Acronyms and Codenames FAQ, L-N



==L==========================================================================
--LA-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAAS
       Low Altitude Airfield Attack System
LABS
       [USA] Low-altitude Bombing System -- 'tossing' nuclear bombs
       in a half-loop, returning to low altitude on the opposite
       direction.
LAC
       Leading Air Craftsman
LAD
       [USA] Low Altitude Dispenser. Cancelled in favour of 'Have Slick'.
LADD
       [USA] Low Altitude Drogue Delivery -- dropping nuclear bombs that are
       retarded by a parachute and have a time fuse.
Lafayette
       [USA] Conversion for B-29s and F-84s for in-flight refuelling.
Laffing Eagle
       [USA] RU-21 mission.
LAH
       Light Attack Helicopter
LAM
       [UK] Long Aerial Mine.  An explosive charge, towed behind an aircraft
       on a 600m line, in to hope that enemy aircraft would hit it.  During
       WWII twenty RAF Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc aircraft were actually using
       this weapon for a brief period.
Lamantin
       [France] Operations to support the government of Mauretania in actions
       against the Polisario movement, 1977.
LAMPS
       [USA] Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System. LAMPS I was the SH-2D
       Seasprite, LAMPS III is the SH-60B Seahawk. LAMPS II was skipped. 
Lam Son 719
       [South Vietnam/USA] South-Vietnamese operations in Laos. 8 Februari
       to 9 April 1971. 
LANA
       [USA] 50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation. The L is the symbol for
       50 in the Roman numeric system. This was a transcontinental speed
       record attempt, flown by F4H-1Fs. 869.73mph.
LANA
       [USA] Low-Altitude Night Attack system.	Podded system carrier by the
       A-7.
Land Mattress
       [Allied] Land-based version of 'Sea Mattress', using 3in rockets with
       5in warheads and 30-tube launchers.
LANDSS
       [USA] Lightweight Advanced Night/Day Surveillance System.  A
       surveillance RPV programme.
LANTIRN
       [USA] Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra-Red for Night.
       Equipment carried by aircraft configured for night attacks.
LAPES
       [USA] Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System
LARA
       [USA] Light Armed Reconaissance Aircraft. Requirement filled in 
       by the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco.
LASL
       [USA] Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
LASS
       [USA] USN:  Launch Area Suport Ship
LAST
       [UK] Low-Altitude Surveillance Task. Review, begun in 1982, of
       possible AEW systems for the British fleet. An AEW version of the
       Westland Sea King helicopter was chosen.
LatWing
       [USA] Light Attack Wing
LAU
       Launcher Unit
Laura
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Aichi E11A floatplane
Layang
       [Philippines] Conversion of the SF 260MP to SF 260TP turboprop-
       engined configuration. 
Layforce
       [UK] Detachment of commando force to the Med, February 1941. They
       became part of the 6th division.
--LB-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LB
       [UK] Delivery of Spitfires to Malta, 18 May 1942.
LBA
       [Germany] LuftfahrtBundesAmt
LBH
       Light Battlefield Helicopter
--LC-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LCA
       [India] Light Combat Aircraft. Indigenous fighter aircraft, under
       development in India.
LCAC
       [USA] USN: Landing Craft, Air Cushioned
LCC
       [USA] USN: Command ship for amphibious operations.
LCC
       [USA] Land Component Commander
LCD
       Liquid Crystal Display
LCD
       Load Classification Group
LCEHV
       [USA] Low Cost Expendable Harassment Vehicle.  RPV development
       programme.
LCF
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Flak
LCH
       Light Combat Helicopter
LCI
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Infantry
LCLM
       [USA] Low-Cost Lightweight Missile, a possible Sidewinder replacement.
LCM
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Mechanized (units)
LCN
       Load Classification Number. A number indicating for which aircraft
       weights a runway is stressed.
LCO
       [USA] Launch Control Officer, in drone controller aircraft.
LCP
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Personnel
LCR
       [Spain] Limited Combat Ready
LCT
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Tank
LCU
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Utility
LCV
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Vehicles 
LCVP
       [USA] USN:  Landing Craft, Vehicles and Personnel
--LD-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
L/D
       Lift / Drag Ratio
LDA
       Landing Distance Available
LDGP
       Low-Drag, General Purpose (Bomb)
LDO
       [USA] Limited Duty Officer
--LE-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEAP
       [USA] Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile. A small homing
       warhead, for use against ballistic missile, which can be
       carrier into space by the Standard missile. 
LED
       Light Emitting Diode
Left Foot
       [USA] RU-21 mission.
Left Jab
       [USA] RU-21 mission.
LeLv
       [Finland] Lentolaivue
LEM
       [USA] Lunar Excursion Module, renamed LM.
Lentosotakoulu
       [Finland] Air Fighting School. 
LERX
       Leading Edge Root eXtension
LEX
       Leading Edge eXtension
--LF-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LFA
       Low Frequency Active
--LG-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LGB
       [USA] Laser Guided Bomb
LGM
       [USA] Silo-launched, guided ground-to-ground Missile.  
       LGM-25 Titan II
       LGM-30 Minuteman
LGP
       Laser Guided Projectile
--LH-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LH
       Light Helicopter
LHA
       [USA] Helicopter Assault Ship.  Carrier for helicopters and VTOL
       aircraft, combined with loading dock for amphibious operations.
       LHA-1 Tarawa         (Tarawa)
       LHA-2 Saipan         (Tarawa)
       LHA-3 Belleau Wood   (Tarawa)
       LHA-4 Nassau         (Tarawa)
       LHA-5 Da Nang        (Tarawa)
       LHA-5 Pelileu        (Tarawa)
LHD
       [USA] USN:  Amphibious Assualt Ship.  Improved LHA.
       LHD-1 Wasp           (Wasp)
       LHD-2 Essex          (Wasp)
       LHD-3 Kearsage       (Wasp)
       LHD-4 Boxer          (Wasp)
       LHD-5                (Wasp)
LHX
       [USA] Light Helicopter eXperimental. The RAH-66 Comanche.
--LI-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
Lichtenstein
       [Germany] Airborne interception radar. FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC
       worked at 409MHz, with a maximum range of 4km, and a minimum range
       of 200m. FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1 was improved and simpler. 
       FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 worked at 91MHz with a maximum range
       of 5km and a minimum range of 500m.
Lichtmeer
       [Germany] 'Sea of Light'. Attack on the bases of the RAF Bomber
       Command, during the Battle of Britain. 
Licht Vliegwezen / Aviation Legere
       [Belgium] army air force
LID
       [USA] Lift Improvement Devices. On the AV-8 Harrier: two strakes on
       the underside of the fuselage and a retractable ventral dam,
       improving lift for vertical take-off.
LIDAR
       Laser lIght Detection And Ranging
Lightning Bug
       [USA] Ryan 147B recconaissance drone, used to investigate the guidance
       systems of SAMs --- see 'United Effort'.
Lilo
       [Allied] A simple 3in rocket on an easily detachable mount, with
       an armour-piercing warhead, for use against fortified positions
       in the Pacific.
Lily
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Kawasaki Ki.48 bomber
LIM
       [USA] Silo-launched SAM.
       LIM-49 Nike Zeus / Spartan
Lima Mike
       [USA] Tactical support mission (?)
Limbo
       [UK] Launcher for three 440lb depth charges in a triangular pattern,
       2000m ahead of the  launching ship.
Linebacker I
       [USA] Bombardment offensive in Vietnam, 8 May -- 22 October 1972.
Linebacker II
       [USA] Bomber offensive in Vietnam, 18-30 December 1972.
Linnet
       [Allied] Planned airborne dropping at Lille, France, after 'Overlord'.
       Not done.
LINS
       Laser Inertial Navigation System
Lisa Ann
       [USA] Boeing RC-135E, with SLAR.
Litter Bug
       [USA] Operations of AQM-34H RPVs in South-East Asia. They dropped
       leaflets... Unofficially, the program was labeled 'Bullshit Bomber'.
Little Brother
       [USA] Intended gunship version of the Cessna 337.  Abandoned.
Liz
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Nakajia G5N bomber
--LJ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--LK-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LKA
       [USA] USN:  Amphibious Cargo Ship
LKdo
       [Germany] Luftflotten Kommando
--LL-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LLGB
       Launch & Leave Guided Bomb
LLGB
       Low-Level Guided Bomb
LL/LGB
       Low-Level Laser Guided Bomb
LLLTV
       Low-Light Level TeleVision
LLRV
       [USA] Lunar Landing Research Vehicle.
LLTR
       [USA] Low-Level Transit Route
LLTV
       [USA] Lunar Landing Training Vehicle.
LLTV
       Low-Light TeleVision
LLv
       [Finland] Lentolaivue --- squadron.
--LM-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LM
       [USA] Lunar Module, the actual moon landing craft.
LMTR
       Laser Marker & Target Ranger
--LN-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--LO-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LO
       Low Observable (technology)
LoADS
       [USA] Low Altitude Air Defense System. The 'Sentry' ABM missile.
LOC
       [USA] Line Of Communication
Lock On
       [USA] Operational evaluation of the F-86D all-weather interceptor,
       in Februari 1954. It revealed serious deficiencies.
LOFT
       [UK] Line Oriented Flight Training
L&OG
       [USA] Logistics & Operations Group
Loge
       [Germany] London, as a target during the Battle of Britain. 
LOH
       [USA] Light Observation Helicopter. Requirement for which the
       Bell OH-4, Hiller OH-5 and Hughes OH-6 were built. The OH-6 was
       selected. 
LoI
       Letter of Intent
Loincloth
       [UK] First operation of the LRP organized by Gen. Wingate, also
       known as 'Chindits' in Burma. Began on 8 February 1943.
Loise	
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Mitsubishi Ki.2 bomber
Lombard
       [UK] Diversionary operation over Norway, June 1944.
LOMEZ
       [USA] Low Missile Engagement Zone
Lone Ranger
       [UK] Overseas deployment of a single aircraft, to test self-
       sufficiency.
Long Lance
       [Japan] The "type 93" torpedo used by the Japese forces during WWII, an
       uniquely powerful weapon:  9m long, with a 60cm cross-sectioon, a
       weight of 2700kg and a warhead of 450kg.  Driven by oxygen.
Long Thrust
       [USA] Exercise. During Long Thrust II, in 1962, 5273 troops were
       flown for the USA to Germany in seven days.
Long Track
       [NATO] Surveillance radar associated with the SA-4 and SA-6
Looking Glass
       [USA] Boeing KC-135B, EC-135A, EC-135C and EC-135P, ABNCP aircraft
       (airborne command posts for the nuclear forces).
Lookout
       [USA] ?
Loon
       [USA] Navy version of the JB-2, the Americanized version of the
       German V-1.  Never operational, but fired from two submarines in tests.
LORAD
       [USA] Long-Range Active Detection
LORAN
       Long Range Aid to Navigation
Lorna
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Kyushu Q1W Tokai ASW aircraft
LOROP
       Long-Range Oblique Photography
LOTEX
       Life-Of-Type Extension
Louise
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Mitsubishi Ki.2 bomber
Low Blow
       [NATO] Radar associated with the SA-3
LOX
       Liquid Oxygen.
--LP-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LP
       Low Pressure
LPA
       [USA] USN:  Amphibious Transport
LPD
       [USA] USN: Amphibious Transport Dock
LPH
       [USA] Amphibious Assault Ship.  Includes a number of former CV's of the
       Essex class and CVE's of the Anzio and Commencement Bay class.  The
       later 'Iwo Jima' class were purpose-designed helicopter carriers.  They
       are also suitable for AV-8 Harriers.
       LPH-2  Iwo Jima	     (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-3  Okinawa	     (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-4  Boxer	     (Essex)
       LPH-5  Princeton      (Essex)
       LPH-6  Thethis Bay    (Anzio / Casablanca)
       LPH-7  Guadalcanal    (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-8  Valley Forge   (Essex)
       LPH-9  Guam	     (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-10 Tripoli	     (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-11 New Orleans    (Iwo Jima)
       LPH-12 Inchon	     (Iwo Jima)
LPI
       Low Probability of Intercept
LPO
       [USA] Leading Petty Officer (USN)
LPSS
       [USA] USN:  Amphibious Transport Submarine
--LQ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--LR-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LRAVS
       [UK] Long-Range ASV. 
LRBM
       Long-Range Ballistic Missile
LRCA
       [USA] Long Range Combat Aircraft.  The B-1B.
LRDMM
       [USA] Long-Range Dual-Mission Missile.  A ship-launched missile
       programme, intended against both ships and aircraft.
LRGB
       Long-Range Glide Bomb
LRIP
       Low-Rate Initial Production
LRIX
       [USA] Long-Range Interceptor Experimental; the F-108 Rapier project.
       This Mach 3+ fighter was cancelled.
LRMP
       [USA] Long-Range Maritime Patrol
LRMTS
       [UK] Laser Range Meter and Target Seeker, targeting equipment
       fitted to the Jaguar and Harrier.
LRP
       [Allied] Long-Range Penetration, operations of small units behind the
       enemy lines. 
LRPA
       Long-Range Patrol Aircraft
LRU
       Line Replaceable Unit
--LS-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LS
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship
LSD
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Dock
LSI
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Infantry
LSM
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Medium
LSM(R)
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Medium, rockets
LSO
       [USA] Landing Signal Officer on aircraft carriers. 
LST
       [USA] Landing Ship, Tank
LSU
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Utility
LSV
       [USA] USN:  Landing Ship, Vehicles
--LT-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LTD
       Laser Target Designator
LTD/R
       Laser Target Designator / Rangefinder
LTF
       [UK] Lightning Training Flight
LTG
       [Germany] Lufttransportgeschwader -- air transport wing.
LTWA
       [USA] Long Trailing Wire Antenna. For the E-6 Mercury TACAMO aircraft;
       this antenna has a length of 8530m.
--LU-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucero
       [UK] Modification of the AI Mk.VIII radar which enabled the radar
       to be used fior navigatio, displaying the position of ground
       beacons.
Lucky Dragon
       [USA] Operations of U-2 recconaissance aircraft from Bien Hoa,
       Vietnam, 1964.
Luke
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Mitsubishi J4M fighter
Lulu
       [USA] Air-dropped nuclear depth charge. 
Luftwaffe
       [Germany] Air Force.
--LV-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LVA
       [Netherlands] Luchtvaartafdeling, Air Corps,
       name of home-based air force before and during WWII.
LVA
       [Czechoslovakia] Letecka Vojenscka Akademie --- Military Air Academy.
LVT
       [USA] USN: Landing Vehicle, Tracked
--LW-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
LWF
       [USA] LightWeight Fighter, the program that created the F-16 and F-17.
LWR
       Laser Warning Receiver
--LX-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--LY-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--LZ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LZ
       Landing Zone
LZC
       [USA] Landing Zone Construction -- dropping blast bombs to clear an
       area.
LZP
       [USA] Landing Zone Preparation -- supressing enemy action to make
       landing of aicraft or helicopters possible.
       
==M==========================================================================
M
       [USSR] Modifikatsirovanny or Modifikatsiya; both indicating a
       modification.
M
       [USA] Code applied to designations for armament
       systems and equipment, used by the US Army.
       M1    Cluster bomb
       M2    Browning .30 or .50 machine gun
       M3    Browning .50 machine gun
       M5    40mm grenade launcher
       M6    The M6 combined four M60s with six 70mm rockets.
       M8    MDD Grenade launcher
       M12   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M13   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M16   Combination of the M60 guns and two M158 rocket launchers.
       M17   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M19   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M20   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M21   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M21   Emerson M21 armament system for helicopters; two M134 and two
	     M158.
       M22   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M24   20mm cannon.
       M26   Cluster fragmentation bomb
       M27   McDonnell Douglas M27, a nose turret for helicopters with a
	     single M134 gun or M8 grenada launcher, interchangeable.
       M28   Emerson gun turret for helicopters with one M134 and one M129.
       M28   Cluster fragmentation bomb
       M30   Cluster adapter
       M30A1 45.4 kg General Purpose bomb
       M31   20mm cannon
       M31   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M32   Gas cluster bomb
       M35   Installation of the M195 in helicopters.
       M35   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M36   Incendiary cluster bomb
       M38A2 45.4 kg Practice bomb
       M39   Pontiac M39, a 20mm revolver cannon, copy of the WWII German
	     MG213 gun.
       M40A1 10.4 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M41A  9.1 kg Fragmentation/ shaped-charge bomb M43 Gas cluster bomb
       M44   Gas generator
       M47   45.4 kg Incendiary / Smoke bomb
       M50   1.81 kg Thermite, incendiary bomb
       M52   454 kg Armour-piercing bomb
       M56   1814 kg Blast bomb
       M57   113 kg General Purpose bomb
       M58   227 kg Semi-armour piercing bomb
       M59   454 kg Semi-armour piercing bomb
       M60   7.62mm aicraft gun.
       M61   General Electric 20mm 'Vulcan' aircraft gun.
       M64   227 kg General Purpose bomb
       M65   454 kg General Purpose bomb
       M65   Airborne TOW system.
       M66   907 kg General Purpose bomb
       M69   2.7 kg Incendiary bomb
       M70   52.2 kg Mustard gas / gel bomb
       M74   4.5 kg Incendiary bomb
       M76   227 kg Incendiary bomb
       M78   227 or 454 kg Gas bomb
       M81   117.9 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M82   40.8 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M83   1.81 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M86   54.4 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M88   99.8 kg Fragmentation bomb
       M103  907 kg Semi-armour piercing bomb
       M104  45.4 kg Leaflet bomb
       M105  227 kg Leaflet bomb
       M109  5443 kg General Purpose bomb
       M110  9979 kg General Purpose bomb
       M112  Flare, used for aerial photography.
       M113  56.7 kg Gas bomb
       M116  340 kg Napalm bomb
       M117  340 kg General Purpose bomb
       M118  1361 kg General Purpose, low-drag bomb
       M121  4536 kg General Purpose bomb
       M124  113 kg Practice bomb
       M125  4.54 kg Gas bomb
       M126  1.81 kg Incendiary bomb
       M129  340 kg Leaflet bomb
       M129  MDD 40mm grenade launcher
       M134  General Electric 7.62mm 'Minigun'
       M138  Gas-filled bomblet
       M156  Flexible gun mount.
       M157  Rocket pod
       M158  Pod with seven 70mm rockets.
       M185  Flare, used for aerial photography.
       M188  G.E. Development of the M61 Vulcan; a three-barrel 30mm gun.
       M195  Derivation of the M61 for use in helicopters.
       M197  General Electric 20mm, three-barrel gun.
       M200  19 rocket pod, probably 70mm.
       M203  40mm rocket launcher, attached to M16.
       M214  General Electric 5.56mm gun.
       M230  McDonnell Douglas 'Chain Gun', a 30mm single-barrel gun.
       M247  Shaped-charge warhead for 70mm rockets
       M255  Flechette warhead for 70mm rockets
       M261  Subminution warhead for 70mm rockets
       M262  Illumination warhead for 70mm rockets
       M264  Smoke screen warhead for 70mm rockets
       M439  Fuze.
--MA-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MAAG
       [USA] Military Advisory and Assistance Group
Mabel
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Mitsubishi B5M torpedo-bomber.
MAC
       [USA] Military Airlift Command
MAC
       Mean Aerodynamic Chord
Mach
       Speed of Sound, used as speed unit. 340.5 m/sec, or 1225.5 km/h
       as sea level under standard conditions, and decreases with altitude.
       Above the tropopause (about 11000m) Mach 1 is 295.5 m/sec or
       1063.2 km/h.
MACV
       [USA] Military Assisstance Command in Vietnam
MAD
       Magnetic Anomaly Detector or Magnetic Airborne Detector. Detects
       submarines by measuring the changes in the magnetic field of the
       earth.
MAD
       Mutual Assured Destruction
MADAR
       [USA] Malfunction Detection, Analysis and Recording. Installed in
       Lockheed C-5s. 
Madcap
       [NATO] Soviet Antonov An-74 AEW aircraft.
Madge
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-6 reconaissance flying boat.
Madge
       Microwave Aircraft Digital Guidance Equipment. A landing-aid.
Madrid
       [Germany] WWII IR-guidance system for missiles.
MAEE
       [UK] Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment. During WWII at
       Helensburg, Scotland; previously at Felixstowe.
Maestro
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-28 trainer.
MAFFS
       [USA] Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, installed in 
       C-130s to assist in firefighting.
MAG
       [USA] Military Airlift Group
MAG
       [USA] Marine Air Group
MAG
       [Canada] Maritime Air Group
Magnet
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-17 trainer.
Magnum
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-30 trainer.
MAGTF
       [USA] Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Maiden
       [NATO] Soviet Sukhoi Su-11 trainer.
Mail
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-12 flying boat.
Mainbrace
       [NATO] Exercise, 1952.
Mainstay
       [NATO] Soviet Ilyushin Il-76 AEW aircraft.
Mallard
       [Allied] Reinforcement of the airborne units on the Normandy
       bridgehead, by a second wave of airborne droppings. June 6, 1944.
Mallow
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-10 flying boat.
Mammut
       [Germany] FuMO 51 long-range ground detection radar. Range up to
       300km, frequency between 120 and 138MHz. Range precision 300m,
       angle precision 0.5 degrees.
Mandrake
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-25 trainer.
Mandrel
       [UK] Monitoring And Neutralizing Defensive Radar Electronics, British
       WWII jamming equipment.
Mangrove
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-27 trainer.
Manna
       [UK] Food droppings over the Netherlands by Bomber Command, spring
       1945. In the part of the Netherlands which had been occupied by
       Germany until the end of WWII there were serious food shortages.
       Operations began on 29 April, in agreement with the German
       occupation forces, and continued until VE day.
MANPADS
       [USA] Man-Portable Air-Defense System.  Became FIM-92 Stinger.
MANPRINT
       [USA] Manpower, Personnel, and training. Ergonomic design effort.
Mantis
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-32 trainer.
MAP
       [USA] Military Aid Program, or Military Assistand Program, or
       Mutual Assistance Program.
MAP
       [UK] Ministery of Aircraft Production
Maple Flag
       Exercise held in Canada.
MARAIMED
       [NATO] MARitime AIR command MEDiterranean
Marder
       [Germany] Contingency plan for an Alied landing near Rome. Used
       after the landing at Anzio-Nettuno, January 1944.
Mare
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-14 trainer.
Margarete
       [Germany] Occupation of Hungary, 1944.
Marita
       [Germany] Intervention of the German army in the Balkan, 1941.
Mark
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-7U trainer.
Market
       [Allied] Paratroop component of 'Market Garden'
Market Garden
       [Allied] Combined airborne and ground forces attack in September
       1944 to break through the German lines, cross the Rhine and invade
       the Ruhr. The airborne units captured the bridges in Son, Veghel,
       Grave, and Nijmegen but had to surrender in Arnhem.
Market Time
       [USA] Patrol sorties flown over the Vietnamese coast and Cambodja,
       against light coastal vessels.
MARS
       Mid-Air Recovery / Retrieval System
MARV
       Manoeuvrable Re-entry Vehicle
MAS
       [USA] Mission Avionics System
MASCDC
       [USA] Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center.	Davis-Monthan,
       Arizona.
Mascot
       [UK] Carrier air strike against 'Tirpitz', July 1944.
Mascot
       [NATO] Soviet Ilysuhin Il-28 trainer.
MAT
       [UK] Mono Air Tail. Horizontal tail attached to torpedoes to
       stabilize them in flight. Released on impact with water. WWII.
MAT
       [USA] Messenger Aerial Torpedo. An unmanned version of the Sperry
       Messenger liaison biplane of 1921. 
Matador
       [UK] Exercise for the UK air defences. 1960s.
MATS
       [USA] Mid-Atlantic Tracking System. Equipment carried by test aircraft,
       based on GPS. These replace tracxking radars.
MATS
       [USA] Military Air Transport Service.
Matterhorn
       [USA] Bombing offensive againts Japan. First mission on 15 June 1944.
MATV
       [USA] Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring, an F-16 with a vectoring nozzle.
MatWing
       [USA] Medium Attack Wing
MATZ
       Military Air Traffic Zone
MAU
       [USA] Marine Amphibious Unit
Mau-Mau
       [Kenya] Uprising against British control, and generally against
       white settlers, in 1952.
Mavis
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Kawanishi H6K flying boat.
MAW
       [USA] Military Airlift Wing
MAW
       [USA] Marine Aircraft Wing
MAW
       [UK] Missile Approach Warning system.
MAW
       Mission Adaptive Wing.
MAWS
       [UK] Missile Approach Warning System
MAWS
       [USA] Missile Attack Warning System
Max
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-18 trainer.
May
       [NATO] Soviet Ilyushin Il-38 ASW aircraft.
Maya
       [NATO] Czech Aero L-29 Delfin trainer.
Mayday
       Distress call, indicating an emergency
Mayflight
       [UK] No-notice exercise for the nuclear bomber force. 
--MB-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MBF
       [UK] Medium Bomber Force
MBR
       [USSR] Mezhkontenental'naya ballisticheskaya raketa - ICBM
MBRRGChIN
       [USSR] MBR s razdelyayuchimi golovnyym chastyami indiviual'nogo
       navedeniya - MIRV
MBT
       Main Battle Tank
--MC-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MCAS
       Marine Corps Air Station
MCB
       [USA] Mobile Construction Battalion
MCLOS
       Manual Command Line-Of-Sight (missile guidance)
MCM
       [USA] USN:  Mine Countermeasures Ship
--MD-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MDAP
       Mutual Defence Assistance Programme
MDC
       Miniature Detonating Cord. Glued to the canopies of aircraft in
       a zigf-zag pattern, this is used to fragment the canopy before
       ejection.
MDI
       [Canada] Miss Distance Indicator
--ME-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MEB
       [USA] Marine Expeditionary Brigade
MEDA
       Military Emergency Diversion Airfield
MEF
       [USA] Marine Expeditionary Force
MEISR
       [USA] Minimum Essential Improvement in System Reliability, an
       upgrade of the F-106 in 1967.
MELIN
       [UK] Multi-Engine Lead-IN training
MEP
       [USA] Mission Equipment Package
MER
       Multiple Ejector Rack
MERCAST
       Merchant Shop Broadcast System
Mercury
       [USA] Project for the first manned spacefilghts of the USA. 
MEREP
       Merchant Ship Report
Merkur
       [Germany] Mercury.  Codename for the conquest of
       Crete, the largest as well as the last German deployment of airborne
       units.
Merlin
       [UK] Terminally-guided anti-tank mortar grenade. 81mm calibre. 
Mermaid
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-42 flying boat.
METOC
       [USA] Meteorological and Oceanographic
Metox
       [Germany] Radar warning receiver for U-boats.
Metro Tango
       [USA] Codename for TREDS, see there.
METS
       [UK] Multi-Engined Training Squadron
MEU
       [USA] Marine Expeditionary Unit
MEWSG
       Maritime Electronic Warfare Support Group
MEZ
       Maritime Exclusion Zone
MEZ
       Missile Engagement Zone
--MF-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MF
       Medium Frequency
MF
       Multi-Function
MFA
       [Germany] Marine Feldflieger Abteilung --- Navy field flying unit. WWI.
MFC
       Missile Fire Control
MFCS
       [UK] Manual Fuel Control System
MFD
       Multi-Function Display
MFG
       [Germany] Marinefliegergeschwader
       MFG 3 'Graf Zeppelin'
MFS
       [USA] Manned Flight Simulator
--MG-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MG
       [Germany] Maschinengewehr -- Machine Gun
       MG 15	   7.92 mm, drum-fed, hand-aimed  1000rds/min	 760m/s
       MG 17	   7.92 mm, belt-fed, fixed	  1100rds/min	 760m/s
       MG 81	   7.92 mm, belt-fed		  1500rds/min   2800ft/s
       MG 131	  13 mm,    belt-fed		   900rds/min	 750m/s
       MG c30/L   20 mm,    drum-fed		   350rds/min	 950m/s
       MG FF	  20 mm,    drum-fed		   530rds/min	 585m/s
       MG 151	  15 mm,    belt-fed		   700rds/min	 850m/s
       MG 151/20  20 mm,    belt-fed		   780rds/min	 790m/s
       MG 213	  20 mm,			  1400rds/min	1050m/s
       MG 213	  30 mm,			  1200rds/min	 570m/s
       MG 301	  20 mm,			  1000rds/min	1000m/s
MGB
       [UK] Motor Gun Boat
MGGB
       [USA] Modular Guided Glide Bomb, GBU-15(V)HOBOS.
MGM
       [USA] Mobile, guided ground-to-ground Missile.  
       MGM-5  Corporal
       MGM-13 Mace
       MGM-18 Lacrosse
       MGM-29 Sergeant
       MGM-31 Pershing I
       MGM-51 Shillelagh
       MGM-52 Lance
MGR
       [USA] Mobile, ground-targeted rocket. 
       MGR-1 Honest John
       MGR-3 Little John
MGU
       Mid-Course guidance unit, for missiles.
--MH-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MHC
       [USA] USN: Coastal Minehunter
MHDD
       Multi-function Head-Down Display
MHDOIF
       [UK] Most Highly Derogatory Order of the Irremovable Finger.
       Fake 'decoration' informally given for acts of extraordinary
       stupidity. Originated in "Tee Emm". 
MHF
       [Israel] Maritime Helicopter Flight
MHP
       [Canada] Maritime Helicoper Project. A replacement for the Sea
       King. 
--MI-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MIA
       Missing In Action
Michael
       [Germany] Plan for the spring offensive of 1918.
MICo
       [USA] Military Intelligence Company
MICTIM
       [Italy/Malta] Missione Italiana de Cooperazione Tecnica a Malta.
       Italian mission of technical co-operation in Malta. 
Midas
       [NATO] Soviet Ilyushin Il-76 tanker
Midget
       [NATO] Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 trainer.
MIFASS
       [USA] Marine Integrated Fire and Air Support System
MiGCAP
       MiG Combat Air Patrol
Mighty Mouse
       A 70mm FFAR used by the USAF in the '60s. Interceptors fired
       it in salvos at bombers. For fighter-vs-fighter combat is was
       too inaccurate. 
Mike
       [USA] Codename for the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter,
       incorrectly thought to be in Japanese service.
Mike
       [USA] First US H-bombr test, 31 October 1952.
Mileage
       [UK] Deployment of Canberra bombers to Malaya, as a part of
       Firedog.
Millenium
       [UK] 1000-aircraft attack on Cologne, 30 May 1942.
Millie
       [USA] Codename for the US-built Vultee VG-11 bomber. It was 
       not in Japanese service.
MILSTAR
       [USA] Military Strategic and Tactical Relay
MILSTRIP
       [USA] Military Standard Requisitioning and Issuing Procedures
MIM
       [USA] Mobile SAM.
       MIM-3   Nike Ajax
       MIM-14  Nike Hercules
       MIM-23  Hawk
       MIM-43  Redeye
       MIM-46  Mauler
       MIM-72  Chapparal
       MIM-104 Patriot
MIMIC
       MIcrowave / MIllimetre wave Integrated Circuit. 
Mink
       [NATO] Soviet UT-2 trainer.
MirSIP
       [Belgium] Mirage Safety Improvement Programme.
MIRV
       Multiple Indepentdly Targeted Reentry Vehicle, i.e.  a payload for
       a ballistic missile consisting of multiple, independently guided
       warheads or decoys.
MIS
       [USA] Missile Squadron
Mi Sakusen
       [Japan] The attack against Midway, 1942.
MISS
       [USA] Man In Space Soonest. USAF project for a manned
       spaceflight as soon as possible, to beat the Russians and the
       US Army to it. Started in 1958, project only. 
Mistel
       [Germany] A 'mistel' was created by combining a unmanned bomber,
       loaded with explosives, with a fighter on top. The pilot of the
       fighter steered the combination to the target, aimed the bomber,
       and then uncoupled. The bombers had large 'shaped charge' warheads,
       and the fighter drained fuel from the bomber to extend its range.
       Mistel 1   Ju 88A-4 with Bf 109F. Maybe sometimes Ju 88C-6s were
                  used.
       Mistel 2   Ju88G-1 with Fw 190A-6 or Fw 190A-8.
       Mistel S 2 Trainer version of Mistel 2; the Ju 88
		  retained a cabin for a two-man crew. Sometimes a
		  transparent nose cap was fitted (the Ju 88G was a
		  nightfighter version).
       Mistel 3C  Ju 88G-10 with Fw 190A or Fw 190F. The Ju 88G-10 had
		  additional fuel tanks installed because its normal fuel
		  wasn't suitable for the fighter.
       Mistel S3C Trainer version of the Mistel 3C.
Misty FAC
       [USA] Fast-jet FAC.  F-100Fs were used.
MIW
       Mine Warfare
--MJ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--MK-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MK
       [Germany] Maschinenkanone
       MK 101	 30 mm, drum-fed      250rds/min
       MK 103	 30 mm, 	      420rds/min     960m/s
       MK 108	 30 mm, belt-fed      600rds/min     505m/s
       MK 112	 55 mm, 	      300rds/min     595m/s
       MK 114	 55 mm, 	      150rds/min    1050m/s
       MK 115	 55 mm, belt-fed		     600m/s
       MK 214	 50 mm, belt-fed
       MK 303	 30 mm		      900rds/min    1000m/s
       MK 412	 55 mm		      300rds/min    1000m/s
--ML-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
ML
       [USA] USN: Minelayer (ship)
MLD
       [Netherlands] Marine Luchtvaart dienst -- Naval Air Service
MLF
       [Malta] Malta Land Force
MLMS
       [USA] Multipurpose Lightweight Missile System, an air-launched
       development of Stinger, intended as a self-defense weapon for
       helicopters and small aircraft.
MLRS
       [UK] Multiple Launch Rocket System. Armoured vehicle with two six-
       tube launchers. For unguided or guided missiles, with conventional
       warheads, cluster warheads or chemical loads. 
MLS
       Microwave Landing System
MLU
       Mid-Life Upgrade
MLW
       Maximum Landing Weight
--MM-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MMH/FH
       Maintenance Man Hours per Flying Hour
Mmo
       Maximum operating Mach number
MMS
       Mast-Mounted Sight (for helicopters)
MMSA
       [USA] Multi-Mission Surveillance Aircraft
MMWR
       Milimetre-Wave Radar
--MN-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MND
       [NATO] Multi-National Division
Mne
       Mach number Never to be Exceeded
--MO-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
Mobile Zebra
       [USA] Deployment of a large number of aicraft to the Philippines.
       1957.
MoA
       Memorandum of Agreement
Moby Dick
       [USA] This program used unmanned balloons with camera's and recording
       equipment to overfly the USSR, from 1952 onwards. The project was
       stopped in 1956 after the USSR publicized it and complained.
MoD
       Ministry of Defence.
mod
       model, or modification.
Mode
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-8 flying boat.
Moked
       [Israel] The attack of 5 June 1968, start of the Six-Day War.
MOL
       [USA] Manned Orbiting Laboratory. Contract awarded in 1965, but
       later cancelled.
Mole
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-14 or Beriev Be-8 ?
MOMP
       [Allied] Mid-Ocean Meeting Point, for convoys and their escorts.
Mongol
       [NATO] Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 trainer
Moon Glow
       [USA] Alert in Vietnam, 1961.
Moose
       [NATO] Soviet Yakovlev Yak-11 trainer
Morgenstern
       [Germany] Alternate antenna arrangment for the Lichtenstein (or
       Neptun?) radar; a single mast carried three crosses of antennas,
       decreasing in size towards the tip. 
Moritz
       [Germany] WWII IR-guidance system for missiles.
Morskaya Aviatsiya
       [USSR] Naval Air Force
MOS
       Military Occupational Skill, i.e.  the task one is trained for.
Mosaic
       [UK] Nuclear bomb tests at the Monte Bello Islands, May and June
       1956.
Mo Sakusen
       [Japan] Attack on Port Moresby. 1942.
Moss
       [NATO] Soviet Tupolev Tu-126 AEW aircraft
Mote
       [NATO] Soviet Beriev Be-2 / MDR-2 flying boat.
MOT&E
       [NATO] Multinational Operational Test & Evaluation
MOU
       Memorandum of Understanding
Moujik
       [NATO] Soviet Sukhoi Su-7 trainer
--MP-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MP
       Maritime Patrol 
MPA
       Maritime Patrol Aircraft
MPA
       Man Powered Aircraft
MPA
       [Mongolia] Mongolian People's Army
MPC
       Missile Practive Camp
MPD
       Multi-Purpose Display
MPK
       [USSR] Maliy protivolodochniy korabl' (small anti-submarine ship)
MPR
       Medium Power Radar
--MQ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--MR-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MR
       Maritime Reconaissance
MRAAM
       Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile
MRASM
       [USA] Medium Range ASM, the tactical, non-nuclear
       development of the AGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile: BGM-109.
MRB
       [USA] Multi-Role Bomber
MRBF
       Mean Rounds Before Failure, number indicating
       the reliability of a gun.
MRC
       [USA] Movement Report Center
MRCC
       [UK] Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre
MRCA
       Multi-Role Combat Aircraft -- the Panavia Tornado.
MRF
       Multi-Role Fighter
MRF
       [UK] Meteorological Research Flight
MRK
       [USSR] Maliy raketniy korabl' (small rocket ship)
MRL
       Multiple Rocket Launcher
MRO
       [USA] Movement Report Office
MRTT
       [Europe] Multi Role Tanker Transport. Proposed military version
       of the Airbus A310. 
MRU
       Military Radar Unit
MRW
       Maximum Ramp Weight
--MS-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MS
       [USA] USN:  Minesweeper (ship)
MSA
       Minimum Safe Altitude
MSAM
       [UK] Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile. A replacement for Bloodhound.
MSB
       Minesweeping Boat
MSC
       [USA] Military Sealift Command
MSF
       [Israel] Maritime Surveillance Flight
MSH
       [USA] USN:  Minesweeper, coastal
MSIP
       [NATO] Multinational Staged Improvement Program. Upgrade scheme
       for the F-16. 
MSIP
       [USA] Multi-Stage Improvement Program. 
MSL
       Mean Sea Level
MSO
       [USA] USN:  Minesweeper, ocean
MSOGS
       Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generation
MSOW
       [USA] Modular Stand-Off Weapon. Now cancelled.
MSP
       [USA] Mach Sweep Programmer, automatic wing sweep control system
       of the F-14 Tomcat.
MSSA
       [UK] Multi-Sensor Surveillance Aircraft. AEW development of the
       Britten-Norman Defender.
--MT-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MT
       [USSR] Morskoy tral'shchik (seagoing minesweeper)
MTA
       Military Training Area
MTACC
       [USA] Marine Tactical Command and Control System
MTAS
       Millimetric Target Acquisition System
MTAS
       Modular Target Acquisition System
MTAS
       Multi-Sensor Target Acquisition System
MTB
       Motor Torpedo Boat
MTBF
       Mean Time Between Failures
MTCA
       [UK] Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. 
MTD
       Moving Target Detection
MTI
       Moving Target Indicator
MTOGW
       Maximum Take-Off Gross Weight
MTOW
       Maximum Take-Off Weight
MTR
       Missile Tracking Radar
MTT
       Multiple Target Tracking
--MU-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MU
       [UK] Maintenance Unit
Mud River
       [USA] Operations in Laos against the Ho Chi Minh Trail. 1967.
Mug
       [NATO] Soviet Chetverikov Che-2 / MBR-2 flying boat.
Mulberry
       [Allied] Artificial harbour, constructed in the invasion area in
       Normandy, June 1944. Two were built, one in the British and one in
       the US sector.
Mule
       [NATO] Soviet Polikarpov Po-2 trainer
Mule Train
       [USA] Deployment of 346th TCS to Vietnam.  1961.
MUPSOW
       [South Africa] Modular Stand-Off Weapon developed by Kentron.
Murphy's Law
       Often rendered as 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong'. In
       its original form it stated that if there are two ways to do someting,
       of which one has catastrophic results, then someone will inevitably
       do it the wrong way.
Muscle Shoals
       [USA] Operations in Laos against the Ho Chi Minh Trail. 1967.
Musgrave
       [UK] Deployment of heavy bombers to Malaya, in 1950, as part of
       operation Firedog (see there).
MuSIC
       [USA] Multi-System Integrated Control, a study
       into thrust-vectoring.
Musketeer
       [UK] The Suez operation, November 1956. France, Britain and Israel
       fought Egypt after the nationalization of the Suez canal.
Muskletoon
       [UK] Commando raid on a hydro-electric plant in Glamford, Norway. It
       supplied electricity to the Aluminium industry. 1942.
--MV-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MV
       [USA] USN:  Merchant Vessel
--MW-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MW
       [USA] Missile Wing
MW
       [Germany] Mehrzweckwaffe --- multi-purpose weapon
--MX-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
MX
       [USA] New generation ICBM.
--MY-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myrt
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Nakajima C6N Saiun reconaissance 
       aircraft.
Mystic
       [NATO] Soviet Myasischew M-17 / M-55 reconaissance aircraft
--MZ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MZFW
       Maximum Zero Fuel Weight

==N==========================================================================
--NA-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAADM
       [USA/Canada] North American Air Defence Modernisation. Replacement
       of the DEW radar line by a series of new NWS radar stations.
NAAFI
       [USA] Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes
NAAS
       [USA] Naval Auxiliary Air Station
NAC
       [NATO] North Atlantic Council
NAC
       [UK] Naval Air Command
NACA
       [USA] National Advisory Commitee for Aeronautics. Precursor of
       NASA, until 1 October 1958.
NACES
       [USA] Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat
NACF
       [USA] Naval Air Combat Fighter. The F-18 programme.
NAD
       [UK] Naval Air Department
NADC
       [USA] USN: Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
NADEP
       [USA] Naval Aviation Depot
NADGE
       [NATO] NATO Air Defence Ground Environment
NAEW
       [NATO] NATO Airborne Early Warning
NAEWF
       [NATO] NATO Airborne Early Warning Force
NAF
       [USA] Naval Air Facility
NAFEC
       [USA] National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center.	Pomona, NJ.
Nagpaw
       [USA] North American General Purpose Attack Weapon. The design
       project which later became the A-5 Vigilante shipboard attack
       aircraft.
NAHEMA
       [NATO] NATO Helicopter Management Agency
NAMC
       [USA] Naval Aircraft Modification Center
NAMMA
       [NATO] NATO MRCA development & procurement Management Agency
NAMFI
       NATO Missile Firing Installation: a firing ground for missiles
       at Akrotiri, Crete.
Nancy Rae
       [USA] Boeing JKC-135A TELINT aircraft
Nanuchka
       [NATO] Soviet missile boat class
NAO
       [UK] National Audit Office, of the Public Accounts Committee.
NAOTC
       [USA] Naval Air Operational Training Center
NAPMO
       [NATO] NATO AEW&C Programme Management Organization
NARF
       [USA] Naval Air Reserve Force
Narkomaviaprom
       [USSR] State Commissariat for the Aviation Industry.
NAS
       [USA] Naval Air Station, Naval Air Squadron
NASA
       [USA] National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration. Replaced
       NACA on 1 October 1958. 
NASARR
       [USA] North American Search And Range Radar.  Radar of the F-104.
NASC
       [USA] USN: Naval Air Systems Command
NASMO
       [NATO] NATO Starfighter Management Office
NASP
       [USA] National Aero-Space Plane
NATC
       [USA] Naval Air Training Command
NATC
       [USA] Naval Air Test Center, at Patuxent, Maryland, USA.
Nate
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Nakajima Ki.27 fighter
NATF
       [USA] Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter
NATO
       North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Created in 1949.
Navaho
       [USA] Large jet-powered cruise missile, an intercontintal Mach 3+
       weapon the size of a big bomber.  Abandoned in favour the ICBM.
       Flew first in 1958.
Navaid
       Navigation Aid
Navair
       [USA] Naval Air Systems command
NavAirLant
       [USA] Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet
NavAirPac
       [USA] Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet
NAVALT
       [USA] Naval Alteration
NAVCOM
       [USA] Navigation / Communications
NAVEX
       Navigation Exercise
NAVSAT
       [USA] Navy Sattelite System
NAVSTAR
       [USA] Navigation Satellite Timing And Ranging. Now known as GPS.
NAVWASS
       Navigation & Weapon Aiming Sub System
NAWC
       [USA] Naval Air Warfare Center. The former NATC at Patuxent River,
       NADC at Warminster, NAEC at Lakehurst, NAPC at Trenton and NAC at
       Indianapolis were combined to create NAWC.
NAWC AD
       [USA] Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division.
Naxos
       [Germany] Radar warning receiver, operating on the wavelenghts of
       H2S. Was used by German nightfighters to track British bombers
       and fighters, and by U-boats to detect attacking patrol aircraft.
--NB-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NBAA
       [USA] National Bussiness Aircraft Association
NBC
       Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (weapons)
NBC
       [UK] Navigation & Bombing Computer.
NBMR
       [NATO] NATO Basic Military Requirement. 
NBMR-1
       [NATO] Requirement for a light strike fighter. Won by the
       Fiat G.91. 
NBMR-2
       [NATO] Requirement for a maritime patrol aircraft. Produced the
       Dassault/Breguet Atlantic. 
NBMR-3
       [NATO] Requirement formulated in 1960-1961 for a supersonic VTOL
       strike fighter. Candidates included the Mirage IIIV and Hawker
       P.1154.
NBS
       [UK] Navigation and Bombing System. A nav-attack system for bombers,
       developed during the 1950s and based on H2S mk.9.
--NC-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NCA
       [USA] National Command Authority
NCAC
       [Allied] Northern Area Combat Command. Chinese Army units that had
       been trained by US forces and operated from Ramgarh in India.
NCO
       Non-Commissioned Officer
NCTI/R
       Non-Cooperative Target Identification / Recognition
--ND-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NDAA
       [USA] Non-Developmental Airlift Aircraft. An off-the-shelf
       transport as a cheaper alternative for the C-17. Might be
       a 747, MD-11, a new C-5 or a modified C-17.
NDB
       Non-Directional Beacon
NDI
       Non-Developmental Item, an 'off-the-shelf' product.
NDRE
       [Norway] Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, the FFI.
NDRF
       [USA] National Defense Reserve Fleet
NDT
       Non-Destructive Testing
--NE-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NECPA
       [USA] National Emergency Command Post Afloat. Command ships
       CC-1 Northampton and CC-2 Wright, serving between 1961 and
       1970. 
Nectarines       
       [UK] The Frisian Islands, when referred to for aerial
       minelaying ('Gardening').
NEFMA
       [NATO] NATO EFA/Eurofighter Management Agency
Nell
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Mitsubishi G3M bomber
Neptun
       [Germany] Fug 218 airborne radar. Frequency could be set between
       158 and 187MHz, maximum range was 5km, minimum range 130m. A single
       nose mast with a large X-cross, or four masts, and a tandem set of
       dipoles on each tip of the cross. 
Neptune
       [Allied] Crossing of the Channel for Overlord, 6 June 1944.
NESDIS
       [USA] National Environmental Sattelite, Data and Information
       Service.
New Life
       [USA] Transport of Vietname refugees to the USA, 1975.
NEWRADS
       [USA] Nuclear Explosion Warning and Radiological Data System
NEX
       [USA] Navy Exchange
--NF-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NFGF
       [UK] Naval Flying Grading Flight.
NFH
       [NATO] NATO Frigate Helicopter. The maritime version of the NH90. 
NFO
       [USA] Naval Flight Officer
NFST
       [USA] National Fleet Surgical Team
NFWS
       Naval Fighter Weapons School ('Top Gun') at NAS Miramar, California. 
       Training center in Air Combat Manoeuvering. 
NFZ
       No-Fly Zone
--NG-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NGB
       [USA] National Guard Bureau
NGT
       [USA] Next Generation Trainer, a replacement for the elderly T-37.
       The T-46 won the contract, but was later cancelled.
NGTE
       [UK] National Gas Turbine Establishment. Established in 1946 near
       Farnborough, at Pyestock.
--NH-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NI-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NIB
       [Allied] Noise Investigation Bureau. Studied German radar emissions.
Nick
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu fighter
Nickel Grass
       [USA] Transfer of USAF equipment to Israel in 1973, to compensate
       its losses in the Yom Kippur War.
Nifty Package
       [USA] Deployment of special operations team to Panama, 1989.
Night Light
       [USA] Loan of two RF-4C Phantom IIs to Israel, 1970-1971, pending
       delivery of 6 RF-4Es.
Night Watch
       [USA] Boeing EC-135J, ABNCP aircraft
Nihon Koku Jietai
       [Japan] Japanese Defence Force
NII V-VS
       [USSR] Nauchno-Issledovatelsky Institut V-VS --- Scientific
       Research Institute of the V-VS.
Nimbus Star
       [USA] Mine sweeping of the Suez canal, in 1974.
Nimbus Stream
       [USA] Mine sweeping of the waters round Port Said, in 1975.
Nimrod Dancer
       [USA] Reinforcement of US forces in Panama, 1989.
Nirou Havai Shahanshahiye Iran
       [Iran] Imperial Iranian Air Force.
NITE-OP
       Night Imaging Trough Electro-Optics
Nit Picker
       [USA] Modification program for the F-100C and F-100D.
--NJ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NK-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NL-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NLOS
       Non-Line of Sight
--NM-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NMANG
       [USA] New Mexico ANG.
NMCC
       [USA] National Military Command Center
NMPC
       [USA] Naval Military Personnel Command
--NO-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NOA
       [USSR] Scientific Test Aerodrome. Replaced by the NII V-VS in
       1926.
NOAA
       [USA] National Ocenanic and Atmospheric Administration
No-Ball
       [Allied] Attacks on launching sites of V-weapons. 1944.
NOE
       Nap-Of-the-Earth
NOGS
       [USA] Night Observation Gunship System. The Rockwell YOV-10D Bronco
       version. The 'G' was dropped with the gun from the OV-10D.
NOL
       [USA] Naval Ordnance Laboratory
NOMAD
       [USA] Navy Oceanographic and Meteorological Automatic Device
NORA
       [France] Nacelle Optique de Reconaissance Aerienne --- Optical
       airborne reconaissance pod. A real-time videocamera. 
NORAD
       [USA, Canada] North Atlantic Aerospace Defense Command. Created in
       1957.
Norm
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Kawanishi E15K Shiun seaplane.
Norma
       [USA] Codename for the Japanese Type 97 light bomber, did not 
       exist. (Was Ki-15)
Normandy
       [USA] Attack by AH-64A Apache helicopters on air defence radars
       in Iraq, on 17 January 1991, at the beginning of Desert Storm.
NORTHAG
       [NATO] Northern Army Group
Northern Challenge
       [NATO] Excercise for the air defence of the North American
       Continent.
NOS
       [USA] National Ocean Survey
NOS
       Night Observation Surveillance
NOS
       [USA] Night Observation System. See NOGS.
NOTAM
       Notice To Airmen
NOTAR
       No Tail Rotor. Helicopter without tail rotor; contra-torque
       stabilisation is achieved by the air flow through a slit in the tail
       boom.
NOTE
       Nap-Of-The-Earth
--NP-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NPE
       [USA] Naval Preliminary Examination, testing of equipment by the USN
       before procurement.
NPIC
       [USA] National Photographic Interpretation Center.
NPO
       [USSR] Nauchno-Proizvodstvennoye Obyedineniye -- research
       manufacturing association.
NPT
       Non-Proliferation Treaty
--NQ-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NR-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NRL
       [USA] Naval Research Laboratory
NRO
       [USA] National Reconaissance Office. Created in 1960. Its existence
       was admitted in 1992!
NROTC
       [USA] Naval Reserce Officer Training Corps
--NS-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NSA
       [USA] National Security Agency
NSFO
       [USA] Navy Standard Fuel Oil
NSFS
       [USA] Naval Surface Fire Support
NSG
       [USA] Naval Security Group
NSGr
       [Germany] Nachtslachtgruppe --- night attack group. Light attack 
       aircraft operating on the Eastern front, as an imitation of Soviet
       harrasment attacks using Po.2 biplanes.
NSRDC
       [USA] Naval Ship Research and Development Center.
NSSMS
       [USA] NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System.
--NT-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NTA
       [USA] Nuclear Test Aircraft. A Convair NB-36H, modified bomber,
       which carried a nuclear reactor for research purposes.
NTDO
       [USA] Naval Technical Data Office
NTDS
       [USA] Naval Tactial Data System, data processing system fitted to the
       E-2C Hawkeye.
NTP
       [USA] Near-Term Penetrator
NTPS
       [USA] Naval Test Pilots School (Patuxent River NAWC)
--NU-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NUC
       [USA] navy Unit Commendation
--NV-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NVA
       North-Vietnamese Army
NVG
       Night Vision Goggles
NVN
       North VietNam.
NVPS
       [USA] Night Vision Pilotage System
NVS
       Night Vision System
--NW-------------------------------------------------------------------------       
NWC
       [USA] Naval Weapons Center
NWDS
       [USA] Navigation and Weapons Delivery System
NWS
       [USA/Canada] North Warning System. Replaced the DEW line.
--NX-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NY-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--NZ-------------------------------------------------------------------------


This FAQ created and maintained by Emmanuel Gustin
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