by Andy Farman
HUD:
Heads Up Display
HUMINT:
Intelligence gathered by humans
‘I’
ICBM:
Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
IFF:
Identification Friend or Foe
IL-76:
Russian built heavy transport aircraft
Intruder:
USN carrier borne strike aircraft (A-6)
IR:
Information Room (Metropolitan Police)
IR:
Infra-Red
IRST:
Infra-Red Search and Tracking
‘J’
Jaguar:
British/French ground attack aircraft
JNAIRT
Joint Nuclear Accident and Incident Response Team
JSTARS:
Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (air to ground surveillance)
‘K’
KC-135:
Aerial Tanker derived from Boeing 707 (Extender)
Kevlar:
Carbon fibre armour
Klick:
Kilometre / a thousand metres
‘L’
L/Cpl:
Lance Corporal
L/Sgt:
Lance Sergeant
Lancer:
US built supersonic swing wing early stealth bomber (B1-B)
LAW:
Light Anti-Tank Weapon
LSW:
Light Support Weapon
Lynx:
British, fast, tank hunting helicopter
LZ:
Landing Zone
‘M’
M&AWC:
Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre (RM Specialists)
MAC:
Military Airlift Command
Mach:
Speed of sound (at sea level = 1,225 KPH / 761.2 MPH)
Maggot:
Sleeping bag
Mainstay:
Russian built AWAC version of the heavy Il-76 transport aircraft (A-50)
MAW:
Medium Anti-Tank Weapon
MBT:
Main Battle Tank
Mess:
Sleeping quarters/Dining area/Bar/social organisation
Met:
Metropolitan Police
MFC:
Mortar Fire Controller
MIG-23:
Russian built single seat, single engine fighter (Flogger)
MIG-25:
Russian built high speed interceptor (Foxbat)
MIG-29:
Russian built single seat, twin engined fighter (Fulcrum)
MIG-31:
Russian built high speed interceptor (Foxhound)
Mirage:
French air superiority fighter
MLRS:
Multi Launch Rocket System
MP:
Member of Parliament
MP:
Military Police
MP5:
Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm SMG and carbine
MRCA:
Multi Role Combat Vehicle
MRR:
Motor Rifle Regiment
MSTAR:
Battlefield radar system
‘N’
NAAFI:
Navy Army Air Force Institute (shop and bar facilities for British forces)
NAS:
Naval Air Station
NATO:
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NAVSAT:
Navigation Satellite
NBC:
Nuclear Biological Chemical
NBC:
National Broadcasting Company
NCIS:
National Crime Intelligence Service
NCO:
Non Commissioned Officer
Nighthawk:
USAF stealth fighter bomber (F-117A)
NSA:
National Security Agency
NSY:
New Scotland Yard
NVG
Night Vision Goggles
‘O’
O Group:
Orders Group (Briefing)
OP:
Observation Post
Oppo:
Buddy
Oulou
In the countryside. In the middle of nowhere.
‘P’
PC:
Police Constable
Peewits:
Possession With Intent to Supply (The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. S 5 (3)
Pickle:
Release bombs
Pl:
Platoon: (3 x Sections)
PLA:
Peoples Liberation Army
PLAAF:
Peoples Liberation Army Air Force
PLAN:
Peoples Liberation Army Navy
Platoon:
3 x Sections (Pl)
PLCE:
Personal Load Carrying Equipment (Webbing)
PM:
Prime Minister
PNG:
Passive Night Goggle
PRC:
Peoples Republic of China
PS:
Police Sergeant
Ptarmigan:
British, secure battlefield communications system
Pte:
Private
‘Q’
Q Bloke:
Quartermaster
QM (T):
Quartermaster (Technical) - (W01 rank)
QRF:
Quick Reaction Force
QRH:
Queens Royal Hussars
‘R’
RA:
Royal Artillery
RAC:
Royal Armoured Corps
RAF:
Royal Air Force
Rapier:
British AAA missile system
RE:
Royal Engineers
REME:
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Replen:
Replenish
Rfn:
Rifleman
RIO:
Radar Intercept Officer
RM:
Royal Marines
RMP:
Royal Military Police
RN:
Royal Navy
ROC:
Republic Of China (Taiwan)
ROC:
Generic term for the Taiwanese military
ROE:
Rules Of Engagement
RORSAT:
Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite
RQMS:
Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant (W01 rank)
RSM:
Regimental Sergeant Major (WO1 rank)
RV:
Rendezvous Point
RVP:
Rendezvous Point
‘S’
SA:
Surface-to-Air
SA80:
British 5.56mm calibre individual weapon
Sabre:
British tracked reconnaissance vehicle
SACEUR:
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
SAM:
Surface to Air Missile
Samaritan:
British tracked armoured ambulance
Samson:
British tracked armoured recovery vehicle
SAR:
Search-And-Rescue
SAR:
Synthetic Aperture Radar
SARH:
Surface to Air Radar Homing
SAS:
Special Air Service (recruits from British Army)
SASR:
Special Air Service Regiment (recruits from Australian Army)
Saxon:
British, wheeled APC
SBS:
Special Boat Service (recruits from Royal Marines)
Scimitar:
British tracked reconnaissance vehicle
Sea Harrier:
RN V/STOL Fleet defense aircraft
Sentry:
US built AWACS based on Boeing 707 (E-3)
SFO:
Special
ist Firearms Officer (Police)
SIS:
Secret Intelligence Service
Sitrep:
Situation report
Six:
Directly behind (Six o’clock position)
SLBM:
Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine
SLR:
Self-Loading Rifle
SMG:
Sub Machine Gun
SO12:
Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)
SO13:
Anti-Terrorist Squad (Metropolitan Police)
SO14:
Royalty Protection (Metropolitan Police)
SO16:
Diplomatic Protection Group (Metropolitan Police)
SCO19:
Specialist Firearms Unit (Metropolitan Police)
Spartan:
British tracked vehicle for AAA, MFC, Engineer or Recce
SP HVM:
Self-Propelled High Velocity Missile
Spearfish:
British advanced, high speed, wire guided torpedo
Spirit:
US built stealth bomber (B-2)
SRAM:
Short Range Attack Missile
SS:
Surface to Surface
SSBN:
Ballistic Missile Submarine (Boomer)
SSG:
Diesel powered guided missile submarine
SSGN:
Nuclear powered guided missile submarine
SSK:
Diesel powered attack submarine
SSN:
Nuclear powered attack submarine
Starstreak:
British advanced, high speed anti-aircraft missile
Striker:
British tracked AT vehicle
STOL:
Short Take Off and Landing
SU-24:
Russian built two seat interdiction and attack aircraft (Fencer)
SU-25:
Russian built close air support, ground attack aircraft (Frogfoot)
SU-27:
Russian built single seat, twin engined fighter (Flanker)
SU-32:
Russian built advanced two seat fighter bomber (Fullback)
Sultan:
British tracked, armoured command vehicle
SWAT:
Special Weapons and Tactics
‘T’
T-64:
Russian designed MBT
T-72:
Russian designed MBT
T-80:
Russian designed MBT
T-90:
Russian designed MBT
TAO:
Tactical Action Officer
TAVR:
Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve
TEL:
Transporter Erector Launcher
Thunderbolt:
US built single seat, close air support, tank killing aircraft (A10 / Warthog)
Tomcat:
USN swing wing, twin engine, two seat, strike fighter (F-14)
Tornado F3:
British/German twin seat, swing wing fighter
Tornado GR:
British/German ground attack aircraft
Tpr:
Trooper
Triple A:
AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery)
TU-22:
Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Blinder)
TU-22M:
Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Backfire)
TU-160:
Russian built supersonic swing wing bomber (Blackjack)
‘U’-‘V’-‘W’-‘Z’
UGM:
Un-Guided Missile
USAF:
United States Air Force
USMC:
United States Marine Corps
USN:
United States Navy
USSR:
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
VTOL:
Vertical Take Off and Landing
Warrior:
British AFV
Warthog:
A-10: US built single seat, close air support, tank killing aircraft
Wild Weasel:
Dedicated, specialized, AAA suppression mission
Willy Pete:
WP: White Phosphorus
WO:
Warrant Officer
WP:
White Phosphorus
ZSU:
Russian designed series of Self –Propelled AAA vehicles
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Farman was born in Cheshire, England in 1956 into a close family of servicemen and servicewomen who at that time were serving or who had served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army.
As a 'Pad brat' he was brought up on whichever RAF base to which his Father had been posted until he joined the British Army as an Infantry Junior Leader in 1972, at the tender age of 15.
Andy served in the Coldstream Guards on ceremonial duties at the Royal Palaces, flying the flag in Africa and on operational tours in Ulster, and on the UK mainland during Op Trustee.
In 1981, Andy swapped his green suit for a blue one with the Metropolitan Police but continued an active volunteer reserve role in both the Wessex Regiment and 253 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (V).
After twenty four years in front line policing, both in uniform and plain clothes he finally moved to a desk job for six years at an inner city borough, wearing two hats, those of an operation planner, and liaison officer with the television and film industry.
His first literary work to be published was that of a poem about life as a soldier in Ulster, which was sold with all rights to a now defunct writers monthly in Dublin for the princely sum of £ 11 (less the price of the stamp on the envelope that the cheque arrived in.) The 'Armageddon's Song' series began as a mental exercise to pass the mornings whilst engaged on a surveillance operation on a drug dealer who never got out of bed until the mid-afternoon. On retirement he emigrated to the Philippines with his wife Jessica where he took up scuba diving and is a member of the famous IGAT running club.
A final, special mention, for the book reviewers at arrse.co.uk (Just click ‘Home’ if you end up at an error page) for not laughing me out of town, but giving good advice and suggesting the wiki site where maps will be added constantly. They take a few hours to create so bear with me and visit also. Maps, more coming all the time.
The Series Facebook page has other bits and pieces, plus if you have any queries you are guaranteed a quick response. Armageddon's Song on Facebook.
Lt Henry Shaw USMC
Coming in December 2014