RIO: Radar Intercept Officer. The 'backseater' in a Tomcat.
ROE: Rules of Engagement. Guidelines under which fighter and bomber pilots operate in a given political situation.
SAM: Surface-to-Air Missile.
SAR: Search and Rescue.
Scissors: An ACM involving a series of sharp turn reversals.
SEALS: Acronym for SEa, Air, and Land. Naval fleet tactical unit organized in 1962 to carry out special warfare operations, including recon, sabotage, raids, and hostage rescue.
Six: On an aircraft's tail. Derived from aircraft clock positions, with 'twelve o'clock' directly ahead, three o'clock to the right, and nine o'clock to the left. All dogfight maneuvers are designed to put an attacking aircraft on the target's 'six.'
Slick: The Huey UH-1 helicopter, employed in large numbers in Vietnam.
SOD-Hut: Special Operations Department aboard ship, always highly classified. Also called 'spook shack.'
Squadron: Naval aviation unit composed of aircraft of a single type. Typically, fighter squadrons (VF), strike-fighter squadrons (VFA), medium attack squadrons (VA), and antisubmarine squadrons (VS) number 10 aircraft each. Electronic warfare squadrons (VAQ) and Airborne Early Warning squadrons (VAW) number 5 aircraft each. Helicopter ASW squadrons (HS) number 6 aircraft.
TACCAP: Tactical air cover for a raid.
TAC COM: Tactical Communications.
Tally-ho: Radio call indicating visual contact with enemy.
TENCAP: Tactical Exploitation of National CAPabilities. System allowing commanders in the field to draw on KH-12 satellite reconnaissance data directly, rather than waiting to receive it from Washington.
Tilly: Large combination of crane and forklift used to lift or move damaged aircraft.
Top Gun: U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, NAS, Miramar, California. A training school for Navy aviators designed to expose them to ACM.
Tuna Boat: Marine slang for a loaded AAVP.
Unit Designations: Codes identifying squadrons by aircraft type. e.g. VF-95.
VA: Medium attack squadrons, flying A-6E/F Intruders.
VAQ: Electronic Warfare (EW) squadrons, flying EA-6B Prowlers.
VAW: Airborne Early Warning (AEW) squadrons, flying E-2C Hawkeyes.
VF: Fighter squadrons, flying F-14A/D Tomcats.
VFA: Strike-fighter squadrons, flying F/A-18 Hornets.
VS: ASW squadron, flying S-3A/B Vikings.
VDI: Visual Display Indicator. Display on A-6 Intruder linked to on-board computer which displays flight and targeting information.
Vulture's Row: Railed catwalk high on carrier island overlooking the flight deck.
Welded Wing: Air tactic where an element's leader and wingman stick tightly together, as opposed to the 'loose deuce.'
