A Spec System Specification.
A&T Acquisition and Technology.
A/BPI Ascent/Boost-Phase Interceptor.
A/C Aircraft
A/D (1) Analog to Digital. (2) Arm/Disarm.
A/P Active/Passive
AA Attack Assessment.
AAA (1) Antiaircraft Artillery. (2) Assign Alternate Area. (3) AEGIS Acquisition Agent.
AAAW Air-launched Anti-Armour Weapon (UK RAF term) AABCP Advanced Airborne Command Post.
AABNCP Advanced Airborne National Command Post.
AACC Airborne Alternate Command Center.
AACT Airborne Atmospheric Compensation and Tracking [Program]
AADC Area Air Defense Commander.
AADCOM Army Air Defense Commander.
AAE Army Acquisition Executive.
AAED Advanced Airborne Expendable Decoy AAFCE Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
AAM Air-to-Air Missile
AAR After Action Review (USA term)
AASERT Augmentation Award for Science and Engineering Research Training.
AASP Advanced Airborne Sensor Platform.
AAT Architecture Analysis Tool.
AAT-PP Architecture Analysis Tool – Post Processor.
AAW Anti-Air Warfare.
AAWC Anti-Air Warfare Commander.
AB Air Base
Abacus Distribute real-time multi-element test environment for HWIL.
ABCCC Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center.
(US C-130 aircraft)
ABCS (1) Army Battlefield Command and Control Center. (US C-130 aircraft) (2) Airborne Communications Command and Control Platform (JFACC term)
ABCT ASARC/BMDARC Coordination Team
ABE Army Background Experiment (flew aboard the LACE spacecraft).
ABIS Advanced Battlespace Information System
ABL (1) Airborne Laser. (2) Aircraft Based Laser. (3) Armored Box Launcher.
Ablative Shield A shield made of material that vaporizes when heated, absorbing thermal energy and protecting the shielded object from heat damage.
Ablative Shock A mechanical shock wave at the surface of an object exposed to intense pulsed electromagnetic radiation. A thin layer of the object's surface violently and rapidly boils off; the resulting vapor suddenly exerts pressure against the surface, generating a pressure wave at the surface. This shock wave then propagates through the material and can cause melting, vaporization, spallation, and structural failure of the object.
ABM Anti-Ballistic Missile.
ABMDA OBSOLETE. Advanced Ballistic Missile Defense Agency.
ABM Treaty Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972, signed and ratified by the (former) Soviet Union and the United States, limiting deployment on each side to one site comprising 100 interceptors, 100 launchers, and several ground-based radars.
The Treaty also regulates development and testing. In December, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that the United States would withdraw from the treaty, which the U.S. did in June 2002
ABM-X-3 A terminal Soviet anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense system using transportable phased-array radars and both long and short-range, high acceleration interceptors similar to the U.S. Sprint. This system was developed and tested in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.
ABNCP Airborne National Command Post.
ABO Agent of Biological Origin (NBC term).
ABT Air-Breathing Threat.
ACA (1) Airspace Control Authority.
(2) Associate Contracting Agreement (Contracting term).
ACAP Advanced Capabilities.
ACAT Acquisition Category (DD 5000 term).
ACAT I Acquisition Category One
ACBA Airborne Communications Bus Architecture (USAF term).
ACC (1) Air Combat Command (USAF), Langley AFB, VA.
(2) Air Component Commander.
(3) Area Coordination Center.
ACCS Air Command and Control System.
Accidental Launch
An unintended launch which occurs without deliberate national design as a direct result of a random event, such as mechanical failure, a simple human error, or an unauthorized action by a subordinate. (USSPACECOM)
ACCS Automated Command and Control System (USN AN/TSQ-73)
ACCT Application of Common Characteristics and Testability (ISA CECOM term).
ACDA Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (US).
ACDS Advanced Combat Direction System (USN term) ACDT Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration.
ACE (1) Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) Countermeasure Evaluator.
(2) Aviation Combat Element. (3) Airborne Command Element (USAF).
(4) Allied Command Europe.
ACEC Ada Compiler Evaluation Capability.
ACEIT Automated Cost Estimating Integrated tool.
ACES Arrow Continuation Experiments.
ACETEF Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility (USAF).
ACM Air Combat Maneuvering.
ACO (1) Administrative Contracting Officer. (1) Airspace Control Order (JFACC term)
ACOM Atlantic Command.
AcoS Army Chief of Staff
ACP (1) Airspace Control Plan (JFACC term).
(2) Army Cost Position.
ACQ Acquisition.
Acquire (1) When applied to acquisition radars, to detect the presence and location of a target in sufficient detail to permit identification.
(2) When applied to tracking radars, to position radar beam so that a target is in that beam to permit the effective employment of weapons. (Target Acquisition.)
Acquisition (ACQ)
(1) (Sensor) The results of processing sensor measurements to produce object reports of interest to the system.
(2) (Material) The conceptualization, initiation, design, development, testing, contracting, production, deployment, logistic support, modification, and disposal of weapons and other systems, supplies or services to satisfy DoD needs in support of military missions.
Acquisition Categories
Categories established to facilitate decentralized decision making and execution and compliance with statutorily imposed requirements. The categories determine the level of review, decision authority, and applicable procedures.
Acquisition Category I. These are “major defense acquisition programs.” They have unique statutorily imposed acquisition strategy, execution, and reporting requirements. Milestone decision authority for these programs is: (a) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology -- acquisition category ID;
(b) if delegated by the Under Secretary, the Cognizant DoD Component Head -- acquisition category IC; (c) if delegated by the Component Head, the Component Acquisition Executive.
Acquisition Category II. Milestone decision authority for these programs is delegated no lower than the DoD Component Acquisition Executive. They have unique statutorily imposed requirements in the test and evaluation area
Acquisition Category III and IV. The additional distinction of acquisition categories III and IV allow DoD Component Heads to delegate milestone decision authority for these programs to the lowest level deemed appropriate within their respective organizations.
Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM)
A memorandum signed by the milestone decision authority that documents decisions made and the exit criteria established as the result of a milestone decision review or in-process review.
Acquisition Field of View (FOV)
The instantaneous volume viewed by the interceptor’s sensor during the process of searching its assigned volume.
Acquisition Life Cycle
Five phases, each preceded by a milestone or other decision point, during which a system goes through research, development, test and evaluation, and production. The phases are Concept Exploration and Definition, Demonstration and Validation, Engineering and Manufacturing Development, Production and Deployment, Operations and Support.
Acquisition Logistics
Process of systematically identifying and assessing logistics alternatives, analyzing and resolving logistics deficiencies, and managing integrated logistics support throughout the acquisition process.
Acquisition Management
Management of all or any of the activities within the broad spectrum of
“acquisition.” Also includes management of the training of the defense acquisition workforce, and management activities in support of PPBS for defense acquisition systems/programs.
Acquisition Plan A formal written document reflecting the specific actions necessary to execute the approach established in the approved acquisition strategy and guiding contractual implementation. (Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 7.1 and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Subpart 207.1.)
Acquisition Planning
The process by which the efforts of all personnel responsible for an acquisition are coordinated and integrated through a comprehensive plan for fulfilling the need in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost. It is performed throughout the life cycle and includes developing an overall acquisition strategy for managing the acquisition and a written acquisition plan.
Acquisition Program
A directed, funded effort that is designed to provide a new or improved materiel capability in response to a validated need.
Acquisition Program Baseline (APB)
Acquisition program baselines embody the cost, schedule, and performance objectives for the program. The APB is approved by the milestone decision authority milestone reviews as follows:
• Concept Baseline, approved at Milestone I, applied to the effort in Phase I, Demonstration and Validation.
• Development Baseline, approved at Milestone II, is applied to the effort in Phase II, Engineering and Manufacturing Development.
• Production Baseline, approved at Milestone III, is applied to the effort in Phase III, Production and Deployment.
Each baseline must contain objectives for key cost, schedule, and performance parameters. Objectives are accompanied by minimum requirements called thresholds. Once signed by the milestone decision authority, APBs may only be changed at subsequent milestone or program reviews, or with the approval of the milestone decision authority as a response to an unrecoverable baseline deviation.
Acquisition Radar
Radar that searches a spatial volume and identifies potential targets from the background and non-hostile objects.
Acquisition Risk
The chance that some element of an acquisition program produces an unintended result with an adverse effect on system effectiveness, suitability, cost, or availability for deployment.
Acquisition/
Reacquisition Time
The time required to establish or reestablish lock on the received signal. This includes carrier, symbol, frame, code, and crypto synchronization.
Acquisition Strategy
A business and technical management approach designed to achieve program objectives within the resource constraints imposed. It is the framework for planning, directing, and managing a program. It provides a master schedule for research, development, test, production, fielding, and other activities essential for program success, and, is the basis for formulating functional plans and strategies (e.g., Test and Evaluation Master Plan, Acquisition Plan, competition, prototyping, etc.).
Acquisition Strategy Report
Describes the acquisition approach to include streamlining, sources, competition, and contract types throughout the period from the beginning of Phase I, Demonstration and Validation, through the end of production.
Acquisition Streamlining
Any effort that results in more efficient and effective use of resources to develop or produce quality systems. This includes ensuring that only necessary and cost- effective requirements are included, at the most appropriate time in the acquisition cycle, in solicitations and resulting contracts for the design, development, and production of new systems, or for modifications to existing systems that involve redesign of systems or subsystems.
Acquisition, Tracking and Pointing (ATP)
The process of acquiring within a given field of view a target (or targets) and maintaining a precision track of the same while enabling the pointing of a sensor or weapon at the target so that it may be destroyed.
ACS (1) Airspace Control System. (2) Attitude Control System. (3) AEGIS Combat System. (4) Assistant Chief of Staff.
ACSIS AEGIS Combat System Interface Simulation.
ACSN Advance Change/Study Notice
ACTD Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration.
ACTE Analytical Communications Test Environment ATD.
ACTEX Advanced Controls Technology Experiment.
Active In surveillance, an adjective applied to actions or equipment, which emit energy capable of being detected, e.g., radar is an active sensor.
Active Air Defense
Direct defensive actions taken to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action. It includes such measures as the use of aircraft, air defense weapons, weapons not used primarily in an air defense role and electronic warfare.
Active
Communications Security Threat
Threats to an electronic system posed by a capability to disrupt communications or to seize control or deny positive control of electronic systems to intended users, e.g., jamming and imitative deception.
Active Defense (1) The employment of limited offensive action and counterattacks to deny a contested area or position to the enemy. Also Passive Defense.
(2) In-flight intercept and destruction of ballistic missiles and negation of their warheads.
Active Defense (TBMD)
Active defense protects against theater missiles by destroying them in flight.
Engagement capability is required throughout all phases of the missile’s trajectory (boost, post-boost, mid-course, and terminal) to prevent saturation of point defense, to negate warhead effects, and to ensure minimal leakage in defending critical assets. Therefore, active defenses must consist of defense in depth to provide multiple engagement opportunities with differing technologies, increasing the probability of kill, and countering the enemy’s counter-measure efforts. Active defenses could consist of space-, air-, ground-, and sea-based systems. If a strategic ballistic missile defense system is deployed, the active TMD should be supported by, but not limited by, those systems to increase the defense in the theater of operations. Active defense is considered one of the four pillars of TMD capability. (JCS J-38 CONOPS)
Active Homing Guidance
Guidance system in which both the source for illuminating the target, and the receiver for detecting the illuminating energy reflected from the target is carried within the missile.
Active Sensor One that illuminates a target, producing return secondary radiation, which is then detected to track and/or identify the target. An example is radar.
ACTS AEGIS Combat Training System.
ACUS Army Common User System.
ACVC Ada Compiler Validation Capability
ACW Anti-Carrier Warfare
ACWP Actual Cost of Work Performed.
AD (1) Air Defense. (2) Active Defense. (3) Aerospace Defense
Ad Int Advanced Interceptor (MDA/POC term).
AD TOC Air Defense Tactical Operations Center.
AD/C3I Air Defense/Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence.
ADA Air Defense Artillery. (US Army term).
Ada Name of a higher order computer programming code.
AdaMAT Ada Automated, static code, analysis tool.
ADAPT Advanced DEW Active Precision Tracker.
Adaptive Defense (Also Adaptive Preferential Defense) Adaptive defense is defense that is responsive to an actual attack in that it takes advantage of the structure or weakness of the attack to maximize a priority defense objective.
Adaptive Flexible Defense (AFD)
The ability to select and prioritize in near-real time what critical civilian and military assets and functions to defend and to efficiently employ defense in response to the characteristics of the attack while effectively enforcing defense priorities.
(JOSDEPS) Adaptive Optics
(ADOPT)
Optical systems, which can be modified (e.g., by controlling the shape of a mirror) to compensate for distortions. An example is the use of information from a beam of light passing through the atmosphere to compensate for the distortion suffered by another beam of light on its passage through the atmosphere. Used to eliminate the "twinkling" of stars in observational astronomy and to reduce the dispersive effect of the atmosphere on laser beam weapons.
Adaptive Preferential Defense
Adaptive Defense.
ADATOC Air Defense Artillery Tactical Operations Center (US Army brigade).
ADC Analog-to-Digital Converter.
ADCATT Air Defense CATT (US Army term).
ADCC Air Defense Control Center.
ADCOM OBSOLETE. (U.S.) Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, CO.
ADCP (1) Air Defense Communications Platform. (2) Air Defense Command Post.
ADD Air Defense District
ADDA Air Defense Decision Aid.
ADDS Air Defense Demonstration System.
Army Data Distribution System = ELPIRS + JTIDS.
ADI Air Defense Initiative.
ADIZ Air Defense Identification Zone.
ADLT Advanced Discriminating LADAR Technology.
ADM (1) Also see Acquisition Decision Memorandum (2) Advanced Development Model.
Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO)
The government contracting officer located at a contract administrative office that is assigned the responsibility for administration of Government contracts.
(Defense Systems Management College Glossary) ADMS Air Defense Missile System (USMC term).
ADOC Aerospace Defense Operations Center.
ADOCC Air Defense Operations Control Center.
ADOP Advanced Distributed Onboard Processor.
ADOPT See Adaptive Optics.
ADP (1) Automated Data Processing. (2) Arrow Deployability Project ADPE Automated Data Processing Equipment.
ADR. Advanced Data Recording.
ADRG ARC Digital Raster Graphics.
ADS Advanced Distribution System
ADSAM Air-Directed Surface-to-Air Missile.
ADSG Air Defense Sub Group.
ADSI Air Force Defense Systems Integrator.
ADT Architecture Development Team (DoD Space Architect term).
ADTOC Air Defense Tactical Operations Center.
ADUSD Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.
Advance Funding Budget authority provided in an appropriation act that allows funds to be committed to a specific purpose (obligated) and spent during this fiscal year even though the appropriation actually is for the next fiscal year. Advance funding generally is used to avoid requests for supplemental appropriations for entitlement programs late in a fiscal year when the appropriations for the current fiscal year are too low.
Advance Procurement
Authority provided in an appropriations act to obligate and disburse from the succeeding year’s appropriation. The funds are added to the budget authority for the fiscal year and deducted from the budget authority of the succeeding fiscal year. Used in major acquisition programs for advance procurement of components whose long-lead time require purchasing early in order to reduce the overall procurement lead-time. Advance procurement of long lead components is an exception to the DoD “full funding” policy.
Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD)
An integrating effort to assemble and demonstrate a significant new military capability, based upon maturing advanced technology(s) in a real-time operation at a scale size adequate to clearly establish operational utility and system integrity.
Advanced Launch System (ALS)
OBSOLETE. This proposed system was to be a heavy launch vehicle and appropriate ground support facilities, which may have supported SDIO, USAF, Navy and NASA space launch missions into the next century.
Advanced Technology Demonstration Adversary Capability Document
The actual demonstration of an advanced state-of-the-art system under conditions likely to exist when in operation.
Describes estimated current and future adversary ballistic missile characteristics, and characterizes threat with selected engineering concepts, parameters, and bounds.
ADWC Air Defense Warfare Center.
ADX Air Defense Exercise.
AE (1) Acquisition Executive. (2) Antenna Equipment.
AEC Atomic Energy Commission (US)
AEDC Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold AFB, TN.
AEG General Electric Corporation of Germany.
AEGIS The Navy's advanced, fast reaction, high firepower, shipboard anti-air warfare area defense system (Note: Aegis is the Greek word for "shield").
AEGIS BMD Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD) Project is an element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, and is being developed to provide a rapidly deployable, highly mobile defensive system capability against short-to-intermediate range ballistic missile attacks on population centers, debarkation ports, coastal airports, amphibious objective areas, expeditionary forces, troops, friends, and allies.
Forward positioning of the ship makes possible a missile defense that will protect vast areas, often-entire countries. The Aegis BMD element of the BMDS builds on the proven Mark 7 Aegis Weapon System including modifications to the Standard Missile, and the Mark 41 Guided Missile Launch System.
AEGIS C&D AEGIS Command and Decision.
AEGIS CRC AEGIS Control and Reporting Center.
Aerospace Defense (AD)
(1) All defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles after they leave the Earth’s surface, or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of such attacks. (2) An inclusive term encompassing air defense and space defense.
Aerospace Defense Operations Center (ADOC)
Existing center in Cheyenne Mountain AFB (CMAFB), which controls the Air Defense of North America mission.
Aerostats Ship- or ground-moored balloon supporting a radar antenna.
Aerothermal Kill A kill in which the thermal shielding of the target RV is damaged by the defensive system. The RV is subsequently destroyed during reentry.
AES Army [Tactical Command and Control System] Ex
AEW Airborne Early Warning.
AEWR Airborne Early Warning Radar
AF (1) Air Force (2) Award Fee.
AF SATCOM Air Force Satellite Communications [System].
AF/IN Air Force Intelligence
AF/SC Deputy Chief of Staff for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, United States Air Force.
AF/TAA Air Force Executive Agent for Theater Air Defense
AFAC Air Force Advisory Committee.
AFAE Air Force Acquisition Executive.
AFAM Air Force Acquisition Model
AFAS Advanced Field Artillery System.
AFATDS (1) Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System. (2) Army Field Artillery Target Direction System
AFC2S Air Force Command and Control System
AFCC Air Force Component Commander.
AFCCC Air Force Component Command Center.
AFCS Automatic Flight Control System.
AFCSC Air Force Cryptological Support Center .
AFD Adaptive Flexible Defense.
AFDSOC Air Force Defense System Operations Center.
AFF Arming, Fusing and Firing.
AFFTC Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA.
AFGWC Air Force Ground/Global Weather Center.
AFID Anti-Fratricide Identification Device.
AFIWC Air Force Information Warfare Center.
AFM Award Fee Monitor.
AFMC Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
AFNORTH Allied Forces Northern Europe (NATO).
AFOSH Air Force Occupational Safety and Health.
AFOTEC Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center.
AFPEO/SP Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space
AFRB Award Fee Review Board
AFSARC Air Force System Acquisition Review Council.
AFSATCOM Air Force Satellite Communications System.
AFSB Air Force Science Board.
AF/SC Deputy Chief of Staff for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, United States Air Force.
AFSCN Air Force Satellite Control Network.
AFSD OBSOLETE. Air Force Space Division. (Replaced by USAF/SMC.) AFSMC Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center
AFSOUTH Allied Forces, Southern Region (NATO)
AFSPACECOM Air Force Space Command, Patterson AFB, CO.
AFSPC Air Force Space Command, Patterson AFB, CO AFSPOC Air Force Space Operations Center.
AFSSI Air Force System Security Instruction.
AFSTC (1) Air Force Space Test Center, Sunnyvale, CA. (2) Air Force Space Technology Center, Kirtland AFB, NM.
AFSWC Air Force Space Warfare Center.
AFTAC Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, FL AFTADS Army Field Artillery Target Data System.
AFWAN Air Force WWMCCS ADP Modernization AFWL Air Force Weapons Laboratory (Phillips Lab).
AGARD Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development.
AGC Automatic Gain Control.
AGCCS (1) Air Force Global Command and Control System (USAF term).
(2) Army Global Command and Control System (US Army term).
AGM-65 Maverick Air-to-Surface Missile.
AGMC Air Force Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, Newark AFB, OH.
AGRE Active Geophysical Rocket Experiment
AGT Above Ground Test.
AHIS Agile Homing Interceptor Simulator.
AHSG Ad Hoc Study Group.
AHWG Ad Hoc Working Group
AI (1) Artificial Intelligence. (2) Action Item. (3) Air Interdiction.
AIA Air Intelligence Agency
AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
AIC (1) Atlantic Intelligence Command. (2) Account Identifier Code.
AID Agile Interceptor Development.
AIDA Artificial Intelligence Discrimination Architecture (UKMOD).
AIDPN Architecture Investment and Deployment Planning Notebook.
AIM Air Intercept Missile
Aimpoint The specific point at which a weapon is aimed. The point may be on the earth's surface, in the atmosphere, or in space. In some cases, the specific lethal point on a target to which a weapon is aimed.
AIP Advanced Interceptor Program (formerly Brilliant Pebbles).
Airborne
Optional Adjunct (AOA)
A test program to place an infrared (IR) sensor in an aircraft. (Superseded by Airborne Surveillance Testbed (AST).)
Airborne Surveillance Testbed (AST)
A Boeing 767 aircraft with a large infrared sensor designed to address optical sensor issues.
Air-breathing A flying vehicle that uses the oxygen in the atmosphere as the oxidizer in its propulsion system. Examples are jet aircraft and cruise missiles. This category does not include ballistic missiles.
Air Defense All measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action.
Air Defense Action Area
An area and the airspace above it within which friendly aircraft or surface-to-air weapons is normally given precedence in operations except under specific conditions. See also air defense operations area.
Air Defense Artillery
Weapons and equipment for actively combating air targets from the ground.
Air Defense Identification Zone
Airspace of defined dimensions within which the ready identification, location, and control of airborne vehicles are required. Commonly referred to as ADIZ.
See also air defense operations area.
Air Defense Operations Area
A geographic area defining the boundaries within which procedures are established to minimize interference between air defense and other operations.
May include designation of one or more of the following: Air defense action area; Air defense area; Air defense identification; Firepower umbrella.
Air Force Component Command Center (AFCCC)
A segment of the Command and Control Element, which replicates capabilities of the CCC (BMD) segment and provides administrative and logistics support to Air Force Component Forces with the Strategic Defense System. The AFCCC was eliminated from the CCE (now C2E) architecture during the last SAS system architecture definition update.
Air Force Ground/Global Weather Center (AFGWC)
AFGWC provides Air Force and Army with global information and products relating to past, present, and future states of the aerospace environment.
Weather data is provided to the Weather Support Unit (WSU) for use by the SDS. Also provides space environmental data such as sunspots, electromagnetic storms, etc. Located at Offutt AFB, NE.
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC)
Responsible for the operational test and evaluation of systems being developed for use by the Air Force (Located at Kirtland AFB, NM).
Air Force Satellite
Communications System
(AFSATCOM)
A collection of transponders on host satellites used by U.S. Strategic Command to pass emergency action messages (EAM) and damage assessment reports.
AFSATCOM is also used to pass sensor data between sites and CMAFB.
Air Force Satellite Control Network
(AFSCN)
A global, multi-command configuration of space vehicle command, control, and communications resources operating in concert to support DoD and other assigned space missions.
Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)
A major Air Force command and the Air Force component of United States Space Command responsible for the training, equipping, manning, administering, and funding of assigned systems. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Air Force Space Operations Center (AFSPOC)
An AFSPACECOM center responsible for the daily tracking of events at remote operational sites. It may be updated and assigned responsibility for logistics and administrative control of assigned SDS elements. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Air Force CRC Air Force Control and Reporting Center.
Air Force
Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC)
Responsible for the operational test and evaluation of systems being developed for use by the Air Force (Located at Kirtland AFB, NM).
Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)
A major Air Force command and the Air Force component of United States Space Command responsible for the training, equipping, manning, administering, and funding of assigned systems. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Air Force Space Operations Center (AFSPOC)
An AFSPACECOM center located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Air Surveillance The systematic observation of airspace by electronic, visual, or other means, primarily for the purpose of identifying and determining the movements of aircraft and missiles, friendly and enemy, in the air space under observation.
Air-breathing A flying vehicle that uses the oxygen in the atmosphere as the oxidizer in its propulsion system. Examples are jet aircraft and cruise missiles. This category does not include ballistic missiles.
Airborne Surveillance Testbed (AST)
A Boeing 767 aircraft with a large infrared sensor designed to address optical sensor issues. It's expected that this program will be retired in 2003 with its missions to be taken over by HALO II and WASP.
AIRMS Airborne Infrared Measurement System AIRREQSUP Air Request Support (JFACC term).
AIRS Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
Airspace Control in the Combat Zone
A process used to increase combat effectiveness by promoting safe, efficient and flexible use of airspace. Airspace control is provided in order to prevent fratricide, enhance air defense operations, and permit greater flexibility of operations. Airspace control does not infringe on the authority vested in commanders to approve, disapprove, or deny combat operations.
Airspace Control Plan
The document approved by the joint force commander that provides specific planning guidance and procedures for the airspace control system for the joint force area of responsibility.
AIRSUPREQ Air Support Request (JFACC term).
AIS (1) Automated Information System. (2) Architecture Integration Study. (3) Airborne Intercept System.
AIST Advanced Interceptor and Systems Technology.
AIT Advanced Interceptor Technologies.
AJ Antijam.
AJPO Ada Joint Program Office.
AJTBP Augmented Joint Theater Battle Picture.
AL Acquisition Logistician.
ALARM Alert, Locate, and Report Missiles.
ALAS Advanced Liquid Axial Stage.
ALBCS Airborne Laser Beam Control System.
ALC Air Logistics Center (AF).
ALCC Airlift Coordination Center (JFACC term).
ALCE Airlift Coordination Element (JFACC term).
ALCM Air Launched Cruise Missile.
ALCOR ARPA/Lincoln C-band observable radar. (USAKA KREMS)
ALDT Average Logistics Delay Time.
ALE Airborne Laser Experiment.
ALERT Attack and Launch Early Reporting to Theater.
ALG Algorithm
ALI (1) Alpha/LAMP Integration. (2) AEGIS Leap Intercept ALIRT Advanced Large-area Infrared Transducer
ALL Airborne Laser Laboratory.
Allocated Availability Requirement
The requirement probability that an element is available to perform its function as allocated by the SDS.
Allocation (1) An authorization by a designated official of a DoD component making funds available within a prescribed amount to an operating agency for the purpose of making allotments (i.e., the first subdivision of an apportionment). (2) The translation of the apportionment into total numbers of sorties by aircraft type available for each operation/task.
Allotment The temporary change of assignment of tactical air forces between subordinate commands. The authority to allot is vested in the commander having operational command.
ALO Alpha Laser Optimization.
ALOD Adaptive Locally Optimum Detector (Navy term).
Alpha Particle A particle emitted spontaneously from the nuclei of some radioactive elements.
It is identical to a helium nucleus, having a mass of four units and a charge of positive two.
ALPS Accidental Launch Protection System.
ALS Advanced Launch System.
ALSP Aggregate Level Simulation Protocol.
ALT Airborne Laser Technology.
ALTAIR UHF test radar at USAKA.
AltAir Project name for the feasibility demonstration of a short range, air drop, ballistic missile target, dropped from a C-130 cargo aircraft.
Alternate
National Military Command Center (ANMCC)
An element of the National Military Command System (NMCS), which serves as an alternate to the NMCC. Located at Ft. Ritchie, MD.
Alternate Processing and Correlation Center (APCC)
NORAD capability in USSTRATCOM Command Post that receives, processes, and analyzes TW/AA information.
Alternate Space Defense
Operations Center (ASPADOC)
The backup to the SPADOC, maintained by the Naval Space Command, at Dahlgren, VA, collocated with the NAVSPOC and NAVSPASUR.
ALU Arithmetic Logic Unit.
AM Amplitude Modulation.
AMC (1) Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL. (2) Army Materiel Command. (3) Midpoint Compromise Search Area. (4) Acquisition Method Code. (5) Advisory Management Committee.
AMCOM Army Aviation and Missile Command (Oct. 1996).
AMD Air and Missile Defense
AMDF Army Master Data File
AMDS Active Missile Defense System.
AMDTF Air and Missile Defense Task Force (US Army term) AMEMB American Embassy.
AMFB Acquisition Management Functional Board.
AMG Antenna mast group.
AMOR Army Missile Optical Range.
AMOS Air Force Maui Optical Station.
amp ampere
AMP Ansular Measurement Precision.
AMRAAM Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile.
AMS Aerodynamic Maneuvering System
AMSAA Army Materiel Systems Analysis Agency.
AMSDL Acquisition Management System Data Requirements Control List.
AMT ATCS Mobile Terminal.
AMTB Attack Management Test Bed
AMTL Army Materials Technology Laboratory.
A/N Army/Navy
AN/TPS-59 USMC Firefinder radar.
ANALYZE Static Code Analyzer.
ANIK E1 Canadian telecommunications satellite’s name.
ANL Argonne National Laboratory
ANMCC Alternate National Military Command Center.
ANMD Army National Missile Defense.
ANN Artificial Neural Networks.
ANSI American National Standards Institute.
Antenna Area The ratio of the power available at the terminals of an antenna to the incident power density of a plane wave from the direction polarized.
Antiair Warfare Action required to destroy or reduce to an acceptable level the enemy air and missile threat. It includes such measures as the use of interceptors, bombers, antiaircraft guns, surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, electronic countermeasures, and destruction of the air or missile threat both before and after it is launched. Other measures taken to minimize the effects of hostile air action are cover, concealment, dispersion, deception, and mobility (Navy/USMC).
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM)
The term used for Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapons developed to negate the ballistic missile threat in the late 60s and early 70s.
Anti-Ballistic Missile System
A system designed to counter strategic ballistic missiles or their elements in flight.
Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM)
A missile that homes passively on a radiation source.
Antisatellite Weapon (ASAT)
A weapon designed to destroy satellites in space. The weapon may be launched from the ground, from an aircraft, or be based in space. Either a nuclear or conventional explosion may destroy the target, by collision at high speed, or by a directed energy beam.
Anti-Simulation The process of introducing random variations to the signature characteristics of an object in order to cause misidentification of the object by the sensors. The disguising of an RV to resemble a non-threatening object such as a piece of debris, a balloon, or a decoy.
Ao Operational Availability
AO (1) Associated Object. (2) Action Officer. (3) Area of Operations (4) Acousto- Optical. (5) Attack Operations.
AOA OBSOLETE. Airborne Optical Adjunct (now called AST).
AOC Air Operations Center.
AOCC Air Operations Control Center.
AOEC Aero-Optic Evaluation Center, Buffalo, NY.
AOI Active Optical Imager.
AOP Airborne Optics Platform.
AOR Area of Responsibility.
AOS OBSOLETE. Airborne Optical Sensor.
AOSP Advanced On-Board Signal Processor.
AOTF Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter.
AP Acquisition Plan.
APB Acquisition Program Baseline.
APBI Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry (MDA).
APCC Alternate Processing and Correlation Center.
APDP Acquisition Professional Development Program.
APEX Active Plasma Experiment
API Ascent-Phase Intercept.
APIPT Acquisition Planning IPT (PAC-3 term).
APL Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
APLE Average Power Laser Experiment.
APM Advanced Penetration Model.
APMA Acquisition Program Management Agreement.
APO (1) Apache Point Observatory. (2) Arrow Project Office.
APOD Aerial Point of Debarkation.
Application (1) (Software) It refers to a process; usually implemented as a software routine, at the highest level (Level 7) of the ISO open system architecture. (2) (SDS) It refers to such processes as the Battle Management, Navigation, Network Control, and other high level functions which may originate or receive messages over the SDS Communication network, via underlying lower-level protocols. (3) Software designed to fulfill specific needs of a user. (4) (Acquisition) The process of selecting requirements that are pertinent and cost effective for the particular materiel acquisition and contractually invoking them at the most advantageous times in the acquisition cycle.
Apportionment (1) A determination made by the Office of Management and Budget which limits the amount of obligations or expenditures that may be incurred during a specified time period. An apportionment may limit all obligations to be incurred during the specified period or it may limit obligation to be incurred for a specific activity, function, project, object, or a combination thereof. The third of four phases of the DoD resource allocation process.
(2) The determination and assignment of the total expected effort by percentage and/or by priority that should be devoted to the various air operations and/or geographic areas for a given period of time. (3) In the general sense, distribution for planning of limited resources among competing requirements. Specific apportionments (e.g. air sorties and forces for planning) are described as apportionment of air sorties and forces for planning, etc.
Appropriation An authorization by an act of Congress that permits Federal agencies to incur obligations and make payments from the Treasury. An appropriation usually follows an enactment of authorizing legislation. An appropriation act is the most common means of providing budget authority. Appropriations do not represent cash actually set aside in the Treasury; they represent limitations of amounts, which agencies may obligate during a specified time period. See Authorization.
Approved Program
The technical and operational, schedule, and quantity requirements reflected in the latest approved USD (A) ADM, or other document reflecting a more current decision of the USD (A) or other approval authority, such as the President’s Budget, the FYDP, and supporting documentation.
APPS Automated POM Preparation Instruction.
APS (1) Axial Propulsion System. (2) Automatic Phasing System.
APT Acquisition, Pointing, and Tracking.
APU Auxiliary Power Unit.
AR Army
ARB Accreditation Review Board.
ARC (1) Advanced Research Center, US Army, Huntsville, AL.
(2) Atlantic Research Corporation.
ARC/SC Advanced Research Center/Simulation Center.
ARCCC Army Component Command Center.
ARCT Advanced Radar Component Technology.
ARFOR Army Forces.
ARGUS Advanced Real-time Gaming Universal Simulation.
Architectural Design
The process of defining a collection of hardware and software components and their interfaces to establish the framework for the development of a computer system.
Architecture Integration Study (AIS)
A study to determine the performance of alternative architectures and element designs that satisfy BMD System mission requirements, and to evaluate the effect of changing threats and advances in technology on the systems, subsystems, and components making up existing and proposed architectures.
ARDSOC Army Defense System Operations Center.
ARE Aerothermal Reentry Experiment.
Area Air Defense Commander (AADC)
The person given overall responsibility for air defense within an overseas unified command, subordinate unified command, or a joint task force. Normally, this will be the Air Force component commander.
Area Defense Defense of a broad geographical area that contains both military and civilian assets (i.e., depots, towns/cities). (USSPACECOM)
Area of Influence A geographical area wherein a commander is directly capable of influencing operations by maneuver or fire support systems normally under his command or control.
Area of Interest (AOI)
The area of influence and surrounding areas that is of concern to the commander for the objective of current and planned operations. This may include areas occupied by enemy forces.
Area of Operations
That portion of an area of war necessary for military operations and for the administration of such operations.
Argus An airborne optical platform operated by the Air Force’s Phillips Laboratory.
Argus is sometimes used by MDA to collect flight test signatures, phenomenology, and intercept data.
ARGUS Advanced Real-time Gaming Universal Simulation.
ARH Anti-Radiation Homing.
ARI Army Research Institute
ARIES Active Radio Interferometer for Explosion Surveillance.
ARL Airborne Reconnaissance-Low (USA term) [circa 1996 = Reconnaissance equipment in Dash-7 airplane].
ARM Anti-Radiation Missile.
Arms Export Control Board (AECB)
An interagency board, chaired by the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science, and Technology, that serves to advise the Secretary of State on matters relating to security assistance program levels and arms transfer policies.
Army Brigade Center (ARBC)
The Army center between the ARSPOC and the ARROC with C2 responsibilities for BMD.
Army Component Command Center (ARCCC)
A segment of the Command and Control Element, which replicates capabilities of the CCC (BMD) segment and provides administrative and logistics support to Army Component Forces with the Strategic Defense System. The ARCCC was eliminated from the CCE (now C2E) architecture during the last SAS system architecture definition update.
Army Materiel Command (AMC)
Performs the assigned materiel functions of the Department of the Army, including research and development; product improvement; human factors engineering; test and evaluation; procurement and production; new equipment training; scientific and technical intelligence production; international logistics programs; and storage, distribution, maintenance, demilitarization, and disposal for the continental United States wholesale supply and maintenance systems as well as for overseas systems. Located in Alexandria, VA and moving to Fort Belvoir, VA in 2003.
Army Space Operations Center (ARSPOC)
The Army Space Command Center responsible for logistically/ administratively controlling assigned SDS elements and which shall also include the capability to assure the BMD mission is carried out should the USCINCSPACE CCC be lost.
ARNG Army National Guard.
AROS Airborne Radar Optical System.
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
ARPA Advanced Research Projects Agency. (Formerly known as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
ARPANET ARPA Network.
ARRC Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.
ARROC Army Regional Operations Center.
Arrow A technology demonstration program started in 1988 and designed to meet Israeli architecture requirements for area defense of population centers against TBMs.
ARS (1) Airborne Remote Sensing. (2) Action Request System.
ARSCS Automated Rear Services Control System.
ARSPACE U.S. Army Space Command.
ARSPOC Army Space Operations Center.
ARU Alignment Reference Unit (PAC-3).
ASA Assistant Secretary of the Army.
ASAF Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.
ASAF (A) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition).
ASARC Army Systems Acquisition Review Council.
ASARS Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System.
ASAS (1) All Source Analysis System. (2) Advanced Solid Axial Stage.
ASAT Antisatellite Weapon.
ASB Army Science Board.
ASBM Air-to-Surface Ballistic Missile.
ASC (1) Army Space Command (See also USARSPACECOM, ARSPACECOM).
(2) Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright Patterson AFB, OH.
ASCC Air Standardization Coordination Committee.
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
ASCM Advance Spaceborne Computer Module
ASCO Advanced Systems Concept Office ASCON Associate Contractor
ASD (1) OBSOLETE Aeronautical Systems Division (AF). See Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC). (2) Assistant Secretary of Defense.
ASDC Alternated Space Defense Center
ASDP Advanced Sensor Demonstration Program.
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEDP Army Space Exploitation Demonstration Program.
ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit.
ASIOE Associated Support Items of Equipment (USA term).
ASL Authorized Stockage List (USA term).
ASM (1) Anti-Simulation. (2) Anti-ship Missile. (3) Air-to-Surface Missile.
ASMD Anti-ship Missile Defense.
ASMDC Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, AL (1998).
ASMP French Air Surface Missile
ASN Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
ASN (RD&A) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development & Acquisition).
ASN (SB&L) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Shipbuilding and Logistics).
ASOC Air Support Operations Center.
ASP (1) Airborne Surveillance Platform. (2) Advanced Sensor Program. (3) Advanced Sensor Platform. (4) Annual Service Practice.
ASPADOC The backup to the SPADOC, maintained by the Naval Space Command, at Dahlgren, VA, collocated with the NAVSPOC and NAVSPASUR.
ASPIRIS Advanced Signal Processing for IR Sensors.
ASPJ Airborne Self Protection Jammer
ASPO Army Space Program Office.
ASR Acquisition Strategy Report.
ASROC Antisubmarine Rocket.
ASSERT Augmentation Awards for Science and Engineering Research Training (DoD term).
Assessment (1) Appraisal of the worth of an intelligence activity, source information, or product in terms of its contribution to a specific goal, or the credibility, reliability, pertinence, accuracy, or usefulness of information in terms of an intelligence need. When used in context with evaluation, assessment implies a weighing against resource allocation, expenditure or risk. (2) An independent evaluation of a model or simulation by an MDA-sponsored Confidence Assessment Team for a specified purpose.
ASSIST Automated Systems Security Incident Support Term (DISA term).
Associated Object
Object that remains near a deployed reentry vehicle, decoy or chaff puff.
Assume Course Orientation
Make course attitude adjustments to the weapon platform orientation prior to engagement.
Assured Defense Strategies and tactics that result in (specified) a high probability of kill against designated targets, regardless of the interceptors required. (USSPACECOM) Assured Kill This option requires defense segments to employ tactics, which produce the
highest probability of kill consistent with the available number of defensive resources (interceptors).
AST (1) See Airborne Surveillance Testbed. (2) Advanced Sensor Technology.
ASTMP Army Science and Technology Master Plan
ASTP Advanced Sensor Technology Program
ASWG Architecture Systems Working Group.
AT Advanced Technology
ATA (1) Advanced Test Accelerator. (2) Avionics Test Article.
ATACC (1) Advanced Tactical Command Central (USMC term). (2) Advanced Theater Air Command Center
ATACM Army Tactical Missile
ATACMS Army Tactical Missile System.
ATAF Allied Tactical Air Force (NATO).
ATB (1) Allied Test Bed. (2) Analytical Tool Box.
ATBM (1) Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missile. (2) Anti- Theater Ballistic Missile
ATC Automated Technical Catalog
ATCCS Army Tactical Command and Control System
ATCOM Army Aviation and Troop Command (pre-Oct 96) (See AMCOM)
ATD Advanced Technology Demonstration.
ATDL Army Tactical Data Link.
ATDM Adaptive Time Division Multiplexer.
ATDS Airborne Tactical Data System.
ATE Automatic Test Equipment.
ATH Above the Horizon
ATHS Airborne Target Handover System.
ATI Advanced Technology Interceptor
ATIM Advanced Technology Insertion Module
ATIS Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions
ATM Anti-Tactical Missile.
ATMD Army Theater Missile Defense.
ATMDF Air and Theater Missile Defense Force (US Army term).
ATMDPO Army Theater Missile Defense Program Office.
ATO Air Tasking Order.
ATOC Air Tactical Operations Center.
ATODB Air Tasking Order Database.
ATP (1) Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing. (2) Authority To Proceed. (3) Allied Tactical Publication. (4) Acceptance Test Procedures. (5) Acceptance Test Program. (6) Advanced Technology Program (Department of Commerce term). (7) Authority to Process.
ATP&FC Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Fire Control.
ATR Autonomous/Automated Target Recognition.
ATRJ Advanced Threat Radar Jammer.
ATSIM Acquisition and Track Simulation.
Attack and Launch Early Reporting to Theater (ALERT)
An upgrade to ground station mission processing which exploits inherent satellite capability to provide theater missile warning and cueing.
Attack
Assessment (AA)
An evaluation of information to determine the potential or actual nature and objectives of an attack for the purpose of providing information for timely decisions.
Attack
Characterization
The process by which the parameters of an attack in progress are developed, updated and defined.
Attack Operations (Counterforce)
Attack operations prevent launch of theater missiles by attacking all elements of the overall enemy system, including such actions as destroying launch platforms, support facilities, reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance and target acquisition platforms, command and control nodes, and missile stocks. Attack operations can be executed by space, air, ground, maritime, and special operations forces.
Attack operations are considered one of the four pillars of TMD capability. (JCS J-38 CONOPS)
Attack Price A concept used to evaluate the performance of a BMD system that defines
“price” as the number of Re-entry Vehicles required to ensure target destruction.
Target destruction is defined as a probability of target survivability using the draw down curve.
Attack Warning/
Attack Assessment (AW/AA)
Integrated air, missile, and space defense data used to determine whether an attack is underway and, if so, what is the type and strength of the attack.
ATTD Advanced Technology Transition Demonstration.
Attenuation Decrease in intensity of a signal, beam, or wave as a result of absorption and scattering out of the path of a detector by the propagating medium, but not including a decrease in intensity due to geometric spreading (e.g., the inverse square of distance).
ATV Advanced Technology Validation.
AULS Accidental or Unauthorized Limited Strike.
AUPC Average Unit Procurement Cost.
AURORA Canadian aircraft.
Autonomous Acquisition Range (Max.)
The maximum range at which a target can be acquired by a sensor operating in a non-cued mode.
AV (1) Air Vehicle. (2) Audio-Visual.
AVATAR (SAIC) Flight dynamics simulator.
AVC Advanced Vehicle Concept.
AVCATT Aviation CATT (US Army term) Average Unit
Procurement Cost (AUPC)
Design to average unit procurement cost objectives, expressed in constant dollars, are established for Milestone I, Concept Demonstration Approval. AUPC includes recurring flyaway, rollaway, sail-away costs (including nonrecurring production costs) adjusted for data, training, support equipment, and initial spares costs.
AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer.
AVSCOM Aviation Systems Command (US Army).
AW/AA Attack Warning/Attack Assessment.
AWACS Airborne Warning and Control System.
AWC Air Warfare Centre (UK RAF term).
AWE Advanced Warfighting Experiment
AWG (1) Acquisition Working Group (GSA term). (2) Algorithm Working Group.
AWS (1) AEGIS Weapons System (2) Advanced Warning System. (3) Arrow Weapons System (Joint US/Israeli BMD weapons system).
Azimuth Orientation of a vector projected onto a reference horizontal plane, relative to a reference direction in the plane.
Azimuth Angle A positive angle measured clockwise in a reference horizontal plane from a reference direction to a given direction. For a topocentric-horizon coordinate reference frame, the reference direction is due north (true north or magnetic north, depending on the application).
B Billion.
B Spec Development specification.
B2C2 Brigade and Below Command and Control System (Army term).
BA Budget activity. The budget activity codes are:
01 – Basic Research
02 – Exploratory Development
03 – Advance Technology Development 04 – Dem/Val
05 – EMD
06 – Management Support
07 – Operational Systems Development
BAA Broad Agency Announcement.
BAC Budget At Completion.
Backbone Network
Consists of the space communications network, the ground communications network, and the interconnection between the two.
Background Rejection (Surveillance)
The suppression of background noise for the improvement of an object signal.
BAE Battlefield Area Evaluation (USA term).
BAFO Best and Final Offer.
BAI Battlefield Air Interdiction.
Balanced Technology Initiative (BTI)
DoD’s program to hasten application of advanced technology to the most critical and urgent operational needs. BTI projects are demonstrating leap-ahead capabilities enabled by emerging technologies in smart weapons, target acquisition, battlefield C3I, active countermeasures, and ultra-wide bandwidth radars and high power microwave systems.
Ballistic Coefficient
The weight of the object divided by the product of the coefficient of drag and the projected area (W/CDA), in kilograms per square meter.
Ballistic Missile (BM)
Any missile that does not rely upon aerodynamic surfaces to produce lift and consequently follows a ballistic trajectory when thrust is terminated.
Ballistic Missile Boost Intercept (BAMBI)
OBSOLETE. A 1966 system concept that a Lockheed study group developed in anticipation of possible government interest in the development of an ABM capability.
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)
All active and passive measures designed to detect, identify, track, and defeat attacking ballistic missiles (and entities), in both strategic and theater tactical roles, during any portion of their flight trajectory (boost, post-boost, midcourse, or terminal) or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of such attack.
Ballistic Missile Defense Battery
An Army operations center, which operates and maintains BMD ground-based weapons and sensors.
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Cell
This facility will be located in the USSPACECOM Consolidated Command Center (CCC) and Space Control Center (SPACC) to support the Space Force Application mission area interface between the BMD system and USCINCSPACE. The BMD Cell will provide command and decision support to USCINCSPACE.
Ballistic Missile Defense
Operations Center (BMDOC)
OBSOLETE. Initially located at the NTF, and ultimately in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, this facility supports the BMD Cell-USSPACECOM information interface. The BMDOC hosts a BM/C3 processing suite and the operations personnel necessary to coordinate and integrate system-wide BMD activities and supports the USCINCSPACE planning and decision process.
Ballistic Missile Defense
Organization (BMDO)
OBSOLETE. The former name of an agency of the Department of Defense whose mission is to manage and direct the conduct of a research program examining the feasibility of eliminating the threat posed by ballistic missiles of all ranges and of increasing the contribution of defensive systems to United States and Allied security. MDA is the successor to Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO). See MDA.
Ballistic Missile Defense Program
An architecture comprising three objectives: Theater Missile Defense (TMD), National Missile Defense (NMD), and Follow-on Research Programs.
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System
(1) An integrated system that employs layered defenses to intercept missiles during their boost, midcourse, and terminal flight phases. (MDA Lexicon)
(2) The aggregate BMD BMC3 and BMD forces that, in total, provide defense against ballistic missile attacks to North America and other areas of vital interest.
(USSPACECOM) Ballistic Missile
Early Warning System (BMEWS)
Provides tactical warning of ballistic missile attacks, and is part of Spacetrack system. A two-faced phased array radar located at Thule AB, Greenland; three detection radars and one tracking radar at Clear AFS, AK; and three tracking radars at RAF Fylingdales, UK.
Ballistics The science or art that deals with the motion, behavior, appearance, or modification of missiles or other vehicles acted upon by propellants, wind, gravity, temperature, or any other modifying substance, condition, or force.
Ballistic Trajectory
The trajectory traced after the propulsive force is terminated and the body is acted upon only by gravity and aerodynamic drag.
Balloon A spherical inflatable decoy used as a penetration aid to mask the location of reentry vehicles.
BAMBI OBSOLETE. See Ballistic Missile Boost Intercept.
Bandwidth The range of usable frequencies assigned to a channel or system; the difference expressed in Hertz between the highest and lowest frequencies of a band.
BAR Bimonthly Activity Report.
BARBB BMDO Acquisition Reporting Bulletin Board Barrage
Jamming
Simultaneous electronic jamming over a broad band of frequencies.
Battery Tactical and administrative artillery unit or subunit corresponding to a company or a similar unit in other branches of the Army.
