Sky Masters

vessels CINCSAC-Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command, the four star Air Force officer responsible for strategic bombers, land-based strategic ballistic missiles, and long-range communications and reconnaissance aircraft CINCSPACECOM-Commander in Chief, Space Command; the four star Air Force officer responsible for all North American space activity including space surveillance, satellites, and rocket launches COBRA DANE-long-range radar system designed to provide technical information on Soviet and Chinese ballistic missiles, especially impact points of warheads COMSUBFLT-Commander, Submarine Fleet, the four-star Navy officer responsible for all American submarines DARPA-Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an office of the Department of Defense responsible for new weapon and aircraft research DC- 10-wide-body cargo and passenger carrier made by McDonnellDouglas Aircraft Co. DCI-Director of Central Intelligence, responsible for all intelligence gathering activities in the U.S. DEFCON-Defense Condition; ranges from 5 (peace, no advanced readiness) to 1 (all-out war); denotes worldwide readiness of U.S. military forces Defense Satellite Program (DSP)-name of agency that operates all military reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering satellites DF-direction-finder, a radio beacon that allows other DF-equipped units to locate it. DR-dead reckoning; estimating position by best-known heading and speed information Dreamland-unclassified nickname for military research area in south central Nevada DSC Defense Satellite Communications System, a network of voice and data satellites to connect military and civilian defense agencies all over the world Durandal-French-made runway-cratering bomb that uses a rocket engine to burrow deep under a runway surface before detonating its high-explosive warhead E-2 Hawkeye-naval carrier-based airborne radar plane used to monitor friendly aircraft and search for enemy aircraft and vessels E-3-Sentry airborne radar plane (see AWACS) E-4B NEACP pronounced “kneecap”); National Emergency Airborne Command Post, a heavily modified Boeing 747 airliner used as a communications plane for the President of the United States and other high- ranking government officials in wartime EB-52-(F) modified B-52 bomber with air defense and defense suppression weapons and equipment EC-18-next-generation electronic intelligence aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command EC-135C strategic communications platform ELT~emergency locator transmitter, a radio that transmits a beacon signal on special search and rescue frequencies to facilitate rescue operations ~MP~electromagnetic pulse, the high burst of energy from a nuclear explosion that can disrupt communications and electronic circuitry for long distances and for long periods of time ETA-estimated time of arrival ETE-estimated time en route F-4E Phantom~urrent two-seat fighterzbomber built by McDonnellDouglas F-16 ADF Fighting Falcon lightweight fighter built by General Dynamics; ADF (air defense fighter) model specially modified to intercept unidentified bomber aircraft at long range F-23 Wildcat-(fictional, but X-23 is actual) next-generation fighter built by Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas Fei Lung 7 Chinese ship-launched medium-range antiship missile Fei Lung-9-(F) Chinese ship- launched long-range antiship missile with nuclear warhead FIEfighter-intercept exercise, where fighters practice finding, identifying, intercepting, and attacking bombers FOREST GREEN-Defense Department program developed to detect and measure nuclear explosions on Earth or in the atmosphere Form “‘81-standard aircraft maintenance log Fox Three-in an air intercept, a code meaning the aircraft’s machine gun or cannon is being employed GCI- Ground Controlled Intercept, ground radar station that controls fighters to intercept unidentified aircraft Global Positioning System (GPS)-constellation of satellites in Earth orbit that provide very precise time, position, and groundspeed information to aircraft and vessels GUARD-121.5 or 243.0 megahertz, the international emergency radio frequencies HADES-(F) BLU-96 fuel-air explosive bomb Harpoon-U.S.-made AGM-84 long-range antiship missile HAVE NAP-AGM-142 Israeli-made long-range air-launched attack missile HAVE QUICK-secure antieavesdrop air-to-air radio used by friendly fighters HAWC-(F) High Technology Aerospace Weapons Center, a secret U.S. Air Force research facility in Dreamland that conducts flighttest experiments on new and modified aircraft and new weapon systems HDTV-high-definition television Hong Qian-6I-short-range antiaircraft missile system deployed on medium-size Chinese warships Hong Qian-91-medium-range antiaircraft missile system deployed on large Chinese naval vessels Hornet-F/A-18 carrier-based fighter-bomber built by McDonnellDouglas HUD-heads-up display, a system that projects flight and weapons information in front of a pilot’s field of view to allow him to read important flight information without looking back down inside the cockpit at his instrument panel during critical phases of flight, such as air combat ICBM-intercontinental ballistic missile, very long-range nuclear tipped attack missiles IFF- Identification Friend or Foe, a radio system that broadcasts coded identification information to other aircraft or radar systems IN-instructor navigator IRSTS-infrared search and track system, an electronic weapon system for fighters that detects heat energy and can transmit azimuth (bearing to the target) data to the fighter’s fire-control weapon system ISAR-Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar, a radar system that uses the motion of the object being tracked to sharpen and define the radar image; commonly used to identify ships by naval reconnaissance aircraft J- 2-part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff joint staIf, J-2 is the JCS directorate of intelligence JC Joint Chiefs of Staff, the commanders of the five main branches of the American military that serve as the interface between the National Command Authority (President and Secretary of Defense) and the military forces. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the NCA’s primary uniformed military adviser. KA-aerial refueling tanker version of the A-6 Intruder carrier based attack aircraft KC-10-aerial refueling tanker version of the McDonnell-Douglas DC10 airliner KC-135-aerial refueling tanker version of the C-135 transport plane KH-Keyhole series of photographic reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence-gathering satellites; produces very high-resolution photographs; the code name KEYN0LE refers to overhead photographic imaging systems, including aircraft and satellites LACROSS~new generation of high-resolution radar imaging satellites; transmits intelligence data to Earth by data link LSD-large- screen display; main processed radar data display of the Aegis naval battle group air defense system; also Landing Ship, Dock, an amphibious assault ship that carries large floating dock pieces to oflload supply ships during beach assaults M61A1-standard 20-millimeter cannon of many American fighter aircraft MAC-Military Airlift Command, the Air Force organization responsible for most American military transport duties MAJCOM-Major Command, the main organizations directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Command Authority; divided into specified (single-service) or unified Joint-service) commands Megafortress-(F) unclassified nickname of the EB-52 strategic “battleship” escort aircraft MEU-Marine Expeditionary Unit, the smallest and most responsive of the U.S. Marine Corps’ air-ground task forces; usually made up of two thousand Marines and Navy personnel and usually deployed with Navy fleets MFD-multi-function display, an instrument screen in a modern aircraft cockpit that displays different data and performs different functions, depending on the selected mode Mk 82-standard five-hundred-pound general-purpose high-explosive bomb MNP-Moro National Party, the pro-Islamic political organization active in the southern Philippines MOA-Military Operating Area, a piece of airspace set aside for high performance fighter activity; the military is responsible for aircraft separation Murene NTL-90-French-made air-launched torpedo MUTES-Multiple Target Emitter Site, a mobile electronic threat complex used in training missions by the Strategic Air Command; simulates many different types of enemy radar-guided air-defense weapons MV-22A-Marine Corps amphibious assault version of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft Nansha Da Chinese name for the Spratly Islands National Security Advisor Coordinates activities of the National Security Council and reports directly to the President National Security Council-principal advisory group to the President on defense matters; composed of the Vice President, Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of Central Intelligence NAVSTAR-unclassified nickname of the Global Positioning System of navigation satellites NCA- National Command Authority, composed of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense, who command all combat forces through the operational chain of command New People’s Army-the Communist guerrilla forces of the National Democratic Front, a major antigovernment force in the Philippines New Philippine Army-the name of the reorganized Philippine defense forces NIRTSat(F) Need It Right This Second satellites, a series of lightweight communications, intelligence, and reconnaissance satellites launched by small, quick-response space boosters such as ALARM. NMCC-National Military Command Center, the main commandcontrol-communications facility for senior Pentagon commanders NORAD-North American Aerospace Defense Command, the joint multi- service U.S. and Canadian organization responsible for surveillance and air-defense operations of North America; located within Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado NSA-National Security Agency, the agency responsible for interpreting and disseminating intelligence information NSC-National Security Council OPLANOperations Plan, generally referring to the pre-planned series of military responses drawn for various parts of the world 050-Offensive Systems Officer, the navigator-bombardier on a B-I strategic bomber PACAF-Pacific Air Forces, the major Air Force command responsible for all air operations from the U.S. West Coast to Africa PACER SKY-(F) a satellite-based reconnaissance system that transmits real-time infrared, visual, and radar satellite data to a ground or airborne terminal to provide aircrews or commanders with up-to-the-minute information on enemy troop positions Palawan- the westernmost island province of the Philippines; very sparsely settled and remote PCS permanent change of station; generally any military assignment lasting more than 180 days Phalanx CIW CIWS, or Close-In Weapon System; Phalanx is a radarguided 30-millimeter Gatling gun used by many classes of naval vessels for last-ditch