Library

TERMMEANING
ABORTAbort last action (can apply to task, mission,...).
AIRBORNEAircraft just took off and is climbing.
ALPHABeginning mission
ANCHOR (location)Orbit about a specific point.
ARTILLERYAKATSIA/SMERCH type.
ANGELSX000's ft MSL
BANDIT Aircraft identified as enemy.
BASE90° leg before final.
BEACONFlight / Serial, ready for takeoff. Call made by trail advising lead that all chalks are ready for takeoff. Normally used for a Fixed Formation Takeoff (FFT) when ready signals are made in chalk order.
BEELINELead is rejoining the briefed route.
BENTEquipment failure: "Laser bent".
BINGO FUELFuel level required for RTB.
BOMBS AWAYBombs away.
BLINDNo visual on friendly.
BOGEYUnidentified aircraft.
BRAABearing, Range, Altitude, Aspect.
BRACKET (direction)Maneuver to a position on opposite sides, either laterally or vertically from the target.
BREAKEmergency evasive manoeuver.
BUDDY LOCKLock on a friendly aircraft (answers BUDDY SPIKE).
BUDDY SPIKELock from a friendly aircraft.
BUMPA climb to acquire LOS to the target or laser designation.
BURNIllumination using rockets over an area at night.
BUSTERSpeed 200 to 250km/h.
CALCUTTALights OFF
CAPTUREDTarget/Object. Specified surface target or object has been acquired and is being tracked with an onboard sensor
CEASECease (activity). Discontinue stated activity.
CHECK-INRequest by the AMC for chalks to acknowledge with their call-sign, in chalk order.
CHECK NAV (Left/Right)An advisement to lead that they are off course, or have made a wrong turn. The announced direction indicates the direction lead should turn to get back on course.
CHECK TIME (Fast/Slow)An advisement to lead that they are off time by the briefed time parameter or greater. “Fast” will indicate the flight is ahead of time and “slow” will indicate they are behind time.
CHERRYHot LZ. LZ currently under fire.
CHERUBSx00's ft AGL
CLEAREDAuthorized.
CLOSINGApproaching 10 rotor disks
CONNINGUnknown/nonfriendly aircraft producing contrails
CONTACT Enemy fire / acknowledges sighting of a specified reference point (either visually or via sensor).
CONVOYFlight joined. “Call made by trail advising that all chalks have joined the flight/serial and is in the briefed formation”. Call made by trail for all “In-Flight Join Ups” and “In-Flight Link Ups”. Not normally after a FFT.
COPY Understood.
CROSS WIND90° to the runway after takeoff.
COVERAssign S/A weapons or establish an A/A posture that will allow engagement of a specified track or threat if required.
CRUISESpeed 100 et 200km/h.
DATA (object, position)Standby for data link message concerning object at stated location.
DATALINKDatalink transmission (answered  by SWEET or HOLLOW).
DEADEYEsame than "laser bent". Laser equipment failure.
DECLAREInquiry as to the identification of a specified track(s), target(s), or correlated GROUP. Responses include FRIENDLY, BOGEY, BANDIT, HOSTILE, NEUTRAL, UNABLE, or CLEAN. Full positional data must accompany declaration responses.
DEPLOY Aircraft group flying to positions as defined during the briefing.
DIVERT Divert to back up base.
DOWN WINDParallel to the runway.
DROPKICKLead is intentionally deviating from the briefed route.
DROP POINTLocation of the Battle Position.
ENIEnemy.
DROP(PING)Stop/Stopping monitoring of a specified emitter/target/group and resume / resuming search responsibilities.
EXPECT Example « EXPECT SAM ».
EYELIDPossible IED detected via airborne/ground sensor. Usually followed by amplifying information.
FADEDSensor contact is lost on GROUP/ CONTACT.
FALLEN ANGELAircraft / Aircrew down
FARMHelicopter status of fuel (expressed in PLAYTIME), ammo, rocket,missile.
FEET WET/DRYGround/water overflight.
FENCE IN/OUTWeapons hot/cold when entering combat zone.
FINALApproaching and in line with the active runway. (LONG/SHORT FINAL)
FLAKAAA (shilka/Zu23).
FLARE(S)Deploy/Deploying flares.
FORCE Number of aircraft/vehicles/infantry. example: "TANGOS FORCE 5"
FOX MIKEVHF/FM Radio.
FOX TWOLaunch of IR guided missile (i.e Mistral for Gazelle).
FREEZEGo stationnary (cancelled by MELT).
FRIENDLYFriend.
GATEMax speed before overspeed alert.
GOODWILL Border of a SAM zone.
GOGGLE/DEGOGGLEDirective call for aircrew to put on/take off NVD/NVG.
GRANDSLAM All enemy targets assigned are destroyed.
GREEN (+direction)Direction to a safe area.
GUNS GUNS GUNSFiring canon.
HEAVY METALUnable to maintain current airspeed.
HEAVY TANKi.e T72/T80/Leclerc/Abrams.
HOLLOWNo Datalink reception.
HOMEPLATE Airfield or FARP used at the begining of the mission.
HOLLYWOODVideo Recording ON
HOSTILE Aircraft/vehicle that we can engage.
HOT Incoming aircraft.
HOTEL FOXHF Radio (Mi-8).
ICELZ Cold. LZ not currently under fire.
IDLESpeed less than 100km/h.
IN (direction)Entering terminal phase of an air-to-ground attack. Opposite of OFF.
JOKER FUELNo enough fuel to perform Task. Requires an ABORT.
LASER ONStart/acknowledge laser designation.
LEAKER Air threat successfully bypassed our defenses and requires immediate interception.
LIGHT TANKLight armored vehicles (BTR80/BMP).
LIGHTS ON/OFFSwitching on/off external lights.
LOCK ONDesignated target is locked.
MANPADMan Portable Air Defense.
MEDIUM TANKi.e M60/T55.
MELTCleared to leave stationnary.
MERGE When enemy and friendly forces  are in direct contact.
MINIMIZE Reduce radio chatter.
MONITOR(ING) (GROUP/object)Maintain/maintaining sensor awareness on specified GROUP/object. Implies that tactically significant changes will be communicated.
MOSQUITO (direction/distance)Hostile fire (small arms/RPG) detected (e.g., “Ranger 21, MOSQUITO north, 500 meters”).
MOVER(S)Unidentified surface vehicles(s) in motion.
NAKED No info from LWR.
NIGHTMARELead is completely lost or has lost navigational capabilities and requests a lead change.
NO FACTORGroup is not a threat.
NO JOYNo visual contact.
OFF (direction)Attack is terminated and maneuvering to the indicated direction.
PANCAKENeed to land + reason (PANCAKE FUEL, PANCAKE AMMO, PANCAKE HYDRAULIC BENT...).
PAXFriendly infantry.
PEDRORescue Helicopter.
PICTURE Current threat status (PICTURE CLEAR = no threat).
PIGEONS Request bearing/distance to HOMEPLATE.
PLAYTIMEAmount of time aircraft can remain on station, given in hours plus minutes (e.g., ONE PLUS THIRTY equals 1 hour and 30 minutes).
POPEYEFlying in clouds or area of reduced visibility.
POSITRequest for friendly position; response in terms of a geographic landmark or from a common reference point.
PUMP Brief manoeuver to stop progression to the target/threat with intention to re-engage.
PULSEIlluminate a position with flashing IR energy.
PUSH (frequency)Switch to a given radio frequency.
RECOMMIT Following a PUMP. Back to target engagement.
REDCON 1Ready for takeoff. Abbreviation for Readiness Condition 1 (Refer, Readiness Conditions). “Verbal signal that an individual chalk is ready for takeoff”.
REMINGTONOut of A/G ammo (only guns left).
RIFLE Firing AG missile.
ROGER Understood. (same as COPY)
ROLLDirection for chalks to change to announced frequency/net, acknowledge in chalk order (i.e. Falcon flight, roll Atlanta approach).
RTBReturn to Base.
RUNWAY CLEAREDAircraft left the runway and is taxiing.
SADDLEDAircraft in position in the formation
SADDLECall from Trail when formation is formed
SCAN Looking for enemy targets without engaging.
SMASH [ON/OFF]Switch ON/OFF anti collision light.
SMOKE Smoke markers (rockets).
SPARKLE Using an IR pointer.
SNAKEOscillate an IR pointer in a figure eight about the target
SPIKE (AIR SPIKE, MUD SPIKE)Information provided by the LWR when locked by a weapon system.
SPLASH“SPLASH 1” Air target destroyed. “SPLASH 2”: Ground target destroyed.
STATUS Requesting tactical situation to an ally.
SPOT1- Acquisition of laser designation 2- The platform is laser spot tracker (LST) capable
SQUIRTERA ground borne object of interest departing the objective area.
STUMBLEDisoriented, request navigation assistance.
STAREwith laser code and reference point : cue the laser spot search/tracker function on the specified reference point.
STEADYStop Oscillation of an IR pointer.
SWEETDatalink received.
SUNSHINEIlluminating Target with Artificial illumination
TALLY Visual on enemy units.
TANGOEnemy infantry.
TORCHTakeoff in Five (5) seconds. Call made by lead to the flight, advising that takeoff will be in Five (5) seconds.
TOUCHDOWN Touchdown / wheels on the ground.
TOWRICOTake off when ready in chalk order and should be announced by flight lead otherwise flight will lift off all at the same time.
TRUCKUnarmed vehicles.
TRACKThis is a directive call assigning responsibility to maintain sensors / visual awareness on a defined object or area.
UNABLE Cannot execute task/order.
UNIFORMUHF/AM Radio.
VECTORRequest bearing/distance to a given point/static object.
UPAircraft Callsign is in the Air
VICTORVHF/AM Radio.
WEAPONS FREECleared to open fire on any target not identified as friendly.
VISUALSighting of a FRIENDLY aircraft / ground position. Opposite of BLIND
WEAPONS TIGHTCleared to open fire at targets positively identified as hostile.
WEAPONS HOLDIn self defense or in response to a formal order.
WILCO Understood. Will execute.
WINCHESTER No weapons left.
WIRES HT Lines.
WRENCHAircraft has maintenance issues and unable to continue mission.
ZAPRequest DATALINK.
ZULUEnd of Mission