Sword Point

Glossary of Military Terms

A-10 — The A-10 Thunderbolt, nicknamed the Warthog, is a ground-attack aircraft specially built for the U.S. Air Force to crack tanks. Armed with a 30mm. cannon capable of destroying tanks from above, the A-10 can also carry 8 tons of ammunition. It has a maximum speed of 423 mph and an operational range of 288 miles.

AH-64 — The U.S. Army's current attack helicopter, named the Apache. Now being fielded, it is capable of carrying sixteen Hellfire antitank guided missiles or seventy-six 2.75-inch rockets. In addition, the helicopter is armed with a 30mm. cannon. It has a maximum speed of 192 mph and an operational range of 380 miles. A computer-driven fire-control system that includes thermal sights and a laser designator tracker range finder makes the AH-64 one of the most effective antitank weapons systems in the world.

AK — Avtomat-Kalashnikov assault rifle, the standard rifle of the Red Army. The original AK, the AK-47, fired a 7.62mm. round in either the semiautomatic or the full automatic mode. The rifle has a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute but in reality can only fire 90 rounds, as the magazine holds either 30 or 40 rounds. Effective range of the AK-47 is 400 meters. The AKM was an improvement of the AK47, a folding stock being the most noticeable feature. The current assault rifle of the Red Army, the AKS74, which is based on the AK-47, fires a 5 .45mm. round and has an effective range of 500 meters.

ATGM — Antitank guided missile.

AWACS — See E-3 Sentry.

Battalion — A military organization consisting of three to five companies, with personnel strength of 350 to 800 men.

Battle-Dress Uniform — Camouflaged fatigues worn by U.S. ground forces. Referred to as BDUs.

Blackhawk — See UH-60 Blackhawk.

BMD — The airborne version of the BMP-1 (See BMP).

BMP — A Red Army infantry-fighting vehicle introduced in the 1960s. It comes in two primary versions. The BMP-1, the original design, is armed with a 73mm. smooth-bore gun, a 7.62mm. machine gun and an AT-3 SAGER antitank guided missile. The BMP-2 is armed with a 30mm. gun, a 7.62mm. machine gun and an AT-5 SPAN DEL antitank guided missile. Both vehicles have a crew of three and can carry eight infantrymen. The BMP is amphibious, weighs 11.3 tons and has a range of operations of 310 miles and a top speed of 34 mph. There are now several variations of this vehicle, including a reconnaissance version that has replaced the PT-76 light tank, and a command post. Boggy-Air Force slang for an enemy aircraft.

Bradley — Name of the U.S. Army infantry-fighting vehicle. See M-2.

BRDM — The standard Soviet reconnaissance vehicle. This vehicle comes in two recon versions, the BRDM-1, now obsolete, and the BRDM-2. The BRDM-2 is armed with a 14.5mm. machine gun and a 7.62mm. machine gun; it weighs 6.9 tons, is fully amphibious, and has a top speed of 62 mph on land and 6.25 mph in the water, with a range of 400 miles.

Brigade — A flexible organization that consists of two to five combat maneuver battalions and various combat support and combat service support units such as engineers, air-defense artillery, military intelligence, supply, medical, maintenance, etc.

BTR-60 — A Soviet eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier capable of carrying up to fourteen people. It weighs approximately 10 tons, is amphibious and is fielded in several versions, some of which have a small turret armed with a 14.5mm. and a 7.62mm. machine gun.

CAA — See Combined Arms Army.

C-5A Galaxy — The largest transport aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. It can carry 100 tons and all oversized cargo such as tanks, and has a range of 7500 miles.

CO — Short for "commanding officer."

Combined Arms Army — The Soviet equivalent of a U.S. Army corps in size and purpose. It has three or four motorized rifle divisions and one or two tank divisions, plus combat-support units such as artillery, rocket troops, air defense, attack helicopters and engineers, as well as supply and transportation units. The combined arms army is the main weapon of the Red Army at the operational level.

Company — A military organization that numbers from 50 to 180 personnel and is normally divided into platoons and/or sections.

Corps — In the U.S. Army, an organization comprising several combat divisions, independent combat brigades, armored cavalry regiments, and combat-support units such as artillery, rocket troops, air defense, attack helicopter and engineers, as well as supply and transportation units. It is a flexible organization that can be added to or have units taken from it, depending on the corps's missions. The corps is commanded by a lieutenant general and can number from 50,000 to over 100,000 men.

CP (Command Post) — The center where commanders and their operations and intelligence staff, along with special staff officers, plan, monitor and control the battle.

CQ — Short for "charge of quarters." This is a noncommissioned officer who is put on duty at company level during non duty hours. He is responsible for the maintenance of unit rules and regulations and is the point of contact for receiving and passing important information at the company.

Division — A major military organization that consists of brigades and/or regiments and can have personel strength as low as 6,500 men or as high as 20,000 depending on the type.

Dragon — The M-47, currently the medium-range wire guided antitank guided missile, with a maximum range of 1,000 meters, used by both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. The system consists of a tracker, which contains all the optics and the command guidance system, and the missile, which comes in a fiberglass tube that is disposed of after the missile has been fired. The missile and the launcher together weigh 30 pounds.

E-3 Sentry — An airborne early-warning and control system (AWACS). The Sentry, equipped with state of-the-art radar and sensors, provides a look-down view of all air activity over an extended area of operations. It is more than a simple information-gatherer; the personnel aboard control the conduct of air operations, directing friendly fighters against hostile aircraft.

F-15 Eagle — An air-superiority fighter. Introduced in late 1974, the F-15, along with the F-16, is the mainstay of the U.S. Air Force today and for the foreseeable future. The A and C models are single-seater fighters, the B and C models are two-seater trainers, and the E model, now entering service, is a two seater ground-attack plane. The F-15 weighs 12.7 tons empty and can cant' a variety of stores weighing up to 8 tons in the A and C models and tons in the E model. (The B-17 heavy bomber of World War II had a maximum bomb load of 10 tons.) In addition to bombs, the F-15 can carry four Sparrow and four Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and has a 20mm. gun with 920 rounds for air-to-air combat. Maximum speed at 36,000' feet and carrying only four Sparrows is 1,653 mph, or two and a half times the speed of sound. It is capable of flying as high as 65,000 feet.

Frigate — A small naval ship used as an escort and for submarine-hunting. It can carry a variety of offensive weapons, including a 5-inch gun, torpedoes, surface to-surface antiship missiles, surface-to-air antiaircraft missiles, antisubmarine rockets, and a helicopter used in antisubmarine warfare (ASW) operations. It can also carry various defenses against missile attacks, including antimissile missiles, rapid-fire guns, and electronic and mechanical spoofing devices designed to confuse the incoming missile's guidance system. A typical frigate weighs approximately 3,000 tons.

G1, etc. — See S-1, etc.

HEAT — High-explosive antitank. A HEAT round is a round that has a shaped charge in its warhead. Upon impact and detonation, the shaped charge forms a jet stream of molten-metal particles traveling at extreme high speeds. This jet stream literally displaces the molecules of an armored vehicle's armor and forces its way into the interior of the vehicle, where it comes into contact with flammable material such as on-board fuel and ammo-and, of course, with the crew. Reactive armor, now in use in several armies around the world, is meant to defeat HEAT rounds by preventing the jet stream of the HEAT round from forming. Hummer-The M-998 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV). This is the replacement for the World War II-era one-quarter-ton truck or jeep.

KGB — The security force of the USSR, reaching into every aspect of Soviet life and into the affairs of all nations. The KGB comprises many services and organizations. Besides intelligence, it includes border security forces, battalions of paramilitary troops for internal security, and political officers attached to military units; and it mans and runs the State's prison-camp system for political prisoners. The head of the KGB is one of the three most powerful men in the Soviet Union.

LAVA — wheeled light armored vehicle (hence LAV), in use with the U.S. Marine Corps. It weighs slightly under 10 tons and has a top speed of 63 mph and range of over 400 miles. Armament includes a 25mm. cannon, the same as that used by the M-2 Bradley, and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the 25mm. cannon.

LAW — Light antitank weapon. The current LAW in use with the U.S. Army is the 66mm. M72A2 that fires an antitank rocket from a disposable tube and has an effective range of 355 meters. The M72 is being replaced by the AT-4, built by Honeywell and based on the Swedish LAW. The AT-4 weighs 14.6 pounds, fires an 84mm. antitank rocket from a disposable launcher and has an effective range of 500 meters.

LTVP — 7-An armored amphibious assault vehicle used by the U.S. Marine Corps. It weighs 26 tons and has top speeds of 39 mph on land and 8.5 mph in the water. Capable of carrying up to twenty-five troops, it is armed with a50-caliber machine gun.

M-1 and M-1A1 — The current main battle tank of the U.S. Army. Type-classified in 1981, the M-1 is in the field in two versions: the M-1, which is armed with a 105mm. rifled main gun, and the M-1A1, which is armed with a 120mm. smooth-bore gun. The two versions have similar characteristics, which include secondary armament of a.50-caliber machine gun at the commander's station and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the main gun. The tank weighs 61 tons and has a maximum speed of 45 mph and a range of 275 miles. The M-1 is the first U.S. tank to be protected by special armor, sometimes referred to as Chobham armor.

M-2 — The current U.S. Army infantry-fighting vehicle, called the Bradley. The Bradley is armed with a twin tube TOW-missile launcher, a 25mm. gun, and a 7.62mm. machine gun mounted coaxially with the 25mm. gun. It has a crew of three and can carry six infantrymen, each of whom has a firing port and a periscope from which he can fire a special port weapon. The M-2 weighs 25 tons, has a top speed of 41 mph, is amphibious and has a range of 300 miles.

M-3 — The reconnaissance version of the M-2 Bradley, found in scout platoons and armored cavalry units. Its characteristics and performance are the same as the infantry version.

M-8 — The standard Soviet troop-carrying helicopter.

M-16 — The standard rifle of U.S. ground-combat forces. It fires a 5.56mm. round, either semiautomatic or full automatic, and is gas operated, magazine fed and air-cooled. The M-16A2, now being fielded, eliminates the automatic mode and fires a three-round burst instead and has several other improvements, including a heavier barrel that allows greater accuracy at longer ranges.

M-577 — A fully armored and tracked command post carrier. Used by battalion staffs and above for their command post, or tactical operations center See TOC/. Mechanized-Term used in the U.S. Army when referring to infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers or infantry-fighting vehicles. In the Red Army, these units are referred to as motorized rifle units.

MILES — Short for "multiple integrated laser engagement system." The system uses eye-safe lasers mounted on all weapons and sensors attached to all personnel and equipment. The lasers and sensors are set at different frequencies that only allow a "kill" to be achieved in training by weapons capable of inflicting a "kill" in reality. For example, an M-16 rifle MILES laser can "kill" an exposed soldier but not a tank.

Mine Roller/Plow — Devices attached to the front of tanks and designed to detonate antitank mines without damaging the tank pushing the device. In this way, path can be cleared through a mine field even when covered by fire from defending units.

Motorized Rifle — Term used in the Red Army when referring to infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers or infantry-Fighting vehicles. In the U.S. Army, these are referred to as mechanized units.

NATO — Acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which includes Norway, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Canada and the United States.

NCO — Short for "noncommissioned officer"-a sergeant.

OP FOR — Short for "opposing force," a term used to describe the enemy during maneuver training exercises.

Orders Group — Selected commanders and staff officers who receive the mission operations order from their higher headquarters. These people, in turn, with assistance from the rest of the unit's staff, will produce the necessary orders at their level to accomplish the mission assigned to them.

Overwatch — A term applied to a tactical method of movement in which part of unit remains stationary, watching for enemy activity, while another part moves forward. It is the task of the over watch element to engage any enemy forces that threaten the element in motion.

Platoon — A military organization that consists of as few as 9 men and 3 tanks in the case of a Soviet tank platoon or as many as 50 men in some U.S. platoons.

Point Element — A small group of soldiers or vehicles that moves well in advance of the main body of troops. This element is responsible for ensuring that the route is clear and navigable. Should the point element be ambushed, the main body will not be involved, provided the point was out far enough.

Reactive Armor — Not really armor in the conventional sense, reactive armor consists of numerous small metal boxes arranged on a tank's exterior and filled with explosives. If a HEAT round (See HEAT) hits this, the explosive in the reactive armor detonates and, without damaging the tank, prevents the jet stream of the HEAT round from forming.

Regiment — A military organization similar to a brigade but more rigid in its organization. It usually consists of one type of unit, such as an infantry regiment or an armor regiment. All battalions within a regiment carry the same regimental number.

RO-RO Ships — Cargo ships designed to allow for wheeled and tracked vehicles to be driven on and off. This eliminates the need for cranes and fully operational port facilities at the point of debarkation.

Round-out Unit — The current U.S. Army force structure does not allow the Army to have enough personnel on active duty to fill all authorized slots in active units. Some active-duty units are missing entire subordinate units. National Guard and Reserve units therefore are identified to fill out those active-duty units that are short when necessary. These Guard and Reserve units are referred to as round-out units.

RRF (Ready Reserve Fleet) — Civilian-owned merchant ships that are on short-notice recall by the U.S. Navy for use in transporting supplies and equipment in the event of mobilization or war.

S-1, etc. — The "S" stands for "staff" in battalion- and brigade-sized units in the U.S. Army. The S-1 is responsible for personnel matters, the S-2 is the intelligence officer, the S-3 is operations, plans and training, and the S-4 is supply and maintenance. At division and corps level, the "S" is replaced with a "G," which stands for "general staff." When more than one service is involved, as in a joint Army and Navy operation, staffs use "J," for "joint staff."

Sabot — The word is French, meaning "shoe." In the U.S. Army, it is short for "fin-stabilized armor-piercing discarding sabot," which is the primary armor defeating round used by tanks. A Sabot is a kinetic energy round that literally punches its way through the armor of the targeted tank. Though the round is fired from a large-caliber gun, the actual penetrator, made of depleted uranium or a tungsten nickel alloy, is small, being only a fraction of the gun's bore diameter. This penetrator is seated in a base that equals the diameter of the gun tube and keeps the gases produced by the propellant behind the round. This base plate is the shoe, or Sabot. After the penetrator leaves the gun tube, the base plate falls away.

SAW — Squad automatic rifle. The M249 SAW is a 5.56mm. light machine gun now replacing the M-60 machine gun. The weapon weighs 22 pounds with a full, 200-round magazine attached, and has a cyclic rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute.

Security Element — A force responsible for providing protection, security or early warning to a larger force.

Self-propelled Artillery — Field artillery that is mounted on a tracked vehicle and usually provides armored protection for the crew.

Squad — The smallest military organization, normally commanded by a sergeant and consisting of 9 to 12 men.

T-80 — The current Red Army main battle tank. The T80 has a three-man crew consisting of the tank commander, the gunner and the driver. An automatic loader eliminates the need for a human loader. The T-80 is armed with a 125mm. smooth-bore gun, a 12.7mm. machine at the commander's station and a 7.62mm. mace gun mounted coaxially with the main gun. The T-80 weighs 39.3 tons, has a top speed of 50 mph and a range of 310 miles and uses special armor as well as add-on reactive armor. The T-72 and the T-64, both of which are earlier versions of the T-80, are similar to it in appearance and have the same general performance data.

Thermal Sight — A sighting system that detects heat emissions and transforms them into an electronic image.

TOC — Tactical operations center. This is the command post where the operations and intelligence staff monitors and controls the battle, receives reports from subordinate units, sends reports to higher headquarters and develops operations orders an intelligence estimates based on information coming from higher and lower sources. Other elements, such as the artillery fire-support officer, or FSO, are normally part of the TOC.

TOE — Pronounced T-O-E, not toe, it stands for "table of organization and equipment," a document that prescribes how much and what type of equipment and personnel a unit is supposed to have. A unit that has its full TOE has all assigned equipment and personnel. An MTOE is a modified TOE used in units whose mission requires special equipment.

TOW — Short for "tube-launched, optically tracked wire-guided." The TOW is the primary heavy antitank guided missile for both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. It has an effective range of 3,750 meters and cane fired from a variety of platforms ranging from a ground tripod to attack helicopters. Introduced in 1970, it has seen service in Vietnam and in the Middle East, where it was a decisive factor in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Tracers — Ammunition containing a chemical substance that leaves a luminous trail when fired, enabling the firer to see whether his rounds are reaching the target. Machine gun ammunition is usually issued with one tracer round for every four rounds of ball ammunition. Large-caliber rounds for direct-fire weapons, 20mm. and above, normally have a tracer element on every round.

Traffic Regulator — Personnel in the Soviet Army who direct the flow of traffic. They are usually placed at critical points where convoys must turn, to ensure that the convoy turns in the proper direction or to sort out traffic jams. Turret Defilade-A defensive posture assumed by a fighting vehicle that allows its personnel to view its assigned sector of responsibility without exposing the bulk of the vehicle.

UH-60 Blackhawk — A combat assault transport, or utility helicopter. This helicopter is currently replacing the Vietnam-era UH-1, or Huey. The Blackhawk has a crew of three and can carry eleven fully armed troops, six wounded in litters or four tons of cargo that can be sling-loaded. It has maximum speed of 184 mph, a cruising speed of 167 mph and an operational range of 373 miles that includes a thirty-minute reserve.

Warthog — See A-10.

Watchcon Level — Level of military-intelligence activity used to indicate the amount and nature of intelligence that will be gathered. As the Watchcon level increases, more intelligence assets are used to gather information concerning a possible threat or to provide early warning.

Wizzo — An Air Force slang term used to refer to the radar weapons-systems operator in the backseat of a dual-seater aircraft. Also called a backseater, 'gator, fighter gator guy-in-back, and ace of gauges.

XO — Short for "executive officer," the officer second in command of a unit. Sometimes the XO is referred to as a deputy commander, as in the Red Army.