Cauldron

Leopard 2 — Larger and heavier than the Leopard 1, the Leopard 2 is the equal of the M1A2 Abrams but appeared several years earlier. It carries a 120mm gun, a sophisticated fire control system, and is fitted with advanced armor, which greatly increases its protection against tank-killing missiles.

Light infantry — Several types of infantry units, airborne, airmobile, and Rangers among them, class themselves as “light” infantry. They do not have many armored vehicles, if any, or in most cases even trucks. This makes them less than mobile on a modern battlefield, but in proper terrain, they can cause the enemy a great deal of trouble. Because they are “light,” they are easily transported and are often the first units present in a conflict.

LNG — liquefied natural gas.

Los Angeles- class submarine (Boston) — The principal U.S. attack sub class, the Los Angeles boats carry a powerful sonar suite and four torpedo tubes. Almost twenty years after entering service, they are still among the most effective subs in existence.

Luchs — An eight-wheeled armored car, the Luchs carries a 20mm gun in a small turret. It is lightly armored but is very useful for scouting.

M1A2 Abrams — The American main battle tank, the latest versions of which carry a 120mm gun and layered armor. A very fast, well-armored vehicle with a sophisticated fire control system, the Abrams is a match for any other tank now in production.

M2 Bradley — Designed to carry infantry, the Bradley is classed as an “infantry fighting vehicle,” because it also mounts a 25mm gun and a TOW antitank missile launcher.

M16 — The standard U.S. Army infantry weapon, it is much lighter and smaller than its predecessor, the M14 rifle. The M16 weighs eight and a half pounds.

M113 — One of the first armored personnel carriers, the M113 has been produced in huge numbers, and has seen service all over the world. Nothing more than a lightly armored box on a tracked chassis, it can carry 11 troops.

M577 — A variant of the M113 personnel carrier, it is fitted out with radios and map tables for use as a command vehicle.

MAD — Magnetic anomaly detector. A sensitive instrument used to detect the minute bending in the earth’s magnetic field caused by large masses of metal (like submarine hulls). It has a very short range, half a mile or less.

Marder — A German infantry fighting vehicle, it currently mounts a 20mm cannon and an antitank missile launcher in a small turret. The German Army plans to upgrade its existing Marders with a new 25mm cannon during the 1990s.

Mica — A new French air-to-air missile in the same class as the American AMRAAM, the Mica will be launched from the Mirage 2000 and the Rafale. It can be fitted with either a radar or heat-seeking head, and has a range of 30 miles.

MiG-29 Fulcrum — An advanced Russian air- superiority fighter, the Fulcrum is in the same class as the American F/A-18 Hornet and the French Mirage 2000. It carries both radar-guided and heat- seeking missiles and has a 30mm cannon. It is fitted with the Slot Back radar.

Milan — A wire-guided Franco-German antitank missile in the same class as the American Dragon but much more effective, it has a range of 2,000 meters and is used by many countries.

Mirage 2000 — A French delta-winged air superiority fighter, it is designed to carry air- to-air missiles, but it can also carry air-to-surface and antiship missiles.

Mirage F1 — An older French fighter, the swept-wing F1 can carry the Super 530 air-to- air missile and a light load of bombs or missiles.

MP5 — Built in many different versions, the MP5 is a submachine gun firing a 9mm round from a 15- or 30-shot magazine. It weighs about five pounds and is carried by armored vehicle crews and other troops whose duties prevent them from carrying a rifle.

Nimitz — class carrier (George Washington, Carl Vinson, Theodore Roosevelt) — These nuclear-powered aircraft carriers displace almost 100,000 tons and are over 1,000 feet long. They can carry 80 to 90 aircraft and crews of more than 6,000.

O. H. Perry — class frigate (Simpson, Klakring) — Designed to escort other ships, Perry-class frigates have a good mix of antisubmarine, antiaircraft, and antisurface weapons, but their relatively small size prevents them from carrying a heavy armament.

Ossie — a derogatory term in German used to describe former East Germans, from the German ost, for “east.” Some regard Ossies as lazy and without ambition, as well as potentially disloyal.

PAH-2 — A heavily armored Franco-German attack helicopter, it will carry a mix of advanced antitank missiles and 30mm cannon. It has a crew of two and is in the same class as the American Apache and the Russian Havoc.

Panzer — the term used to describe German units primarily made up of tanks.

Panzergrenadiers — German armored infantry, or infantry riding in armored troop carriers.

Phalanx — An automated close-in defense weapon against antiship missiles, it combines a 20mm Gatling cannon and a high-frequency radar. Firing a stream of depleted uranium projectiles, it is very accurate.

Platoon — a group of three or four squads, led by a first or second lieutenant, with about 30 to 40 troops. Tank platoons contain three to five armored vehicles. Several platoons make up a company.

Proximity fuse — A small device used primarily against aircraft, it detonates a shell or missile warhead when it passes near the plane. Proximity fuses use radar, laser, or infrared sensors to measure the distance to a target.

Puma — A French-designed troop-carrying helicopter, it can carry 16 infantrymen and has been widely exported.

R.550 Magic 2 — A heat-seeking missile designed and exported by the French, it is in the same class as later models of the American Sidewinder. It has a range of about ten miles.

Rafale — An advanced air superiority fighter. A computer-controlled flight system and fully movable canards will make the Rafale extremely maneuverable. Designed to be “low observable,” it will be difficult to spot by radar or IR, although not a full stealth design.

Regiment — In the Russian pattern, three to four battalions make up a regiment. Commanded by a colonel, four regiments make up a Russian-style division.

Regimental system — All U.S. army formations are based on regiments of three battalions. Some of these regiments have histories going back to the Revolutionary War, and soldiers identify themselves with their assigned regiment. Battalions from the regiment will be assigned on a long-term basis to various divisions. For example, the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division is made up of all three battalions of the 187th Infantry Regiment.

RPG, RPG-16 — rocket propelled grenade. These Russian one-man antitank weapons use a shaped charge to penetrate a tank’s side or rear armor, at short ranges, usually 50 to 500 meters. The latest model is the RPG-16, which carries one rocket in a disposable tube.

RWR — radar warning receiver. A special detector on board an aircraft that warns of enemy weapons radars locked on the plane.

Sabot (pronounced “say-bo”) — A solid tungsten dart launched from a tank cannon, it penetrates enemy armor by sheer punch.

SAM — surface-to-air missile.

Seahawk — The Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk is carried by many U.S. Navy ships. It can be used to hunt subs or serve as a scout with its wide variety of sensors.

Section — a group of two artillery pieces, missile launchers, or other special vehicles that operate as a team on the battlefield. It is equivalent to an infantry fire team. Two or three sections make up a platoon or a battery.

SIS — Secret Intelligence Service. The United Kingdom’s primary intelligence organization.