Net Control, and common contacts are correlated. The system also transmits data from each ship and aircraft's weapons systems (e. g., a missile firing). All services use the LINK.
desk jockey Nonflyer, one who drives a computer instead of an aircraft.
DDG Guided missile destroyer.
DESRON Destroyer commander.
DICASS An active sonobuoy. dick stepping Something to be avoided. While anatomically impossible in today's gender-integrated services, in an amazing display of good sense, it has been decided that women do this as well.
Doppler Acoustic phenomena caused by relative motion between a sound source and a receiver that results in an apparent change in frequency of the sound. The classic example is a train going past and the decrease in pitch of its whistle. When a submarine changes its course or speed in relation to a sonobuoy, the event shows up as a change in the frequency of the sound source.
Double nuts Zero zero on the tail of an aircraft.
E-2 Hawkeye Command and control and surveillance aircraft. Turboprop rather than jet, and unarmed. Smaller version of an AWACS, in practical terms, but carrier-based.
ELF Extremely Low Frequency, a method of communicating with submarines at sea. Signals are transmitted via a miles-long antenna and are the only way of reaching a deep-submerged submarine.
Envelope What you're supposed to fly inside of if you want to take all the fun out of naval aviation.
EWs Electronic warfare technicians, the enlisted sailors that man the gear that detects, analyzes, and displays electromagnetic signals. Highly classified stuff.
F/A-18 Hornets The inadequate, fuel-hungry intended replacement for the aging but still kick-your-ass potent Tomcat. Flown by Marines and Navy.
Familygram Short message from submarine sailor's family to a deployed sailor. Often the only contact with the outside world that a submarine sailor on deployment has.
FF/FFG Abbreviation for a fast frigate (no, there aren't slow frigates) and a guided missile fast frigate.
flag officer In the Navy and Coast Guard, an admiral. In the other services, a general.
flag passageway The portion of the aircraft carrier that houses the admiral's staff working spaces. Includes the flag mess and the admiral's cabin. Normally separated from the rest of the ship by heavy plastic curtains, and designated by blue tile on the deck instead of white.
Flight Quarters A condition set onboard a ship preparing to launch or recover aircraft. All unnecessary persons are required to stay inside the skin of the ship and remain clear of the flight deck area.
flight suit The highest form of navy couture. The perfect choice of apparel for any occasion ? indeed, the only uniform an aviator ought to be required to own.
FOD Stands for Foreign Object Damage, but the term is used to indicate any loose gear that could cause damage to an aircraft. During flight operations, aircraft generate a tremendous amount of air flowing across the deck. Loose objects ? including people and nuts and bolts ? can be sucked into the intake and discharged through the outlet from the jet engine. FOD damages the jet's impellers and doesn't do much for the people sucked in, either. FOD walkdown is conducted at least once a day onboard an aircraft carrier. Everyone not otherwise engaged stands shoulder to shoulder on the flight deck and slowly walks from one end to the other, searching for FOD.
fox Tactical shorthand for a missile firing. Fox one is for a medium-range missile guided by radar, such as an AMRAAM or Sparrow; fox two is for an IR-guided missile such as a Sidewinder; the fox three is for a long-range Phoenix missile.
GCI Ground Control Intercept, a procedure used in the Soviet air forces.
Primary control for vectoring the aircraft in on enemy targets and other fighters is vested in a guy on the ground, rather than in the cockpit where it belongs.
GIB See backseater.
GMT Greenwich Mean Time.
green shirts See shirts.
handler Officer located on the flight-deck level responsible for ensuring that aircraft are correctly positioned, 'spotted,' on the flight deck.
Coordinates the movements of aircraft with yellow gear (small tractors that tow aircraft and other related gear) from maintenance areas to catapults and from the flight deck to the hangar via the elevators.
Speaks frequently with the air boss. See also bitch box.
HARMS Anti-radiation missiles that home in on radar sites.
Home Plate Tactical call sign for Jefferson.
hot In reference to a sonobuoy, holding enemy contact. huffer Yellow gear located on the flight deck that generates compressed air to start jet engines. Most Navy aircraft do not need a huffer to start engines, but it can be used in emergencies or for maintenance.
hunter Call sign for the S-3 squadron embarked on the Jefferson.
ICS Interior Communications System. The private link between a pilot and a RIO, or the telephone system internal to a ship.
inchopped Navy talk for a ship entering a defined area of water (e. g., 'inchopped the Med'). Leaving a body of water is called outchopping.
IR Infrared, a method of missile homing.
isothermal A layer of water that has a constant temperature with increasing depth. Located below the thermocline, where increase in depth correlates to decrease in temperature. In the isothermal layer, the primary factor affecting the speed of sound in water is the increase in pressure with depth.
JBD Jet Blast Deflector. Panels that pop up from the flight deck to block the exhaust emitted by aircraft.
USS Jefferson The star nuclear aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.
leading petty officer The senior petty officer in a work center, division, or department, responsible to the leading chief petty officer for the performance of the rest of the group.
LINK See data link.
lofargram Low Frequency Analysing and Recording display. Consists of lines arrayed by frequency on the horizontal axis and time on the vertical axis. Displays sound signals in the water in a graphic fashion for analysis by ASW technicians.
long green table A formal inquiry board. It's better to be judged by three than carried by six.
machinist's mate Enlisted technician who runs and repairs most engineering equipment onboard a ship. Abbreviated as MM (e. g., MM 1 sailor is a petty officer first class machinist's mate).
MDI Mess Deck Intelligence. The heartbeat of the rumor mill onboard a ship and the definitive source for all information.
MEZ Missile Engagement Zone. Any hostile contacts that make it into the MEZ are engaged only with missiles. Friendly aircraft must stay clear in order to avoid a blue on blue engagement (i. e., fratricide).
MiG A production line of aircraft manufactured by Mikoyan in Russia. MiG fighters are owned by many nations around the world.
Murphy, law of The factor most often not considered sufficiently in military planning. If something can go wrong, it will. Naval corollary Shit happens.
national assets surveillance and reconnaissance resources of the most sensitive nature (e. g., satellites).
NATOPS The bible for operating a particular aircraft. See envelope.
NFO Naval Flight Officer.
nobrainer Contrary to what copy editors believe, this is one word. Used to signify an
