plan

JSSAP Joint Services Small Arms Programme

K

KAAV Korean Armoured Amphibious Vehicle

KAC Knight's Armament Company

KE kinetic energy

KEC Kaman Electromagnetics Corporation

KEM Kinetic Energy Missile (US)

kg kilogramme(s)

KIA Killed in Action

KIFV Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle

KPA Korea People's Army

L

LAAG light anti-aircraft gun

LAAM Light Anti-Aircraft Missile

LAAW Light Anti-Tank Assault Weapon

LAD light aid detachment

LADS light air defense system (US)

LAG Light Artillery Gun

LAM Laser Aiming Module

LAPES Low-Altitude Parachute Extraction System

LAR Light Automatic Rifle

LASER Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

LASIP Light Artillery System Improvement Plan

LATS Light Armoured Turret System

LAU Light Armoured Unit

LAV Light Armored Vehicle (US)

LAV Light Assault Vehicle (US)

LAV-AD Light Armored Vehicle - Air Defense

LAW light anti-tank weapon

LB Long Barrel

LC Laser Collimator

LCD Liquid crystal display

LCS Loader Control System

LCU Landing Craft Utility

LCV Light Contingency Vehicle (LCV) (US)

LD Low drag, Line of Departure

LE Law Enforcement

LED light emitting diode

LEP Life Extension Programme

LEU Launcher Erector Unit

LF ATGW Light Forces' Anti-Tank Guided Weapon

LF Linked Feed

LFHG Lightweight Fragmentation Hand Grenade

LFL Light Fighter Lethality

LIA Linear Induction Accelerator

LIMAWS Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System

LION Lightweight Infra-red Observation Night sight

LIW Lyttleton Engineering Works

LKP Loader Keyboard Panel

LLAD low-level air defence

LLLTV low light level television

LLM Launcher Loader Module

LMAW Light Multi-purpose Assault Weapon

LMG light machine gun

LNS Land Navigation System

LNS Laying and Navigation System

L/O Liaison Officer

LOAL Lock-On After Launch

LOBL Lock-On Before Launch

LOC Line Of Communication

LOS Line Of Sight

LOSAT Line Of Sight Anti-Tank

LP Liquid Propellant

LP Listening Post

LPC Launch Pod Container

LPC Launcher Pod Carrier

LPG Liquid Propellant Gun

LPO Leading Petty Officer

LPT Low-Profile Turret

LPTS Lightweight Protected Turret System

LR Long Rifle

LR Long-Range

LRAR Long Range Artillery Rocket

LRASS Long-Range Advanced Scout System

LRAT long-range anti-tank

LRBB long-range base bleed

LRD Long Range Deflagrator

LRF laser rangefinder

LRF Low Recoil Force

LRHB long-range hollow base

LRIP Low-Rate Initial Production

LRM Laser Rangefinder Module

LRN Lead Round Nose

LRN Low Recoil NORICUM

LRRP Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol

LRSA Long Range Sniper Ammunition

LRSU Long Range Surveillance Unit

LRU Launcher Replenishment Unit

LRU Line Replacement Unit

LRU line-replaceable unit

LSS Lightweight Shotgun System

LSW Light Support Weapon

LTA Launch Tube Assembly

LTD laser target designator

LTFCS Laser Tank Fire-Control System

LTP Laser Target Pointer, Luminesant Training Projectile

LUTE Lightweight Uncooled Thermal Imager Equipment

LVA landing vehicle assault (US)

LVS Lightweight Video Sight

LVT landing vehicle tracked (US)

LVTC landing vehicle tracked command (US)

LVTE landing vehicle tracked engineer (US)

LVTH landing vehicle tracked howitzer (US)

LVTP landing vehicle tracked personnel (US)

LVTR landing vehicle tracked recovery (US)

LWC Lead Wad Cutter

LWIR Long Wave Infrared

LWL LightWeight Launcher

LWML LightWeight Multiple Launcher

LWMS LightWeight Modular Sight

LWS laser warning system

LWT light weapon turret

M

m metre(s)

m/s metres per second

MAB Marine Amphibious Brigade

MABS Marine Air Base Squadron

MAC Medium Armored Car (US)

MAC Military Airlift Command

MACS Modular Artillery Charge System

MACS Marine Air Control Squadron

MADLS Mobile Air Defence Launching System

MAF Marine Amphibious Force

MAG Marine Aircraft Group

MAGTEC Marine Air/Ground Training & Education Command

MAGTF Marine Air/Ground Task Force

MALOS Miniature Laser Optical Sight

MALS Marine Air Logistics Squadron

MAMBA Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar

MAOV Mobile Artillery Observation Vehicle

MAP Military Aid Programme

MAPS Modular Azimuth Position System

MAR Micro Assault Rifle

MARDI Mobile Advanced Robotics Defence Initiative (UK)

MARDIV Marine Division (US)

MARS Military Amateur Radio Station

MARS Mini Assault Rifle System

MARS Multi-purpose Aiming Reflex Sight

MARS Multiple Artillery Rocket System

MASS Marine Air Support Squadron

MATCS Marine Air Trafic Control Squadron

MATSG Marine Air Training Support Group

MAU(SOC) Marine Amphibious Unit (Special Operations Capable)

MAV maintenance assist vehicle

MAVD MLRS Aim Verification Device

MAW Marine Air Wing (US)

MBA main battle area

MBB Messerschmitt-Blkow-Blohm

MBC Mortar Ballistic Computer

MBT main battle tank

MCLOS Manual Command to Line Of Sight

MCRV Mechanised Combat Repair Vehicle

MCS Microclimate Conditioning System

MCS modular charge system

MCSK Mine Clearance System Kit (US)

MCT Medium Combat Tractor (US)

MCT Mercury Cadmium Telluride

MCV Mechanised Combat Vehicle

MCWL Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory

MCWS Minor Calibre Weapons Station (US)

MDU Map Display Unit

MEB Marine Expeditionary Brigade

MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation

MEF Marine Expeditionary Force

MENS Mission Element Need Statement (US)

MEP Modular Explosive Penetrator

MEPSMilitary Entrance Processing Station

METO Middle East Treaty Organisation; CENTO or Baghdad Pact

METL Mission Essential Task List

METT-TC Mission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support availableime available, Civilians

MEU(SOC) Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)

MEV medical evacuation vehicle (US)

MEWS Mobile Electronic Warfare System

MEWSS Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System

MF multifunction

MFC Mortar Fire Control(ler)

MFCS Multi-Fire Control System/Mortar Fore Control System

MFCV Missile Fire-Control Vehicle

MFF munition filling factory

MG machine gun

MGB Medium Girder Bridge

MGL Multiple Grenade Launcher

MGS Mobile Gun System

MGTS MultiGun Turret System

MGU Mid-course Guidance Unit

MI Military Intelligence

MIA Missing In Action

MICOM Missile Command (US)

MICV mechanised infantry combat vehicle

MILAN Missile d'Infantrie Lger Antichar (light infantry anti-tank missile)

MILES Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (US)

MILSTAN MILitary STANdard

MILSTAR MILitary Strategic and Tactical Relay (US)

MIPS Medium Integrated Propulsion System (US)

MLA Manufacturing Licence Agreement

MLC Military Load Class

MLC Modular Load Carrier

MLF Marine Logistics Force

MLR Marine Logistics Regiment

MLI Mid-Life Improvement

MLO Muzzle Loaded Ordnance

MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System (US)

mm millimetre(s)

MMBF mean miles between failures

MMG Medium Machine Gun

MMS mast-mounted sight

MMS Modular Mounting System

MNVD Monocular Night Vision Device

MoA Memorandum of Agreement

MOA Minute Of Angle

MoD Ministry of Defence

MODA Ministry of Defence and Aviation

MOLF Modular Laser Fire Control (Germany)

MOLLE MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment

MoU Memorandum of Understanding

MOUT Military Operations in Urban Terrain (urban warfare) (US)

MP Machine Pistol

MPBAV MultiPurpose Base Armoured Vehicle

MPC MultiPurpose Carrier (Netherlands)

MPGS Mobile Protected Gun System (US)

MPI Mean Point of Impact

MPIM MultiPurpose Individual Munition

MPM MultiPurpose Munition

MPS Maritime Prepositioning Ships (US)

MPV Multi-Purpose Vehicle

MPWS Mobile Protected Weapon System (US)

MR Medium Range

MRAP Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (Vehicle)

MRAR MultiRole Assault Round

MRAV MultiRole Armoured Vehicle

MRBF mean rounds before failure

MRBS mean rounds between stoppages

MRS multiple rocket system

MRS muzzle reference system

MRSI Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact

MRV(R) Mechanised Recovery Vehicle (Repair)

MRVR Mechanised Repair and Recovery Vehicle (US)

MSSG MAU/MEU Service Support Group (USMC)

MSR Missile Simulation Round

MSTAR Man-portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar

MSV Modular Support Vehicle

MT mechanical time

MTB Mobility TestBed

MTBF Mean Time Between Failure

MTI moving target indication

MTL Materials Technology Laboratory (US)

MTR Mobile Test Rig (US)

MTSQ mechanical time and super-quick

MTSQ Mechanical Time Semi-Quick

MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union

MTVL mobile tactical vehicle light

MUGS Multipurpose Universal Gunner Sight

MULE Modular Universal Laser Equipment (US)

MUSS Multifunctional Selfprotection System

MV muzzle velocity

MVEE Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment (UK)

MVRS Muzzle Velocity Radar System

MWCS Marine Wing Communications Squadron

MWHS Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron

MWS Manned Weapon Station (US)

MWS Modular Weapon System

MWSG Marine Wing Support Group

MWSS Marine Wing Support Squadron

N

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

NBC nuclear, biological, chemical

NBMR NATO Basic Military Requirement

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service (US)

NCO Non-Commissioned Officer (US, E-4 - E-9)

NCOIC Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge

NDI Non-Developmental Item

NDU Navigation Display Unit

NFOV Narrow Field Of View

NG New/Next Generation

Ni/Cd Nickel Cadmium

NLAW Next Light (weight) Anti-armour Weapon

NLOS-C Non-Line Of Sight-Cannon

NLOS-M Non-Line Of Sight-Mortar

NRF NATO Response Force

NTC National Training Center (USA)

NUGP nominal unit ground pressure

NV Night Vision

NVD Night Vision Device

NVE Night Vision Equipment

NVESD Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate

NVG Night Vision Goggle

NVS Night Vision System

NZDF New Zealand Defence Force

NZEF New Zealand Expeditionary Force (in WWI & WWII)

O

OBR Optical Beam-Riding

OCC Obus Charge Creus (shaped-charge shell)

OCOKA Observation and fields of fire, Cover and concealment, Obstacles, Key terrain, and Avenues of Approach.

OCSW Objective Crew-Served Weapon

OCU Operational Centre Unit

ODE Ordnance Development and Engineering (Singapore)

OEG Occluded Eye Gunsight

OEO optical and electro-optical

OFSA Objective Family of Small Arms

OFSA One Size Fits All

OFW Objective Force Warrior

OHWS Offensive Hand Weapon System

OIC Officer In Charge

OICW Objective Individual Combat Weapon

OOTW Operations Other Than War

OP observation post

OP Operators Panel

OPCON OPerational CONtrol

OPDW Objective Personal Defense Weapon

OPORD OPerations Order

OPSEC OPerational SECurity

OPV Observation Post Vehicle

OSW Objective Sniper Weapon

OSS (USAF) Operational Support Squadron

OSW (USAF) Operational Support, Weather

OT operational test

OTA overflight top attack

OTEA Operational Test and Evaluation Agency (US)

P

P How pack howitzer

P3I Pre-Planned Product Improvements

PAR pulse acquisition radar

PAT power-assisted traverse

PC Personal Computer

PCB printed circuit board

PCC Police Compact Carbine

PCI Pre-combat inspection

PD Point Defense

PD point detonating

PD Point of Departure

PDNA Positioning Determining/Navigation Unit

PDRR Program Definition and Risk Reduction

PDW Personal Defence Weapon

PE Procurement Executive (UK)

PE Peace Enforcement (US DoD)

PEC Printed Electronic Circuits

PFD proximity fuze disconnector

PFHE prefragmented high explosive

PFPX prefragmented proximity fuzed

PGMM Precision Guided Mortar Munition

PH Probability of Hit

Pi Probability of incapacitation

PIAT Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank

PIBD Point Initiating Base Detonated

PID Positive Identification

PIE pyrotechnically initiated explosive

PIP Product Improvement Programme

PL Phase Line

PLA People's Liberation Army

PLARS Position Location And Reporting System (US)

PLC Programmable Logic Control

PLO Palestinian Liberation Army

PLOS Predicted Line Of Sight

PLS Palletised Load System (US)

PM porte mortier (mortar carrier)

PM Product Manager

PMCS Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services

PMEE U.S. Air Force abbreviation for Prime Mission Electronic Equipment

PMO Program Management Office (US)

PMO Provost Marshall's Office

PMOD Platform Modifications

PMS Pedestal-Mounted Stinger

PNU Position Navigation Unit

POA&M Plan Of Action & Milestones

POF Pakistan Ordnance Factory

POS Postes Optiques de Surveillance

PPI plan position indicator

PPS Precise Positioning Service

PRAC practice

PRAC-T practice tracer

PRI projector reticle image

PRP Personnel Reliability Program (screening and monitoring of individuals with access to "special" weapons)

PSD Propulsion System Demonstrator

PSO Peace Support Operations

PSS Primary Sight System

PTO power take-off

PVP Petit Vhicule Protg

PW Prisoner of War

PWI-SR(GR) Panser Wagen Infanterie-Standaard (Groep)

PWP Plasticised White Phosphorus

Q

QCB Quick Change Barrel

QE Quadrant Elevation

QRF Quick Reaction Force

R

RA Royal Artillery

RAAM Rifle-launched Anti-Armour Munition

RAAMS Remote Anti-Armor Mine System (US)

PABD Pay Entry Base Date

RAC Royal Armoured Corps

RADIRS Rapid Deployment Multiple Rocket System (US)

RAAF Royal Australian Air Force

RAE Royal Aircraft Establishment, Royal Aircraft Establishment (Farnborough)

RAE Royal Australian Engineers, Australian Combat Engineers

RAF Royal Air Force

RAM-D reliability, availability, maintainability and durability

RAN Royal Australian Navy

RAO Rear Area Operations

RAP rocket-assisted projectile

RAPI Reactive Armour Protection

RARDE Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (UK)

RATAC Radar de Tir pour L'Artillerie de Campagne (radar for field artillery fire)

RATELO Radio Telephone Operator

RAW Rifleman's Assault Weapon

RBL Range and Bearing Launch

RC/MAS Reserve Component/Modified Armament System

RCAAS Remote-Controlled Anti-Armor System (US)

RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force

RCC ROLAND Coordination Center (US)

RCDU Remote-Controlled Defence Unit

RCL Recoilless rifle

RCN Royal Canadian Navy

RCS Radar Cross Section

RCT Regimental Combat Team

RCT Royal Corps of Transport

RCV Robotic Command Vehicle

RDF Rapid Deployment Forces

RDF/LT Rapid Deployment Force Light Tank (US)

RDJTF Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (US)

RDT&E Research Development Test and Evaluation

REME Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

RF Rimfire

RFA Royal Field Artillery

RFAS Russian Federation and Associated States

RFC Royal Flying Corps

RFI request for information

RFP request for proposals

RFPI Rapid Force Projection Initiative

RFQ Request For Quotations

RGGS Rifle Grenade General Service

RHA rolled homogeneous armour

RHA Royal Horse Artillery

RIN the former Royal Indian Navy

RIS Rail Interface System

RISE Reliability Improved Selected Equipment

RLC Royal Logistic Corps

RLEM Rifle-Launched Entry Munition

RLG Ring Laser Gyro

RLT Regimental Landing Team

RMG ranging machine gun

RN Royal Navy

RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force

RNZN Royal New Zealand Navy

RO Royal Ordnance

ROBAT Robotic Counter-Obstacle Vehicle (US)

RoC Republic of China

ROC required operational characteristics

ROE Rules Of Engagement

ROF Royal Ordnance Factory (UK)

ROF rate of fire

RoK Republic of Korea

RoKIT Republic of Korea Indigenous Tank

ROR range only radar

ROTA Royal Ordnance Training Ammunition

RP Red phosphorus

RP rocket-propelled

RPC Rocket Pod Container

RPG Rocket-propelled grenade

RPG Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot

RPV Remotely piloted vehicle

RR Recoilless rifle

RRPR Reduced Range Practice Rocket

RRTR Reduced Range Training Round

RSAF Royal Small Arms Factory (UK) (now closed)

RSS Rosette Scanning Seeker

RTE Rifle Team Equipment

RTT Roues Transporteur de Troupes

RUC Royal Ulster Constabulary

RWS Remote weapon system (or station)

S

s second(s)

S&W Smith & Wesson

SABCA Socit Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aronautiques

SABR Selectable Assault Battle Rifle

SABS Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight

SAC Small Arms Collimator

SACLOS Semi-Automatic Command to Line Of Sight

SADA Standard Advanced Dewar Assembly

SADARM Sense And Destroy Armor (US)

SADF South African Defence Force

SAE Society of Automotive Engineers

SAF Small Arms Fire

SAFCS Small Arms Fire Control System

SAFIRE Surface-to-Air Fire

SAL semi-active laser

SAM surface-to-air missile

SAMM Socit d'Applications des Machines Motrices

SANDF South African National Defence Force

SANG Saudi Arabian National Guard

SAP Semi-Armour-Piercing

SAPHEI Semi-Armour-Piercing High Explosive Incendiary

SAPI semi-armour-piercing incendiary

SAS-EAS Sealed Authenticator System - Emergency Action Procedures (Nuclear Weapons Release Control)

SASR Special Application Sniper Rifle

SAT Small Arms Trainer

SATCP Systme Anti-arien Trs Courte Porte (very short-range anti-aircraft system)

SAVA Standard Army Vectronics Architecture

SAW Squad Automatic Weapon

SAWS Squad Automatic Weapon System

SB Short Barrel

SCORE Stratified Charge Omnivorous Rotary Engine

SD self-destruct(ion)

SEAL Sea/Air/Land

SEALOCK Search, Locate, and Communicate or Kill

SEATO Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation

SEME School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

SEN shell extended range NORICUM

SEP Soldier Enhancement Programme

SFCS Simplified Fire-Control System

SFIM Socit de Fabrication d'Instrument de Mesure

SFIRR solid fuel integral rocket/ramjet

SFM Sensor Fuzed Munitions

SFMG Sustained Fire Machine Gun

SFSW Special Forces Support Weapon

SFW Special Forces Weapon

SGTS Second-Generation Tank Sight

SH/PRAC squash head practice

SHORAD Short-Range Air Defence System

shp shaft horsepower

SICPS Standard Integrated Command Post Systems

SINCGARS Single Channel Ground/Air Radio System

SIP System Improvement Plan/Programme

SIPS Small Integrated Propulsion System

SJFN Semi-Jacketed Flat Nose

SJHP Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point

SKOT Sredni Kolowy Opancerzny Transporter (armoured personnel carrier)

SLAP saboted light armor penetrator

SLAW Shoulder-Launched Assault Weapon

SLEP Service Life Extension Program (US)

SLR Self-Loading Rifle

SLR Super Low Recoil

SLWAGL Super Light Weight Automatic Grenade Launcher

SM smoke

SMAW Shoulder-launched Multi-purpose Assault Weapon

SMG sub-machine gun

SMK Smoke

Smoke BE smoke base ejection

Smoke WP smoke white phosphorus

SMP Surface Mine Plough

SNCO Staff Non-Commissioned Officer (USMC, E-6 - E-9)

SNCOIC Staff Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (USMC)

SOCOM Special Operations Command

SOF Special Operations Force(s)

SOG Speed Over Ground

SOP Standing/Standard Operational Procedure(s)

SP Shore Patrol

SP self-propelled

SP Soft Point

SPAAG self-propelled anti-aircraft gun

SPAAM self-propelled anti-aircraft missile

SPAG self-propelled assault gun

SPARK solid propellant advanced ramjet kinetic energy missile

SPAS Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun

SPATG self-propelled anti-tank gun

SPAW self-propelled artillery weapon

SPG self-propelled gun

SPH self-propelled howitzer

SPL self-propelled launcher

SPLL Self-propelled Loader Launcher

SPM self-propelled mortar

SPP Special Purpose Pistol

SPR Special Purpose Rifle

SPS Standard Positioning Service

SPSM Sensorgezundete Panzerabwehr SubMunition

SPW Special Purpose Weapon

SR Short Rifle

SR Staff Requirement

SRAW Short Range Assault Weapon

SRC Space Research Corporation

SRG shell replenishment gear

SRI Short Range Insert

SRTS Short Range Thermal Sight

SRU Shop Replaceable Unit

SRU Slip Ring Unit

SRV Surrogate Research Vehicle (US)

SSA Special Spaced Armour

SSG Single Shot Gun

SSK Single Shot Kill

SSW Squad Support Weapon

ST Staff Target

STA shell transfer arm

STAB Steered Agile Beams

STAFF Small Target Activated Fire-and-Forget (US)

STANAG STANdardisation Agreement

STARTLE Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar for Tank Location and Engagement (US)

STE/ICE Simplified Test Equipment/Internal Combustion Engine (US)

STUP spinning tubular projectile

SUB SUBstitute

SUC Square Ultra Compact

SUIT Sight Unit Infantry Trilux

SUSAT Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux

SWARM Stabilised Weapon and Reconnaissance Mount

SWAT Special Weapons And Tactics

SWC Semi WadCutter

SWS Sniper Weapon System

T

T Tracer

TACBE Tacbe

TACMS Army Tactical Missile System (US)

TACOM Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (US)

TAD Temporary Additional Duty (Naval Services term)Temporary Duty

TADDS Target Alert Display Data Set (US)

TADS Target Acquisition and Designation System (US)

TAM Tanque Argentino Mediano

TAS Target Acquisition Subsystem

TAS tracking adjunct system

TAS Turet Attitude Sensor

TBAT TOW/Bushmaster Armored Turret (US)

TC Tank Commander

TCO Tactical Combat Operations

TCU tactical control unit

TD Tank Destroyer

TDCS Tank Driver Command System

TDD Target Detection Device

TDR Target Data Receiver

TDY Temporary Duty

TE Tangent Elevation

TEL Transporter-Erector-Launcher

TELAR Transporter-Erector-Launcher And Radar

TES Tactical Environment Simulation

TES target engagement system

TGMTS Tank Gunnery Missile Tracking System

TGP Terminally Guided Projectile

TGS Tank Gun Sight

TGSM terminally guided submunition

TGTS tank gunnery training simulator

TI thermal imaging/imager

TICM thermal imaging common modules

TIIPS Thermal Imaging and Integrated Position System

TIM Thermal Imaging Module

TIPU Thermal Image Processing Units

TIRE Tank Infra-Red Elbow

TIS thermal imaging system

TLC Transport Launching Container

TLD Top Level Demonstrations

TLE Treaty Limited Equipment

TLR Tank Laser Rangefinder

TLS Tank Laser Sight

TM&LS Textron Marine & Land Systems

TMBC Turret Management Ballistic Computer

TMP Tactical Machine Pistol

TMS Turret Modernisation System

TMUAS Turreted Mortar Under Armor System (US)

TNT Trinitrotoluene

TOE table of organisation and equipment

TOGS Thermal Observation and Gunnery System (UK)

TOP Total Obscuring Power

TOPAS Transporter Obrneny Pasovy

TOTE Tracker, Optical Thermally Enhanced

TOW Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire command link guided (US)

TP Target Practice

TP-FL target practice flash

TP-S or TPS Target Practice-Spotting/Signature

TP-SM target practice - smoke

TP-SP target practice - spotting

TP-T target practice - tracer

TPCM Target Practice Colour-Marking

TPDS Target Practice Discarding Sabot

TPFSDS-T target practice fin-stabilised discarding sabot - tracer

TPTF Target Practice Time Fuzed

TR Triple Rail

TRACER Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement (UK)

TRACKSTAR Tracked Search and Target Acquisition Radar System (US)

TRADOC Training and Doctrine Command (US)

TSFCS Tank Simplified Fire-Control System

TSQ time and super-quick

TSR Tavor Sporting Rifle

TT transport de troupes (troop transporter)

TTB Tank TestBed (US)

TTD Transformation Technology Demonstrator

TTG Time To Go

TTS Tank Thermal Sight

TU Terminal Unit

TU Traversing Unit

TUA TOW Under Armor (US)

TUR Tiefflieger-berwachungs-Radar (low-level surveillance radar)

TV Television

TWD Thermal Warning Device

TWMP Track Width Mine Plough

TWS Thermal Weapon Sight

TYDP Ten Year Defence Programme (Australia)

U

UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

UBLE Universal Bridge Launching Equipment

UCVP Universal Combat Vehicle Platform

UDR Ulster Defence Regiment

UET Universal Engineer Tractor (US)

UGV Unmanned Ground Vehicle

ULC Unit Load Container

UMA Universal Mounting Adapter

UMP Universal Machine Pistol

USA United States of America/United States Army

USAADS U.S. Army Air Defense School

USAARMS U.S. Army Armor School

USAAVNS U.S. Army Aviation School

USAAF United States Army Air Forces

USAF United States Air Force

USCG United States Coast Guard

USMC United States Marine Corps

USN United States Navy

USP Universal Self-loading Pistol

UTL Universal Tactical Light

UTM Universal Transverse Mercator

UTS Universal Turret System

UV Ultraviolet

UW Urban Warfare

V

V Volt(s)

VAB Vhicule de l'Avant Blind (front armoured car)

VAB Vickers Armoured Bridgelayer

VADS Vulcan Air Defense System (US)

VAE Vehiculo Armado Exploracion

VAK Vehicle Adaptor Kit

VAPE Vehiculo Apoyo y Exploracion

VARRV Vickers Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle

VARV Vickers Armoured Recovery Vehicle

VBC Vhicule Blind de Combat (armoured combat vehicle)

VBCI Vhicule Blind de Combat d'Infanterie

VBL Vhicule Blind Lger (light armoured vehicle)

VBM Vhicules Blinds Modulaires

VC Vehicle Commander

VCA Vhicule Chenill d'Accompagnement (tracked support vehicle)

VCC Veicolo Corazzato de Combattimento

VCG Vhicule de Combat du Genie (armoured engineer vehicle)

VCI Vhicule de Combat d'Infanterie; Vehiculo combate infanteria (infantry combat vehicle)

VCP Vehicle Check Point

VCR variable compression ratio

VCR Vhicule de Combat Roues (wheeled combat vehicle)

VCR/AT Vhicule de Combat Roues/Atelier Technique (salvage)

VCR/IS Vhicule de Combat Roues/Intervention Sanitaire (stretchers)

VCR/PC Vhicule de Combat Roues/Poste de Commandement (HQ)

VCR/TH Vhicule de Combat Roues/Tourelle HOT (turret with four HOT ATGW)

VCR/TT Vhicule de Combat Roues/Transport de Troupes (troop carrier)

VCTIS Vehicle Command and Tactical Information System

VCTM Vehiculo de Combate Transporte de Mortero (armoured mortar carrier)

VCTP Vehiculo de Combate Transporte de Personal (armoured personnel carrier)

VDA Vhicule de Dfense Anti-arienne (anti-aircraft defence vehicle)

VDAA Vhicule d'Auto-Dfense Anti-arienne

VDC Voltage Direct Current

VDM viscous damped mount

VDSL Vickers Defence Systems Ltd

VDU visual display unit

VEC Vehiculo de Exploracin de Caballerie

VEDES Vehicle Exhaust Dust Ejection System (US)

VERDI Vehicle Electronics Research Defence Initiative (UK)

VHIS visual hit indicator system

VIB Vhicule d'Intervention du Base

VIDS Vehicle Integrated Defence System

VINACS Vehicle Integrated Navigation and Command System

VIRSS Visual and InfraRed Smoke Screening System

VITS Video Image Tracking Systems

VLAP Velocity-enhanced Long-range Artillery Projectile

VLC Vhicule Lger de Combat (light armoured car)

VLI Visible Light Illuminator

VLSMS Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine System

VMA Marine Light Attack Squadron

VMA(AW) Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron

VMBT Vickers Main Battle Tank

VMF Marine Fighter Squadron

VMFA Marine Fighter Attack Squadron

VMFA(AW) Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron

VMGR Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron

VMFP Marine Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron

VMR Marine Transport Squadron

VMAQ Marine Electonic Warfare Attack Squadron

VMS Vehicle Motion Sensor

VNAS Vehicle Navigation Air System

VRL Vhicule Reconnaissance Lger (light reconnaissance vehicle)

VSEL Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd

VT variable time (fuse)

VTOL Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft

VTP vhicule transport de personnel (personnel carrier)

VTT vhicule transport de troupe (troop transporter)

VVSS vertical volute spring suspension

VXB Vhicule Blind Vocations Multiples (multipurpose armoured car)

W

WAAC Women's Auxiliary Army Corps and individual members of; obsolete

WAC Women's Army Corps and individual members of; obsolete

WAF Women (in the) Air Force and individual members of; obsolete

WAM Wide Area Mines (US)

WAPC Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier (Canada)

WASAD Wide Angle Surveillance and Automatic Detection Device

WAV Wide Angle Viewing

WAVES Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (USN); obsolete

WES Wing Engineer Squadron (USMC)

WFOV Wide Field Of View

WFSV Wheeled Fire Support Vehicle (Canada)

WHA Weapons Head Assembly

WHSA Weapons Head Support Assembly

WLR Weapon Locating Radar

WM Woman/Women Marine(s)

WMD Weapon(s) of Mass Destruction

WMRV Wheeled Maintenance and Recovery Vehicle (Canada)

WP white phosphorus

WP-T white phosphorus - tracer

WSM Winchester Short Magnum

WTS Wing Transportation Squadron (USMC)

X

XO Executive Officer

Y

YMRS Yugoslav multiple rocket system

Z

ZULU GMT/UTC

Contents

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

See also

List of established military terms

List of military tactics

References

Armor and Artillery Glossary

Infantry Weapons Glossary

FM 17-97 Cavalry Troop (October 1995)

Military abbreviations and Dictionaries

Military acronyms and military abbreviations

Categories: Military equipment | Military lists | Military terminology