Acronyms & Codenames 10/11
Emmanuel.Gustin
From gus...@evs2.uia.ac.be (Emmanuel.Gustin)
STARS
Surveillance Target Attack Radar System
START
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks / Treaty
STAVKA
[USSR] Supreme Command Staff.
STC
[UK] Strike Command
STC
[USA] Supplemental Type Certificate
Steel Tiger
[USA] Interdiction missions over Laos, during the Vietnam war.
Steinbock
[Germany] IR-homing version of Rotkapchen.
Stickleback
[Allied] Shore bombardment weapon. A landing craft carried 1080
5in rocket launchers, ripple-fired against shore targets.
Stofl
[Germany] Stabsoffizier der Flieger --- Air force staff officer.
STOL
Short Take Off and Landing
Stormy FAC
[USA] Fast-jet FAC. F-4Ds were used.
STOVL
Short Take Off, Vertical Landing
Strangle
[Allied] Bomber attacks on German lines of communication in
Italy. Ended in May 1944.
Strangle
[UN] Attack on lines of communication in Korea.
Strassburg
[Germany] Radio reciever fitted to Fritz-X and Hs 293.
Streak Eagle
[USA] Program to set all eight time-to-eight records with a modified
F-15 Eagle, in 1974. The final record was a time of 3 min 27.8 sec
from standstill to 30000m.
Strength Through Joy
[UK] Hydraulically controlled version of 'Pig Through'. Too
troublesome to be useful. The name was a Nazi slogan, obviously
used satirically.
Stud
[USA] Escort and attack missions for fighters of the 8th AF and 9th AF on
D-day.
STV
[USA] Steerable Low-Light TV System -- fitted in the turrets under the
nose of the B-52.
Style
[UK] Delivery of Spitfires to Malta, 3 June 1942.
SUBCAP
Submarine Combat Air Patrol
SUBROC
[USA] Submarine launched, anti-submarine missile.
Super Octopus
[UK] 10 kiloton nuclear warhead, planned for the British version of
the cancelled GAM-87 Skybolt.
Sun Ray
[UK] Detachment to Shallufa, in the Suez canal zone.
Sun Run
[USA] Transcontinental flight by some RF-101C's, one of which made it
in 3h 7m 43s and another set a roundtrip time of 6h 46m 36s.
SURE
[USA] Sensor Update and Refurbishment Effort, for the RF-4B Phantom II.
Surprise Package
[USA] A AC-130 armed with two 20mm Vulcan guns and a 40mm Bofors.
SUU
[USA] Suspended Underwing Unit. A subminutions dispenser or gun pod.
SUU-7 Subminution dispenser
SUU-10 Subminution dispener
SUU-11 Pod with the GAU-2 Minigun
SUU-13 Subminution dispenser
SUU-14 Subminution dispenser
SUU-16 Pod with the M61 Vulcan gun.
SUU-23 Pod with the M61 Vulcan gun.
SUU-28 Subminution dispenser
SUU-30 Subminution dispenser
SUU-31 Subminution dispenser
SUU-36 Subminution dispenser
SUU-38 Subminution dispenser
SUU-50 Subminution dispenser
SUU-51 Subminution dispenser
SUU-54 Subminution dispenser
SUU-58 Subminution dispenser
SUW
Surface to Underwater Missile
SVS
[France] Section de Vol Sportif
SW
[USA] Strategic Wing
SWIP
[USA] Systems and Weapon Improvement Programme, for the A-6 Intruder.
SWIP
[USA] Super Weight Improvement Program, a desperate attempt to reduce
the weight of the F-111B to make it acceptable for carrier landings ---
the F-111B weighed 78000lb, while the limit for the USN had been
55000lb!
SWL
[USA] Strategic Weapons Launcher
SWNCC
[USA] State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee.
Sword
[Allied] One of the landing beaches used for 'Overlord'.
SWPA
[Allied] South West Pacific Area
SYERS
[USA] Senior Year Electro-optical Relay System. 'Senior Year' is the
U-2R; SYERS is a CCD-camera, of which the image can be data-linked
to a ground station.
Symbol
[Allied] Conference in Casablanca, January 1943.
--T--------------------------------------------------------------------------
T
[USSR] Tyazhely --- heavy.
TA
Target Acquisition
TA
Terrain-Avoidance
TAC
[USA] Tactical Air Command
TACAMO
[USA] TAke Charge And Move Out -- aircraft that relay communications
with the USN's submarines. EC-130A and E-6A.
TACAN
[USA] Tactical Aid to Navigation
TACC
[USA] Tanker Airlift Control Center, at Scott AFB.
TACCO
[USA] Tactical Coordinator -- the second crewmember in some USN
aircraft.
TACEVAL
[NATO] Tactical Evaluation
TACGRU
[USA] Tactical Air Control Group
Tacit Rainbow
[USA] Northrop AGM-136A, a loitering, anti-radiation cruise missile.
TACP
[USA] Tactical Air Control Party
TACRON
[USA] Tactical Air Control Squadron
TACS
[USA] Tactical Air Control System
TACSIT
[USA] Tactical Situation, of a USN battlegroup:
TACSIT 1 Exact location of battlegroup known to enemy
TACSIT 2 General location of battlegroup known to enemy
TACSIT 3 Location of battlegroup unknown to enemy
TacSupWing
[USA] Tactical Support Wing
TACT
[USA] Transonic Aircraft Technology, programme that involved
the modification of a F-111 to research supercritical wings.
TADS
[USA] Target Acquisition And Designation System
TAF
Tactical Air Force
TAG-x
Aircraft identified at the Soviet airfield of Taganrog were temporarly
labeled TAG-x were _x_ is a sequence letter.
Taifun
[Germany] Taifun was a cheap, high-velocity, unguided anti-aircraft
rocket, in mass production in January 1945.
TAKR
[USSR] Takticheskoye avianosniy kreyser (tactical aircraft-carrying
cruiser)
TALCM
[USA] Tomahawk Air-Launched Cruise Missile. The competition for ALCM.
TALD
Tactical Airborne Laser Designator
Tallboy
[UK] Streamlined 12000lb bomb, developed in Britain during WWII.
Tallboy fell at supersonic speed and buried itself deep in the ground
before exploding. It was designed for near-misses, destroying its
target by an earthquake effect.
Tally Ho
[USA] Strikes in North Vietnam.
TALON
Theater Application: Launch On Notice
TAM
Tactical Air Meet
TANK
[USA] USN: Tanker
TANS
Tactical Air Navigation System
TAO
[USA] Tactical Action Officer
Taran
[USSR] 'Ramming'. Air-to-air ramming was used in combat in 1941, when
most Soviet aircraft were obsolete and could not combat the German
aircraft with normal tactics. It was also used before and after WWII.
TARCAP
[USA] Target Combat Air Patrol
TARG
Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun
TARH
Terminal Active Radar Guidance
TARPS
[USA] Tactical Air Reconaissance Pod System
Tarzon
[USA] See VB.
TAS
[USA] Tactical Airlift Squadron
TAS
Target Acquisition System
TAS
True AirSpeed
TASM
[USA] Tomahawk Antishipping Missile
TASM
[UK] Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile
TASS
[USA] Tactical Air Support Squadron
TAV
Trans-Atmospheric Vehicle
TAW
[USA] Tactical Airlift Wing
Taxable
[Allied] Operation of aircraft simulating a convoy near Cap d'Antifer,
as a diversion for the invasion in Normandy. 6 June 1944. The Lancasters
of 617 squadron flew circles with a circumference of 22.39km, to
simulate a convoy with a speed of 6 knots. See also 'Glimmer'.
TBAP
[USSR] Tyazhyolobombardirovotschnii Aviatsonii Polk --- Heavy
Bomber Regiment.
TBD
To Be Decided
TBM
Tactical Ballistic Missile
TBO
Time Between Overhauls
t/c
Thickness / Chord ratio
TC
[NATO] Transit Corridor
TCC
Traffic Control Center
TCAS
Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System
TCS
[USA] Troop Carrier Squadron
TCS
[USA] Television Camera System, long-distance TV cameras to aid in the
visual identification of aircraft.
TDCA
[USA] Tactical Deployment & Control Aircraft
TDP
Technology Development Programme
TDRS
[USA] Tracking & Data Relay Sattelite
TDY
[USA] Temporary Duty
Teal Cameo
[USA] High-altitude RPV as TR-1 replacement.
Teal Ruby
[USA] Programme to develop a sattelite to detect aicraft from space
by IR measurements.
Team Spirit
[USA] Exercise.
TEDS
[USA] Tactical Expendable Drone System.
TEG
[USA] Test and Evaluation Group
TELINT
Telemetry Intelligence
Tentara Udara Diraya Malaysia
[Malaysia] Royal Malaysian Air Force
TER
Triple Ejection Rack
TERCOM
Terrain Countour Matching --- Navigation by comparison of the terrain
with a stored map.
Terec
[USA] Tactical Electronic REConnaissance sensor with real-time
datalink capability. Litton AN/ALQ-125 Terec.
TERF
Terrain (following) flight
TES
[USA] Test and Evaluation Squadron
TET
Turbine-Entry Temperature
TEZ
Total Exclusion Zone
TF
[USA] Task Force
TFG
[USA] Tactical Fighter Group
TF
Terrain Following
TFR
Terrain Following Radar
TFS
[USA] Tactical Fighter Squadron
136th TFS 'Rocky's Raiders'
308th TFS 'Emerald Knights'
481th TFS 'Crusaders'
TFW
[USA] Tactical Fighter Wing
8th TFW 'Wolf Pack'
TFTS
[USA] Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
TFTW
[USA] Tactical Fighter Training Wing
TFG
[USA] Tactical Fighter Group
TFW
[USA] Tactical Fighter Wing
TFX
[USA] Tactical Fighter Experimental. Became the F-111.
TG
[USA] Test Group
TGSM
Terminally Guided Sub Minution
THAAS
[USA] Theater High-Altitude Air Defense
THAP
[USA] Tactical High Altitude Penetrator. Alledged Nortrop technology
demonstrator for the (also alledged) stealth reconnaissance aicraft
TR-3. 1981.
THK
[Turkey] Turk Hava Kuvvetleri -- Turkish Air Force
Thunderbolt
[USA] Joint operation of the USN, USCG, US customs and DEA against
drug transporting aircraft, in 1981. Seized 45 aircraft in 77 days.
Thunderclap
[Allied] Bombardment campaign against German cities, early in 1945.
Halted after the attack on Dresden.
Thunderstick II
[USA] Modification of the F-105D with a new nav/attack system in a
dorsal spine.
TI
Trials Installation
TI
Thermal Imager
TIALD
[UK] Thermal Imaging and Laser Designation.
TIAS
[USA] Target Identification and Acquisition System, fitted to some
A-6B Intruders.
TIC
[USA] Troops In Contact
Tiger FAC
[USA] Fast-jet FAC. F-E4s were used.
Tiger Force
[UK] Force created by the UK in 1945 for deployment to the Far East.
This was made unecessary by the end of WWII.
Tiger Hound
[USA] Interdiction missions over Laos, during the Vietnam war.
TINS
Thermal Imaging Navigation Set
TIR
Target Illuminating Radar
TIR
Thermal Imaging Radar
TIR
Tracking & Illumination Radar
TIS
[USSR] Tyazhely Istrebitel Soprovozdeniya --- Heavy escort fighter.
TISL
[USA] Target Indicator System Laser; the 'Pave Penny' equipment.
TIT
[USA] Theatre Indoctrinatrion Training -- familiarization flights
during the first combat operations.
Titanic
[Allied] Dropping of dummy paratroopers as a diversion during
D-day, 6 June 1944.
TKA
[USSR] Torpedniy kater (torpedo cutter)
TL
[NATO] Transit Level
TLAM
[USA] Tomahawk Land Attack Missile
TLeLv
[USSR] Tiedustelulentolaivue
TLP
[NATO] Tactical Leadership Program.
TM
[USA] missiles.
TM-61 Matador
TM-76 Mace
TMA
Terminal Control Area
TMN
True Mach Number
TMR
[UK] Thrust Measuring Rig, a crude VTOL craft, powered by two
Rolls-Royce Nene jet engines, whose efflux was directed downwards.
Better known as 'Flying Bedstead'.
T/O
Take Off
TODA
Take-Off Distance Available
TODR
Take-Off Distance Required
TO&E
Table of Organization and Equipment
TOF
Time Of Flight
TOGW
Take-Off Gross Weight
Tom Tom
Project to have a B-29 'carry' a fighter escort, with the weight
supported by their own wings but the propulsive force generated
by the bomber. Two F-84s were attached to its wingtips.
Tonga
[Allied] Airborne operations on D-day, to secure the left flank of
the British landing sector.
Tonsil
[Allied] Barrage rockets used against V-1s.
Top Flight
[USA] Altitude record flight by a McDonnell YF4H-1, 6 December 1959.
98560ft.
Top Off
[USA] Training in weapons delivery.
TORA
Take-Off Run Available
Torch
[Allied] Invasion of North Africa, 8 November 1942.
TORR
Take-Off Run Required
TOT
Time Over Target
Totalize
[Allied] Attack against Falaise by the Canadian Army, 7 August 1944.
Halted on 9 August at 16km from Falaise.
TOW
Take-Off Weight
TOW
[USA] Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided -- an anti-tank
missile, probably the most numerous guided missile ever. BGM-71.
TPS
Test Pilots' School
TR
Tactical Reconaissance
Trail Dust
[USA] Escort missions for C-123 'Ranch Hand' defoliation aircraft.
Train
[UK] Delivery of Spitfires to Malta, 24 October 1942.
TRAM
[USA] Target Recognition and Attack Multisensor, a sensor package
carried by the A-6 Intruder.
TRAN
[USA] USN: Transport Ship
TRE
[UK] Telecommunication Research Establishment.
TREDS
[USA] TR-1 Exploitation Development System, a data processing
installation at Hahn AB for data acquired by the TR-1.
T/RIA
[USA] Telemetry / Range Instrumented Aircraft
Trident
[Allied] Conference in Washington, 18 May 1943.
TRIGAT
Third Generation Anti-Tank Missile
TRIM
[USA] Trails, Roads, Interdiction Multisensor
TRN
Terrain-Reference Navigation
TRS
[USA] Tactical Reconaissance Squadron
TRW
[USA] Tactical Reconaissance Wing
TS
[USA] Test Squadron
TsAGI
[USSR] Tsentralny Aerogidrodinamichesky Institut --- Central Aero- and
Hydrodynamic Institute.
TSD
[USA] Tactical Situation Display
TSFC
Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption
TsIAM
[USSR] Tsentralny Institut Aviatsionnove Motorostroeniya -- Central
Aeroengine Institute.
TsKB
[USSR] Tsentralnoye Konstruktorskoye byoro --- Central Design Burea.
TSO
Technical Standing Order
TSOR
Tentative Specific Operational Requirement
TTAE
Total Time, Airframe & Engine
TTC
[USA] Technical Training Center
TTF
Tanker Task Force
TTR
Target Tracking Radar
TTTE
[NATO] Tornado Tri-national Training Establishment. Set up at
RAF Cottesmore, UK, in 1981.
T&TW
[USA] Test & Training Wing
TTW
[USA] Tactical Training Wing
TTW
[USA] Technical Training Wing
TVD
[USSR] Teatr Voennykh Deistvii - Theater of Operations
TUDM
[Malaysia] Tentara Udara Diraya Malaysia -- Royal Malaysian Air Force
Tungsten
[UK] Attack of carrier aircraft on the German battleship 'Tirpitz',
at Kaatfjord; 3 April 1944.
Turk Donama Havaciligi
[Turkey] Turkish Navy.
Turkey Buzzard
[Allied] Towed flight of Airspeed Horsa gliders from the UK to
North Africa, for use in the invasion of Sicily. 3 June 1942.
Turk Hava Kuvvetleri
[Turkey] Turkish Air Force
Turqoise
[UN/France] French intervention in Ruanda, June 1994.
TVC
Trust Vector control
T/W
Thrust / Weight ratio
TW
[USA] Training Wing or Test Wing
TW/AA
Threat-Warning and Attack Assesment
TWI
Threat Warning Indicator
TWR
Threat Warning Receiver
TWR
aerodrome control ToWeR
TWS
Track-while-scan
TWT
Travelling Wave Tube, wave generator used in Pulse-Doppler radars.
TWU
[UK] Tactical Weapons Unit
--U--------------------------------------------------------------------------
U
[USSR] Uluchshennyi --- Improved.
UAS
[UK] University Air Squadron
UAV
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
U-boot
[Germany] Submarine
UCMJ
[USA] Uniform Code of Military Justice
UDF
Un-Ducted Fan
UDT
Underwater Demolition Team
UGM
[USA] Underwater-launched, guided ground-to-ground Missile. See
"us_mil.txt" for an explanation of the USA designation system.
UGM-27 Polaris
UGM-73 Poseidon
UGM-93 Trident
U-GO
[Japan] Attack in Burma, against Imhpal and Kohima, cities in the
border region of in India, 1944. Failed.
UHB
Ultra-High Bypass
UHF
Ultra High Frequency
UHU
[Germany] Unterstutzungshubschrauber, support helicopter.
UKADGE
United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment
UKADR
[UK] United Kingdom Air Defence Region
UKAIR
[NATO] United Kingdom Air Forces
UKV
[USSR] Udarnye kosmicheskie vooruzheniya - Space-based offensive
weapons.
ULM
Ultra Light Motorised (aircraft)
UN
United Nations
UNACE
Universal Aircraft Com/Nav Evaluation
United Effort
[USA] Program to gather data on the SA-2 Guideline SAM missile by
unmanned recconaissance drones.
UNPROFOR
United Nations Protection Force
UNREP
Underway Replenishment
UP
[UK] 'Unrotated Projectile', a codename used for rockets.
Uphold Democracy
[USA] Invasion of Haiti, 1994, to restore the elected president
Aristide to power.
UPT
[USA] Undergraduate Pilot Training
Urgent Fury
[USA] Invasion of Grenada, October 1983.
u/s
unserviceable
USAAC
[USA] United States Army Air Corps
USAAF
[USA] United States Army Air Force
USAAS
[USA] United States Army Air Service. Created on May 24, 1918.
USAF
[USA] United States Air Force. Created 18 September 1947.
USAFC
[USA] United States Forces in China. (1920's)
USAFE
[USA] United States Air Force in Europe
USCG
[USA] United States Coast Guard
USMC
[USA] United States Marine Corps
USN
[USA] United States Navy
USNI
[USA] United States Naval Institue
USNR
[USA] United States Navy Reserve
USNR(R)
[USA] United States Navy Reserve (Ready)
USNS
[USA] United States Navy Ship
USS
[USA] United States Ship
Utah Beach
[Allied] One of the landing beaches used for 'Overlord'.
UTTAS
[USA] Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System. Replacement
for the UH-1; the UH-60 was selected.
UTTCo
[USA] Utility Tactical Transport helicopter Company.
UUM
[USA] Submarine-launched, anti-submarine missile. Subroc is launched
underwater, breaks trough the surface, travels through air, and then
drops it warhead into the water. It has a nuclear warhead.
UUM-4 Subroc.
UUV
Unmanned Undersea Vehicle
UV
Ultra-Violet
UV-VS
[USSR] Upravlenie Voenno-vozdushnikh Sil -- Administration of the
air force.
UXB
[UK] UneXploded Bomb.
--V--------------------------------------------------------------------------
V-1
[Germany] Vergeltungswaffe 1, 'revenge weapon one'. Also know as Fi
103 or FZG 76. The V-1 was a pulse-jet powered flying bomb. Over
29000 V-1s were built. About 8000 were fired at London, of which 2419
hit. An additional 2448 fell on Antwerp.
V-2
The V-2 was the A-4 ballistic missile. Over 10000 were built. 1120
launched against England, of a total of 4320 operational firings.
Range was up to 320 km, but winged developments had a range of 750km
and the A-10 was a two-stage missile with intercontinental range.
After WWII the V-2 was tested by the Allied. This included a launch
from USS Midway, 6 september 1947.
VA
[USA] USN attack squadron
VA-12 'Clinchers'
VA-14 'Tophatters'
VA-15 'Valions'
VA-27 'Royal Maces'
VA-35 'Black Panthers'
VA-42 'Green Pawns'
VA-52 'Knight Riders'
VA-65 'Tigers'
VA-66 'Waldomen'
VA-75 'Sunday Punchers'
VA-82 'Marauders'
VA-85 'Black Falcons'
VA-86 'Sidewinders'
VA-87 'Golden Warriors'
VA-95 'Skyknights'
VA-97 'Warhawks'
VA-115 'Arabs'
VA-145 'Swordsmen'
VA-165 'Boomers'
VA-182 'Golden Intruders'
VA-176 'Thunderbolts'
VADS
Vulcan Air Defence System
VAID
[USA] Variable AIr Inlet Duct
VAL
[USA] USN light attack squadron
VAL-4 'Black Ponies'
VAP
[Russia] Vilivnoj Aviatsionnii Pribor --- Dischargeable Aviation System.
A system of water tanks installed in the cargo hold of the Il-76 for
firefighting tasks.
VAQ
[USA] USN tactical electronic warfare squadron
VAQ-34 'Flashbacks'
VAQ-132 'Scorpions'
Varsity
[Allied] Operations of the 17th US and 6th British airborne divisions
in support of 'Plunder' (which to see). 23-24 March 1945.
VASI
Visual Approach Slope Indicator
VAW
[USA] USN airborne early warning squadron.
VAW-125 'Tigertails'
VAW-127 'Seabats'
VB
[USA] Vertical Bomb. Vb-1 and VB-2 were free-fall weapons with
azimuth-only guidance, later VBs had complete guidance. VB-9 to
VB-13 had annular wings. VB-13 was used on large scale in Korea.
VB-1 Azon 454kg, used during WWII, used with succes against
bridges.
VB-2 Azon Similar to VB-1, 907kg.
VB-3 Razon 454kg
VB-4 Razon 907kg
VB-5 454kg, image contrast ligth seeker.
VB-6 Felix 45kg, IR seeker
VB-7 TV-guidance
VB-8 TV-guidance
VB-9 Radar homing
VB-10 TV guidance
VB-11 IR guidance
VB-12 Radio control, visual guidance
VB-13 Tarzon 5443kg
VBF
[USA] USN fighter-bomber squadron.
Vc
Design cruise speed
VC
[USA] USN composite squadron
VD
[USSR] Vertikalnye dvigateli, 'vertical engines', i.e. lift engines.
Vd
Maximum dive speed
VDF
VHF Direction Finding (station)
VDU
Video, or Visual Display Unit
Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voina
[USSR] Great Pattriotic War, i.e. WWII.
VERTREP
[USA] Vertical Replenishment --- transport by helicopter of supplies
to warships.
VF
[USA] USN Fighter Squadron
VF-1 'Wolf Pack'
VF-2 'Bounty Hunters'
VF-10 'Grim Reapers'
VF-14 'Tophatters'
VF-21 'Freelancers'
VF-31 'Sluggers'