in his jurisdiction. Also referred to as a “unified commander.”
CINCPACFLT — Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet: The admiral in charge of all U.S. naval forces in the Pacific Ocean. He reports to CINCPAC.
Claymore mine: Most land mines are buried in the ground and are tripped when a vehicle or soldier passes over them. The Claymore is different. Spikes hold it upright on the surface of the ground. It is tripped electrically, on command, and sends out a fan-shaped pattern of steel balls that shred anything in their path. It is called a “directional” mine.
COMSUBPAC–Commander Submarines Pacific: The admiral in charge of all submarines in the Pacific Ocean. There are corresponding commanders for surface and air forces, COMSURFPAC and COMAIRPAC. All report to CINCPACFLT.
CP — Command Post: The term used to designate the location of an army unit’s headquarters.
DEFCON — Defense Condition: A series of formalized levels describing the status of U.S. armed forces. DEFCON V is peacetime, IV is heightened readiness, III is crisis, DEFCON II indicates a conventional war is in progress, DEFCON I indicates a nuclear war is under way.
DICASS — Directional Command-Activated Sonobuoy: Dropped from aircraft, this device is used to help search for submarines. Once in the water, on command, it will send out sonar pings into the water.
DMZ — Demilitarized Zone: A four-kilometer-wide area between the two Koreas where no military forces are allowed. While the Zone itself is not militarized, the areas just north and south of it are very militarized. Troops stationed along it commonly refer to the Zone as the “Z.”
Dragon: A medium-range, wire-guided antitank missile that is fired by an infantryman. It has a thermal sight, a range of about 1,000 meters, and will penetrate all but the heaviest armor.
DSC — Defense Security Command: Part of the South Korean Army specifically tasked with watching the officer corps for signs of disloyalty or an impending coup. Their authority is absolute.
E-2C Hawkeye: A twin-engine turboprop, this plane is instantly recognizable by the massive radar saucer that sits on top of the fuselage. Carrying a crew of radar operators and fighter controllers, the E-2C can see air and surface contacts hundreds of miles out and control the defense of a task force. It carries no weapons and is relatively slow.
E-3 Sentry: An ultrasophisticated AWACS — airborne early warning and control system — built into a Boeing 707 fuselage. Like the E-2C Hawkeye, the E-3 is characterized by a massive radar saucer and by its ability to monitor and control air battles within a several-hundred-mile radius.
EA-6B Prowler: A heavily modified A-6 Intruder, this twin-jet aircraft carries powerful jamming equipment in the fuselage and in pods under the wings. The A-6’s normal crew of two is doubled to four, three of whom operate the Prowler’s electronics. It can interfere with enemy weapons, radars, and radio communications at long ranges.
ELINT — Electronic Intelligence: Aircraft equipped with sensitive receivers patrol off enemy coasts or near enemy ships, recording the radar and communications signals they detect. The information is then taken back to base and analyzed.
EMCON — Emission Control: Radars and radio send out active signals, emissions that can be detected (see
ESM — Electronic Support Measures: This meaningless term is the name for a type of sensor carried on warships and some aircraft. It is used to detect the radar transmissions of other ships and aircraft, and to determine their nature and direction.
ETR: Estimated Time of Repair.
F-14A Tomcat: A huge, carrier-launched fighter, it is designed exclusively to engage enemy aircraft at long range with Phoenix and Sparrow radar-guided missiles. It is also fairly maneuverable and carries Sidewinders and a 20mm cannon for close-in work. It has two engines and a crew of two.
F-16 Falcon: A single-engine, single-seat fighter used by the U.S. Air Force. An excellent “dogfighter,” at present it lacks the capability to fire long-range, radar-guided missiles.
F-15 Eagle: A twin-engine, single-seat fighter used by the U.S. Air Force. Almost as maneuverable as the F-16 Falcon, it is much larger and can fire long-range, radar-guided missiles.
F-18A Hornet: A twin-engine, single-seat jet designed to replace the A-7 Corsair II. The F-18A is a multirole aircraft intended to be equally adept as either an attack aircraft or an air-superiority fighter. It is very maneuverable and is designed to be launched from carriers.
F-4 Phantom II: A twin-engine, two-seat fighter, it was designed by the U.S. and exported widely. In terms of the number produced and different roles it has performed, the F-4 is probably one of the most successful aircraft of all time. It can carry radar-guided missiles, but is used by the South Korean Air Force for ground attack, at which it is most effective.
FAC — Forward Air Controller: Fast-moving jet aircraft have trouble picking out small, camouflaged ground targets. Forward Air Controllers fly in slow-flying aircraft at low altitude and act as “spotters” for the attack jet. They find enemy targets, sometimes mark them with smoke rockets or a laser designator, and steer the incoming air strike right in on top of the enemy.
FEBA — Forward Edge of the Battle Area: An Army term meaning the point where U.S. and enemy troops are in contact.
Feniks sonar: A Russian sonar carried by Romeo-class submarines. It is a forty-year-old design and has extremely short range.
GAO — Government Accounting Office: The fiscal watchdog of the federal government.
GAU-8/A gun: A 30mm Gatling gun mounted in the nose of the A-10 Warthog. Designed specifically for tank killing, the gun has a rate of fire of 4,200 rounds per minute. It fires a special round made of fantastically heavy depleted uranium.
GRU —
GSP —
HARM — High Speed Antiradiation Missile: An air-launched missile designed to home in on enemy surveillance and guidance radars and destroy them.
Harpoon: The American-made Harpoon missile can be fired from ships, from aircraft, and even from submarines. This versatile antiship missile can carry its 500-pound warhead to targets up to 60 nautical miles away.
HARTs — Hardened Artillery Site: A type of fortification used by the North Koreans to protect artillery from attack.
HQ: Headquarters.
HUD — Heads Up Display: Projects important information onto the windscreen directly in front of the pilot’s eyes, making it possible to avoid going “heads down” to look at cockpit instruments. The HUD is a vital aid during a fast-moving air combat. The data displayed on the windscreen includes speed, altitude, weapons status, g forces, target data, and fuel status.
IFF — Identification Friend or Foe: An airplane or ship sends a coded electronic signal out to an unknown contact. A black box on an aircraft, if it receives the proper code, responds with a signal of its own, telling the observer that the aircraft is friendly. Aircraft without the proper codes are the enemy. The codes are changed daily.
Il-18 Coot: An elderly Russian four-engine airliner. Versions are used by the military and by Aeroflot, the Soviet Union’s civilian airline.
Il-76 Mainstay: Based on a large, four-engine jet transport, this radar plane has a large
