thirty-mike-thirty millimeter

Tin Man-American infantryman who wears an advanced electronic protective armor system

TLAM-Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, American ship-or submarine-launched long-range attack cruise missile

Xia-class-Chinese ballistic-missile submarine

YAL-1 Airborne Laser-American antiballistic-missile laser aircraft, based on a Boeing 747 aircraft

Yantar-4K2-Obsolete Russian reconnaissance satellite

ACU-Army Combat Uniform, new designation of American battle uniform

ADS-Active Defensive System, American aircraft laser system that defeats enemy antiaircraft missiles with bursts of laser energy

American Holocaust-term used to describe the Russian bomber attacks against the United States

BG-Brigadier General

Boats-abbreviation for a naval enlisted man who trains, supervises, and directs ship’s maintenance duties

CAG-Carrier Air Group, referring to the commander of an aircraft carrier’s air wings

CID-Cybernetic Infantry Device, an American infantry combat system utilizing a manned robot to afford superhuman protection, strength, speed, and attack capabilities equivalent to an infantry platoon

CINC-Commander in Chief; former designation of the commander of a major U.S. military command (now reserved for the president of the United States)

CJCS-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the senior uniformed adviser to the president of the United States

CNO-Chief of Naval Operations, the senior uniformed officer of the U.S. Navy

CTF-150-Combined Task Force-150, a multinational antipiracy maritime security force

DCI-Director of Central Intelligence, the senior administrator and coordinator of all of America ’s intelligence services

dielectric-a hard or rigid structure that allows electromagnetic energy to pass through in both directions

Duty Officer-a computerized interactionable service linking several computer services

Electronic Elastomeric Activity Suit-a mechanical compression garment worn by astronauts that uses computer-controlled electronically compressible material to maintain near-sea-level pressure on the human body while in a vacuum

EMU-Extravehicular Maneuvering Unit, a device that attaches to an astronaut’s space suit that allows precise movement in space

EPIRB-Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon, a device that transmits identification and location information via satellite to rescuers

FBI-Federal Bureau of Investigation, American federal domestic law enforcement and investigation agency

ForceNet-American naval computer global data-exchange system

FSB-Federal Security Bureau, new name for the Russian KGB foreign and domestic intelligence and security force

GRU-Glavnoye Razvedyvatel’ noye Upravleniye, Russian military intelligence agency

GUARD-international emergency radio channel

HMU-Handheld Maneuvering Unit, a device used by astronauts to maneuver in space

Hohmann transfer orbit-an orbit used by spacecraft to move from one orbit to another

home plate-common term for home base or aircraft carrier

Hydra-smaller version of a COIL laser used for self-defense

hypoxia-physical difficulties associated with a lack of oxygen (loss of sight, uncoordination, unconsciousness)

ISI-Interservices Intelligence, Pakistani intelligence agency

KGB-Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, Soviet domestic and foreign security and intelligence agency, now FSB

Maddie-Multifunctional Advanced Data Delivery and Information Exchange, the civilian version of the “Duty Officer”

MFD-Multi-Function Display, an advanced computer control and display system

NCIS-Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ chief law enforcement investigation service

NOSS-Naval Ocean Surveillance System, a system of satellites that detects and tracks vessels by homing in on radio transmissions

NSO-National Security Organization, the Republic of Yemen ’s domestic and foreign intelligence and security force

PETA-People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal-rights organization

PLA-People’s Liberation Army, the unified land, sea, and air forces of the People’s Republic of China

PNSA-President’s National Security Adviser, senior civilian military and domestic security adviser to the president of the United States

PRC-People’s Republic of China (mainland China)

Ro-Ro-Roll-On, Roll-Off, a cargo ship where vehicles or equipment can be loaded on one end and driven off on the other end

SAC-Strategic Air Command, former major American military command that controlled all nuclear-capable attack and global reconnaissance and command-and-control forces

SCA-Suez Canal Authority, civil organization responsible for regulating, maintaining, and patrolling the Suez Canal

SECDEF-common acronym of the secretary of defense, the senior civilian administrator of all branches of the U.S. military

SECNAV-common acronym of the secretary of the navy, senior civilian administrator of the U.S. Navy

SECSTATE-common acronym of the U.S. secretary of state

SIGINT-Signals Intelligence, collecting, identifying, and analyzing electromagnetic emissions

Space-Based Infrared System-satellite-based system that detects and tracks missiles and aircraft

SPACECOM-common acronym for the U.S. Space Command, the major American military command responsible for space activities

STRATCOM-U.S. Strategic Command, the major American military command responsible for strategic missile defense, information warfare, command and control, and surveillance

TMO-Traffic Management Officer, the officer responsible for monitoring movements of ships or aircraft through a particular area or region

VFR-Visual Flight Rules, the rules governing aircraft operations in good weather

WMD-Weapons of Mass Destruction, referring to biological, nuclear, or chemical weapons designed to kill large numbers of people over very large areas with few numbers of weapons

U.S. PLANS FOR FUTURE WARS IN SPACE (www.Space.com, February 22, 2004): The U.S. Air Force has filed a futuristic flight plan, one that spells out need for an armada of space weaponry and technology for the near term and in years to come. Called the Transformation Flight Plan, the 176-page document offers a sweeping look at how best to expand America ’s military space tool kit.

…The CAV (Common Aero Vehicle) is an unpowered, maneuverable, hypersonic glide vehicle deployed in the 2010-2015 time period. The CAV could be delivered by a range of delivery vehicles from an expendable or reusable small launch vehicle to a fully reusable Space Operations Vehicle. It can guide and dispense conventional weapons, sensors, or other payloads worldwide from and through space within one hour of tasking. It would be able to strike a spectrum of targets, including mobile targets, mobile time-sensitive targets, strategic relocatable targets, or fixed hard and deeply buried targets. The CAV’s speed and maneuverability would combine to make defenses against it extremely difficult…

SINO-RUSSIAN MILITARY MANEUVERS: A THREAT TO U.S. INTERESTS IN EURASIA (Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., and John J. Tkacik Jr., www.Heritage.org, September 30, 2005): Peace Mission 2005, the unprecedented Sino-Russian joint military exercises held on August 18-25, should raise concerns in Washington. The war games are a logical outcome of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation, signed in 2001, and the shared worldview and growing economic ties between the two giant powers…

The Russian daily Nezavismaya Gazeta was more blunt about the purpose of the war games: This is above all an assault on the unipolar world that has so suited Washington since the end of the Cold War. Chinese commentators were similarly frank. Jin Canrong, professor of international relations at the People’s University of China, stated that the main target is the United States. Both sides want to improve their bargaining position in terms of security, politics, and economics. As Pravda.ru announced, “The reconciliation between China and Russia has been driven in part by mutual unease at U.S. power…”