Red Phoenix

by Larry Bond

  ASW — Antisubmarine Warfare: The art and science of killing enemy submarines.

  AWG-9 radar: The radar mounted in the nose of the F-14 Tomcat fighter. A very powerful and sophisticated unit, it allows the aircraft to track and fire AIM-54C Phoenix missiles at up to six air targets simultaneously.

  BDU — Battle Dress, Uniform: The Army’s name for camouflaged uniforms.

  BLU-109 bomb: A type of 2,000-pound bomb. It has a specially hardened case that allows it to penetrate many feet of reinforced concrete before detonating.

  BMP — Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota: A Russian armored personnel carrier, it carries seven troops and has a crew of two. A modern design, it has a small turret that mounts a 73mm gun or 30mm autocannon, an antitank missile launcher, and a machine gun. It is tracked, and amphibious.

  BOQ — Bachelor Officers’ Quarters: A cross between an apartment house, a dormitory, and a zoo, it is a place for unmarried officers to live on base rent-free. Each room has a combined bedroom and living room and a small bath. There are no kitchen or cooking facilities, although there is usually a refrigerator.

  BTR — Bronetransportr: A Russian term for a series of eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers.

  BTR-60: An eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, it first appeared in the early 1960s. The first of a long series of similar designs, it has a boat-shaped hull and can carry fourteen men. One flaw in this design is its two gasoline engines, located behind thin armor. This was corrected in later versions.

  C-141 Starlifter: This four-engined transport is the stardard cargo plane for the U.S. Air Force. It can carry over 200 troops or 35 tons of cargo.

  C-5 Galaxy: The largest aircraft in the U.S. inventory, this monster can carry 110 tons of cargo. It rarely carries troops but instead is used to carry items too bulky or heavy for the C-141 Starlifter.

  C4: The designation for a type of plastic explosive used by the U.S. Army and others. It can be worked like modeling clay, burned, or dropped, but it will not detonate without an igniter.

  CAR-15: A South Korean-built version of the U.S. M16 rifle.

  CEV: The M728 Combat Engineering Vehicle looks like a cross between a bulldozer and a tank. It has a built-in crane, a bulldozer blade, and a large, low-velocity “demolition gun.” It is used by the Army to clear obstacles and build entrenchments.

  CH-53: A twin-engined cargo helicopter, the CH-53 was also used in Vietnam as a combat rescue helicopter, with machine guns, armor, and a hoist for recovering downed pilots from inside enemy territory. This was so successful that the idea was expanded to the present MH-53E Pave Low, an ultrasophisticated machine loaded with sensors and weapons.

  CIA — Central Intelligence Agency: One of many U.S. intelligence agencies and the one most widely known. Headquartered in Langley, Virginia, across the Potomac from Washington, D.C.

  CIC — Combat Information Center: The compartment of a Navy warship where displays showing information from the ship’s radars, sonars, lookouts, and any other sensors are located. The ship’s captain will normally “fight his ship” from here, where he can see what is going on around his vessel. It was first developed during World War II, when sea battles moved out beyond visual range.

  CINCPAC–Commander in Chief Pacific: A U.S. officer in command of all American forces in the Pacific area. The post is usually occupied by an admiral, but he also controls Army, Air Force, and Marine units 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). Emission Control is used to restrict such transmissions and reduce a task force’s chance of being detected.

  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 — Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravleniye: Chief Intelligence Directorate, Soviet General Staff. Soviet military intelligence, responsible for collecting information on the military forces of opposing countries.

  GSP — Gusenichnii Samokhodnii Porom: The Russian name for a tracked amphibious ferry used to carry tanks and other heavy equipment across a river.

  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 saucer radome on top of the fuselage. It can monitor air and sea movements up to several hundred miles away. It is the rough equivalent of the American E-3 Sentry.

  INS — Inertial Navigation System: This device keeps track of the user’s position by measuring his movements in three dimensions. The result is most often displayed on a small map or as a latitude and longitude readout. When started, an INS must always be “told” where it is.

  IP — Initial Point: A U.S. Air Force term that refers to the geographic location used as the start point for an approach to a target.

  ITV — Improved TOW vehicle: This converted M113 armored personnel carrier mounts a two-tube launcher on top to fire TOW antitank missiles. The launcher and its attached sight can be extended several feet into the air, allowing the vehicle to stay hidden while searching for targets.

  Jian-7: The Chinese designation for their copy of the Soviet MiG-21 fighter.

  KA-6D tanker: A modified version of the A-6 Intruder, this plane is fitted with a hose and reel. It is launched from carriers and is used to refuel the other planes in flight after they have been launched.

  KATUSA — Korean Attached to U.S. Army: Term for a South Korean soldier serving as part of an American Army unit.

  KGB — Komitet Gosudatstvennoy Sigurnost: Committee for State Security. The Soviet organization responsible for the security of the Soviet state inside and outside its own borders. It deals with subversion, espionage, intelligence gathering, and other matters.

  LAMPS — Light Airborne Multipurpose System: See SH-2F Sea Sprite.

  LAW — Light Antitank Weapon: A 66mm rocket in a fiberglass tube, this one-shot, throwaway weapon weighs about five pounds. It has a short range and limited penetrating power, but it gives the individual soldier a powerful one-time “punch” against lightly armored vehicles, bunkers, or buildings.

  LOFAR — Low Frequency Analysis: The sound signature of each submarine is subtly different, and by analyzing the sounds they make a subhunter may be able to determine the nature of his opponent. The term is also used to refer to a class of relatively inexpensive passive sonobuoys dropped from ASW aircraft to listen for enemy submarines.

  LRRPs — Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols: During the Vietnam War, small detachments of soldiers were inserted deep in enemy territory, where they operated alone for extended periods of time. Specially trained, they gathered intelligence and conducted ambushes, sabotage, or assassinations.

  M16: The standard U.S. Army infantry weapon, it is much lighter and smaller than its predecessor, the M14 rifle. The M16 weighs eight and a half pounds. It can be fired on semi or full automatic.

  M-48 tank: This vehicle was first designed in the early 1950s. Mounting a 90mm gun and with a gasoline engine, it was used by American armored units and exported widely. Obsolete since the 1960s, many have been reworked with larger 105mm guns, diesel engines, and improved fire-control systems.

  M-60 tank: The M-60 tank mounts a 105mm gun and served as the U.S. military’s main battle tank for nearly two decades. It is still in service, but is being gradually replaced in front-line units by the M-1 Abrams.

  M60 machine gun: The standard U.S. Army machine gun, it is actually derived from a World War II German design, the MG 42. It weighs 23 pounds and is normally fired from a bipod.

  M61 Vulcan: This revolutionary 20mm cannon revived the “Gatling gun” principle for use as an aircraft weapon. It has a rate of fire of over 3,000 rounds per minute. First appearing in the 1950s, this principle has since been applied to other calibers (see GAU-8).

  M-113: An armored personnel carrier first deployed in 1960, it is little more than a thinly armored box on treads. Armed only with a. 50-caliber machine gun, it remains popular and cheap — despite its inadequate protection. It is being replaced in the U.S. Army by the M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

  M-577: A heavily modified version of the M113 armored personnel carrier, it is equipped to serve as a mobile command post.

  MAC — Military Airlift Command: Part of the U.S. Air Force, it operates their fleet of transport aircraft and is responsible for ensuring the rapid air movement of U.S. troops and equipment to trouble spots around the globe.

  MAD — Magnetic Anomaly Detector: A sensor carried on Navy subhunting aircraft. It detects the distortions in the earth’s magnetic field caused by the presence of several thousand tons of steel making up a submarine’s hull.

  Mark 82: One of a series of low-drag bombs used by the United States and other countries. The Mark 82 weighs 250 pounds, the Mark 83 1,000 pounds, and the Mark 84 2,000 pounds.

  MiGs: “MiG” stands for “Mikoyan and Gureyivich,” whose aircraft designs have been produced since World War II. Other design bureaus have also produced fighter designs, but the MiG series has been the most famous and the most successful. All Russian aircraft have been assigned code names by NATO, since they do not give their aircraft names like “Falcon” or “Eagle.” Fighter code names always begin with F, bombers with B, and special-purpose aircraft with M.

 
MiG-19 UTI: A twin-engine, single-seat fighter that appeared after the Korean War, the MiG-19 Farmer is an older design that is still fairly maneuverable and has shown that it can take some punishment and still survive. The “UTI” is the Soviet abbreviation for the two-seat training version.

  MiG-21 “Fishbed”: The MiG-21 is a single-engine, single-seat fighter designed by the Soviets but widely distributed to their allies. Though an older design, it is still a fairly maneuverable aircraft and a dangerous opponent in a close-in dogfight. It carries a primitive radar and radar-guided missiles in addition to heat-seekers and a cannon.

  MiG-23 “Flogger”: The MiG-23 is a single-engine, single-seat fighter also distributed by the Soviets. Very fast, it is a notoriously poor dogfighter. It does have a fairly effective radar and radar-guided missiles to take advantage of that fact.

  MiG-29 “Fulcrum”: A brand-new Soviet fighter that has been heavily exported to their allies. While not quite as good as current U.S. designs, the twin-engined MiG-29 is too close for comfort. It is equipped with a good radar and missile armament.

  MLR — Main Line of Resistance: Term for a line defining the forward edge of a military unit’s main defensive position.

  MRE — Meals Ready to Eat: The modern replacement for the legendary “C” rations, an MRE is a series of plastic pouches filled with freeze-dried foods. While individual opinions vary, on the whole they are seen as a vast improvement over their predecessors.

  NSP — National Security Planning Agency: The new name for the KCIA, or Korean Central Intelligence Agency. This organization is responsible for stopping espionage and subversion threatening the Republic of Korea.

  OP — Observation Post: A small, often concealed, position occupied by one or two men whose mission is to provide early warning of enemy movement.