| TERM | MEANING |
|---|---|
| ABORT | Abort last action (can apply to task, mission,...). |
| AIRBORNE | Aircraft just took off and is climbing. |
| ALPHA | Beginning mission |
| ANCHOR (location) | Orbit about a specific point. |
| ARTILLERY | AKATSIA/SMERCH type. |
| ANGELS | X000's ft MSL |
| BANDIT | Aircraft identified as enemy. |
| BASE | 90° leg before final. |
| BEACON | Flight / 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. |
| BEELINE | Lead is rejoining the briefed route. |
| BENT | Equipment failure: "Laser bent". |
| BINGO FUEL | Fuel level required for RTB. |
| BOMBS AWAY | Bombs away. |
| BLIND | No visual on friendly. |
| BOGEY | Unidentified aircraft. |
| BRAA | Bearing, Range, Altitude, Aspect. |
| BRACKET (direction) | Maneuver to a position on opposite sides, either laterally or vertically from the target. |
| BREAK | Emergency evasive manoeuver. |
| BUDDY LOCK | Lock on a friendly aircraft (answers BUDDY SPIKE). |
| BUDDY SPIKE | Lock from a friendly aircraft. |
| BUMP | A climb to acquire LOS to the target or laser designation. |
| BURN | Illumination using rockets over an area at night. |
| BUSTER | Speed 200 to 250km/h. |
| CALCUTTA | Lights OFF |
| CAPTURED | Target/Object. Specified surface target or object has been acquired and is being tracked with an onboard sensor |
| CEASE | Cease (activity). Discontinue stated activity. |
| CHECK-IN | Request 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. |
| CHERRY | Hot LZ. LZ currently under fire. |
| CHERUBS | x00's ft AGL |
| CLEARED | Authorized. |
| CLOSING | Approaching 10 rotor disks |
| CONNING | Unknown/nonfriendly aircraft producing contrails |
| CONTACT | Enemy fire / acknowledges sighting of a specified reference point (either visually or via sensor). |
| CONVOY | Flight 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 WIND | 90° to the runway after takeoff. |
| COVER | Assign S/A weapons or establish an A/A posture that will allow engagement of a specified track or threat if required. |
| CRUISE | Speed 100 et 200km/h. |
| DATA (object, position) | Standby for data link message concerning object at stated location. |
| DATALINK | Datalink transmission (answered by SWEET or HOLLOW). |
| DEADEYE | same than "laser bent". Laser equipment failure. |
| DECLARE | Inquiry 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 WIND | Parallel to the runway. |
| DROPKICK | Lead is intentionally deviating from the briefed route. |
| DROP POINT | Location of the Battle Position. |
| ENI | Enemy. |
| DROP(PING) | Stop/Stopping monitoring of a specified emitter/target/group and resume / resuming search responsibilities. |
| EXPECT | Example « EXPECT SAM ». |
| EYELID | Possible IED detected via airborne/ground sensor. Usually followed by amplifying information. |
| FADED | Sensor contact is lost on GROUP/ CONTACT. |
| FALLEN ANGEL | Aircraft / Aircrew down |
| FARM | Helicopter status of fuel (expressed in PLAYTIME), ammo, rocket,missile. |
| FEET WET/DRY | Ground/water overflight. |
| FENCE IN/OUT | Weapons hot/cold when entering combat zone. |
| FINAL | Approaching and in line with the active runway. (LONG/SHORT FINAL) |
| FLAK | AAA (shilka/Zu23). |
| FLARE(S) | Deploy/Deploying flares. |
| FORCE | Number of aircraft/vehicles/infantry. example: "TANGOS FORCE 5" |
| FOX MIKE | VHF/FM Radio. |
| FOX TWO | Launch of IR guided missile (i.e Mistral for Gazelle). |
| FREEZE | Go stationnary (cancelled by MELT). |
| FRIENDLY | Friend. |
| GATE | Max speed before overspeed alert. |
| GOODWILL | Border of a SAM zone. |
| GOGGLE/DEGOGGLE | Directive 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 GUNS | Firing canon. |
| HEAVY METAL | Unable to maintain current airspeed. |
| HEAVY TANK | i.e T72/T80/Leclerc/Abrams. |
| HOLLOW | No Datalink reception. |
| HOMEPLATE | Airfield or FARP used at the begining of the mission. |
| HOLLYWOOD | Video Recording ON |
| HOSTILE | Aircraft/vehicle that we can engage. |
| HOT | Incoming aircraft. |
| HOTEL FOX | HF Radio (Mi-8). |
| ICE | LZ Cold. LZ not currently under fire. |
| IDLE | Speed less than 100km/h. |
| IN (direction) | Entering terminal phase of an air-to-ground attack. Opposite of OFF. |
| JOKER FUEL | No enough fuel to perform Task. Requires an ABORT. |
| LASER ON | Start/acknowledge laser designation. |
| LEAKER | Air threat successfully bypassed our defenses and requires immediate interception. |
| LIGHT TANK | Light armored vehicles (BTR80/BMP). |
| LIGHTS ON/OFF | Switching on/off external lights. |
| LOCK ON | Designated target is locked. |
| MANPAD | Man Portable Air Defense. |
| MEDIUM TANK | i.e M60/T55. |
| MELT | Cleared 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. |
| NIGHTMARE | Lead is completely lost or has lost navigational capabilities and requests a lead change. |
| NO FACTOR | Group is not a threat. |
| NO JOY | No visual contact. |
| OFF (direction) | Attack is terminated and maneuvering to the indicated direction. |
| PANCAKE | Need to land + reason (PANCAKE FUEL, PANCAKE AMMO, PANCAKE HYDRAULIC BENT...). |
| PAX | Friendly infantry. |
| PEDRO | Rescue Helicopter. |
| PICTURE | Current threat status (PICTURE CLEAR = no threat). |
| PIGEONS | Request bearing/distance to HOMEPLATE. |
| PLAYTIME | Amount of time aircraft can remain on station, given in hours plus minutes (e.g., ONE PLUS THIRTY equals 1 hour and 30 minutes). |
| POPEYE | Flying in clouds or area of reduced visibility. |
| POSIT | Request 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. |
| PULSE | Illuminate a position with flashing IR energy. |
| PUSH (frequency) | Switch to a given radio frequency. |
| RECOMMIT | Following a PUMP. Back to target engagement. |
| REDCON 1 | Ready for takeoff. Abbreviation for Readiness Condition 1 (Refer, Readiness Conditions). “Verbal signal that an individual chalk is ready for takeoff”. |
| REMINGTON | Out of A/G ammo (only guns left). |
| RIFLE | Firing AG missile. |
| ROGER | Understood. (same as COPY) |
| ROLL | Direction for chalks to change to announced frequency/net, acknowledge in chalk order (i.e. Falcon flight, roll Atlanta approach). |
| RTB | Return to Base. |
| RUNWAY CLEARED | Aircraft left the runway and is taxiing. |
| SADDLED | Aircraft in position in the formation |
| SADDLE | Call 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. |
| SNAKE | Oscillate 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. |
| SPOT | 1- Acquisition of laser designation 2- The platform is laser spot tracker (LST) capable |
| SQUIRTER | A ground borne object of interest departing the objective area. |
| STUMBLE | Disoriented, request navigation assistance. |
| STARE | with laser code and reference point : cue the laser spot search/tracker function on the specified reference point. |
| STEADY | Stop Oscillation of an IR pointer. |
| SWEET | Datalink received. |
| SUNSHINE | Illuminating Target with Artificial illumination |
| TALLY | Visual on enemy units. |
| TANGO | Enemy infantry. |
| TORCH | Takeoff 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. |
| TOWRICO | Take off when ready in chalk order and should be announced by flight lead otherwise flight will lift off all at the same time. |
| TRUCK | Unarmed vehicles. |
| TRACK | This is a directive call assigning responsibility to maintain sensors / visual awareness on a defined object or area. |
| UNABLE | Cannot execute task/order. |
| UNIFORM | UHF/AM Radio. |
| VECTOR | Request bearing/distance to a given point/static object. |
| UP | Aircraft Callsign is in the Air |
| VICTOR | VHF/AM Radio. |
| WEAPONS FREE | Cleared to open fire on any target not identified as friendly. |
| VISUAL | Sighting of a FRIENDLY aircraft / ground position. Opposite of BLIND |
| WEAPONS TIGHT | Cleared to open fire at targets positively identified as hostile. |
| WEAPONS HOLD | In self defense or in response to a formal order. |
| WILCO | Understood. Will execute. |
| WINCHESTER | No weapons left. |
| WIRES | HT Lines. |
| WRENCH | Aircraft has maintenance issues and unable to continue mission. |
| ZAP | Request DATALINK. |
| ZULU | End of Mission |
