1964. Four TF33 turbofan engines. About 227 remain in service, subject to weight restrictions due to airframe fatigue. Equipped for in-flight refueling. Maximum takeoff weight 325,000 pounds.
C-17 Globemaster III Heavy-lift McDonnell Douglas transport designed for operation into short, unimproved runways. Four P & W F117 turbofan engines. Maximum takeoff weight 585,000 lb./266,000 kg. Advanced cockpit with flight crew of two plus enlisted loadmaster in cargo bay. Only forty aircraft currently funded.
C-5B Galaxy Long-range Lockheed Martin heavy lift transport. Four TF39 turbofan engines. Maximum takeoff weight is 837,000 pounds. Nose structure swings up and tail ramp drops down for rapid loading and unloading. About eighty-two in service.
C3I Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence; the components and targets of information warfare. Pronounced 'see-three-eye.'
Call Sign (1) An identifying name and number assigned to an aircraft for a particular mission. Aircraft in the same flight will usually have consecutive numbers. (2) A nickname given to an aviator by his/her squadron mates and retained throughout his/her flying career, often humorous.
Canard Small fixed or movable wing located forward of an aircraft's main wing. This is the French word for 'duck,' from an early French aircraft (c. 1910) that first used this feature and was nicknamed 'the Duck.' Canard-type designs are generally very resistant to stalling.
Canopy The transparent bubble that covers the cockpit of an aircraft. Usually made of Plexiglas, or polycarbonate, sometimes with a microscopically thin layer of radar-absorbing material. Easily scratched or abraded by sand or hail. Ejection seats have a means of explosively jettisoning or fracturing the canopy to reduce the chance of injury during ejection.
CAP Combat Air Patrol, a basic fighter tactic that involves cruising economically at high or medium altitude over a designated area searching for enemy aircraft.
CBU Cluster Bomb Unit. A munition that is fuzed to explode at low altitude, scattering large numbers of 'submunitions' over an area target. Submunitions can be explosive grenades, delayed-action mines, antitank warheads, or other specialized devices.
CENTAF The Air Force component of U.S. Central Command, including units deployed to bases in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other states in the Gulf region. The Commander of CENTAF is an Air Force lieutenant general, who typically also commands 9th Air Force based at Shaw AFB, South Carolina.
CENTCOM United States Central Command, a unified (joint service) command with an area of responsibility in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Headquartered at McDill AFB, Florida, and generally commanded by an Army four-star general. CENTCOM normally commands no major combat units, but in a crisis situation it would rapidly be reinforced by units of the Army's XVIIIth Airborne Corps, the U.S. Marine Corps, and Allied forces.
Chaff Bundles of thin strips of aluminum foil or metallized plastic film that are ejected from an aircraft to confuse hostile radar. A chaff cloud creates a temporary 'smokescreen' that makes it difficult for radar to pick out real targets. The effectiveness of chaff depends on matching the length of the chaff strips to the wavelength of the radar.
Chop To assign a unit to the command of a different headquarters. For example, in a Middle Eastern crisis the 366th Wing might be chopped to CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command). Term is probably derived from Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese word for a seal used to sign official documents. 'In-chop' and 'out-chop' designate the official dates that a unit arrives in or departs a particular theater of operations.
CinC Commander in Chief. Used to designate the senior officer, typically a four-star general or admiral in charge of a major command, such as CINCPAC (Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command).
CMUP Conventional Munitions Upgrade Program. U.S. Air Force initiative to develop new families of low-cost improved conventional bombs.
CONOPS Concept of Operations. The commander's guidance to subordinate units on the conduct of a campaign.
CTAPS Contingency Tactical Air Control System Automated Planning System. A transportable network of computer workstations, linking various databases required for the generation of an Air Tasking Order.
CVW Carrier Air Wing. A force of Navy aircraft organized for operation from an aircraft carrier. Typically includes one fighter squadron, two attack squadrons, and small units of helicopters and anti- submarine, electronic warfare and early warning radar planes. U.S. Marine Corps air units may be assigned to a carrier air wing.
CW Continuous Wave. A type of radar that emits energy continuously, rather than in pulses.
DARO Defense Airborne Reconnaisance Office. A Pentagon agency created in 1992, charged with fixing the mess in U.S. airborne recon.
DMPI Direct Mean Point of Impact. The exact geographical coordinates of a target, used for mission planning. Pronounced 'dimpy.'
Drag The force that resists the motion of a vehicle through a gaseous or liquid medium. The opposite force is lift. Also the practice of cross-dressing in clothing of the opposite sex for informal squadron entertainment events.
DSCS Defense Satellite Communication System. A family of geosynchronous satellites and ground terminals ranging from 33-inch airborne antennas to 60-foot ground dishes. The current generation, DSCS III, includes five satellites, providing global coverage. Some earlier DSCS II satellites are still operational.
E-2C Hawkeye U.S. Navy carrier-based twin-turboprop airborne early warning aircraft built by Grumman. Large radar in saucer-shaped rotating antenna housing. Entered service in 1964. Also operated by France, Israel, and Japan.
E/O Electro-optical. A general term for sensors that use video, infrared, or laser technology for assisting navigation or locating, tracking, or designating targets.
ECM Electronic Countermeasures. Any use of the electromagnetic spectrum to confuse, degrade, or defeat hostile radars, sensors, or radio communications. The term ECCM (electronic counter- countermeasures) is used to describe active or passive defensive measures against enemy ECM, such as frequency-hopping or spread-spectrum waveforms.
EF-111 Raven Electronic warfare version of the F-111 fighter bomber. Nicknamed 'Spark 'Vark.'
ELINT Electronic Intelligence. Interception and analysis of radar, radio, and other electromagnetic emissions in order to determine enemy location, numbers, and capabilities.
Energy In pilot jargon, the sum total of kinetic energy (speed) and potential energy (altitude) that an aircraft or missile has at a given instant. The concept of 'energy maneuverability' developed by Colonel John Boyd is a fundamental idea in air-to-air tactics. Turning and other forms of maneuvering quickly use up energy, making an aircraft vulnerable to an enemy with more energy. The faster an aircraft can accelerate, the more quickly it can regain lost energy.
FAC Forward Air Controller. Designates both the aircraft and the pilot with the dangerous mission of circling over a battlefield to locate targets and direct strike aircraft.
FADEC Full Authority Digital Engine Control. A computer that monitors jet engine performance and pilot throttle inputs and regulates fuel supply for maximum efficiency.
Flameout The unintended loss of combustion inside a jet engine, due to a disruption of air flow. This can be extremely serious if the flight crew is unable to restart the affected engine.
Flap A hinged control surface, usually on the trailing edge of a wing, commonly used to increase lift during takeoff and drag during landing.
Flare (1) A pyrotechnic device ejected by an aircraft as a countermeasure to heat- seeking missiles. (2) A pitch-up maneuver to bleed off energy, performed during landing, just before touching down.
FLIR Forward Looking Infrared. An electro-optical device similar to a television camera
