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USAF and Joint Operational Brevity Words

ABORT

—Directive call to cease action, attack, event, or mission.
ACTION
 —Directive call to initiate a briefed attack sequence or maneuver.
ACTIVE 

(system) ACTIVE (location/direction)

—Referenced emitter is radiating at the stated location or along the stated bearing.
ADD

(system/category)

—Directive call to add a specific system or electronic order of battle (EOB) category to search responsibilities.
AJAX
 —Landing zone/pick up zone is clear of threats.
ALARM
 —Directive or informative call indicating the termination of EMCON procedures.
ALLIGATOR
 —LINK-11/ TADIL-A.
ALPHA CHECK
 —Request for confirmation of bearing and range from ownship to described point.
ANCHORED 

ANCHORED (w/location)

—Informative call to indicate a turning engagement at the
specified location.
ANCHOR
 —Orbit about a specific point; refueling track flown by tanker.
ANGELS
 —Height of friendly aircraft in thousands of feet mean sea level (MSL).
ARIZONA
 —No ARM ordnance remaining.
ARM
 —Element resulting from target maneuvers exceeding GROUP criteria.
ARM/ARMED (SAFE/HOT)
 —Select armament (safe/hot) or armament is safe/hot.
AS FRAGGED
 —Unit or element will be performing exactly as stated by the air tasking order (ATO).
ATTACKING
 —Indicates air-to-surface (A/S) attack on a specific ground target.
AUTHENTICATE
 —To request or provide a response to a coded challenge.
AUTOCAT
 —Any communications relay using automatic retransmissions.
 AWAY

(weapon) AWAY

—Release/launch of specified weapon.
AZIMUTH
 AZIMUTH—A picture label describing two groups separated laterally. 
BANDIT
 —An aircraft identified as an enemy IAW theater identification criteria. The term does not necessarily imply direction or authority to engage.
BANZAI
 —Informative or directive call to execute launch-and-decide tactics.
BASE
 —Reference number used to indicate such information as headings, altitudes, and fuels.
BEAD WINDOW
 —Last transmission potentially disclosed unauthorized information.
BEAM 

BEAM (w/cardinal direction)

—Target stabilized within 70 to 110 degrees of aspect; generally given in cardinal directions: east, west, north, and south.
BEARING 

BEARING (w/cardinal direction)

—Inner group formation with the trailer displaced approximately 45 degrees behind the leader.
BENT

(system) BENT

—System indicated is inoperative
BINGO
 —Fuel state needed for recovery.
BIRD
 —Friendly surface-to-air missile (SAM).
BIRD(S) AFFIRM
 —Surface-to-air informative call indicating unit is able and prepared to engage a specified target with SAMs (presumes target is within or will enter the SAM engagement envelope).
BIRD(S) AWAY
 —Surface-to-air informative call indicating friendly SAM has been fired at designated target.
BIRD(S) NEGATE
 —Surface-to-air informative call indicating unit is unable to engage a specified target with SAMs. Opposite of BIRD(S) AFFIRM.
BITTERSWEET
 —Notification of possible blue-on-blue (fratricide) situation relative to a designated track or friendly.
BLIND
 —No visual contact with friendly aircraft/ground position; opposite of VISUAL.
BLOW THROUGH
 —Directive or informative call that indicates aircraft will continue straight ahead at the merge and not become anchored with target/targets.
BOGEY
 —A radar or visual air contact whose identity is unknown.
BOGEY DOPE
 —Request for target information as requested or closest group in BRAA (with appropriate fill-ins).
BOOMERANG
 —Aircraft or flight is returning to base.
BOX
 —A picture label describing four distinct groups with two in front and two behind in a square or offset square orientation.
BRAA
 —Tactical control format providing target bearing, range, altitude, and aspect, relative to a friendly aircraft. Aspect is only required if other than HOT.
BRACKET

BRACKET (w/direction)

—Directive call to maneuver to a position on opposing sides, either laterally or vertically from the targets.
BREAK

BREAK (w/direction)

—Directive call to perform an immediate maximum performance 180-degree turn (or as directed) in the indicated direction. Assumes a defensive situation requiring infrared missile defense (IRMD).
BREAK AWAY
 —Tanker or receiver call indicating immediate vertical and nose/tail separation between tanker and receiver is required.
BREVITY
 —Radio frequency is becoming saturated/degraded or jammed and briefer transmissions must follow.
BROADCAST
 —Request or directive call to switch to broadcast control.
BROKE LOCK
 — Advisory call regarding loss of radar/IR lock-on.
BRUISER
 —Friendly air launched antiship missile.
BUDDY LOCK
 —Locked to a known friendly aircraft. Normally a response to a SPIKE or BUDDY SPIKE call.
BUDDY SPIKE

BUDDY SPIKE (position/altitude/heading)

—Friendly aircraft air-to-air (A/A) radar track indication on radar warning receiver (RWR).
BUGOUT 

BUGOUT (w/direction)

—Separation from that particular engagement/attack/operation; no intent to reengage/return.
BULL DOG
 —Friendly surface/submarine launched antiship missile.
BULLSEYE
 —An established reference point from which the position of an object can be referenced.
BURN
 —Informative call that gated laser illuminator (GLINT) is being used to provide illumination. Typically employed by AC-130 to illuminate surface points of interest.
BUSTER
 —Directive call to fly at max continuous speed (Mil power).
BUZZER
 —Electronic communications jamming.
CANDYGRAM
 —Informative call to aircraft that electronic warfare (EW) targeting information is available on a pre-briefed secure net.
CAP 

CAP (location)

—Directive call to establish a combat air patrol at a specified point.
CAPPING

CAPPING (location)

—Descriptive term for aircraft in a CAP.
CAPTURED
 —Aircrew has acquired and is able to track a specified air-to-ground (A/G) target with an on-board sensor.
CEASE ENGAGEMENT
 —In air defense, break the engagement on the target specified. Missiles in flight will continue to intercept.
CEASE FIRE
 —Discontinue firing/do not open fire. Complete intercept if weapons are in flight. Continue to track.
CEASE LASER
 —Aircraft-to-aircraft directive to stop firing laser. Opposite of LASER ON.
CHAMPAGNE
 —A picture label describing three distinct groups with two in front and one behind.
CHATTERMARK
 —Begin using briefed radio procedures to counter communications jamming.
CHEAP SHOT
 —AIM-120 missile data link terminated between high pulse repetition frequency (HPRF) and medium pulse repetition frequency (MPRF).
CHECK

CHECK (number, left/right)

—Turn (number) degrees left or right and maintain new heading.
CHECK TIDS/TAD
 —Directive call to reference data link display.
CHERUBS
 —Altitude of friendly aircraft in hundreds of feet above ground level (AGL).
CHICKS
 —Friendly aircraft.
CLEAN

—1. No sensor information on non-friendly aircraft of interest.
2. No visible battle damage.

3. Aircraft not carrying external stores.
CLEARED
 —Flight lead response. Requested action is authorized. Mutual support may be detached to fulfill briefed contracts (e.g., split criteria, shot doctrine). Wingmen will ensure deconfliction from flight lead.
CLEARED HOT
 —Ordnance release is authorized
CLOAK
 —Directive/informative call to switch from normal/overt external lighting to covert night vision device (NVD) only compatible lighting.
CLOSING
 —Decreasing in separation.
COLD
 —1. A descriptive/directive call to initiate a turn in the CAP away from the anticipated threats.
2. Groups heading away from friendly aircraft.
3.  Attack geometry will result in a pass or roll out behind the target.
4. Defined area is not expected to receive fire (enemy or friendly).
COLOR

COLOR (system, w/position)

—Request for information on a (type) system at stated
location; implies a request for ambiguity resolution. May be used with improved data modem (IDM) data message—COLOR DATA.
COMEBACK

COMEBACK (w/direction)

—Directive call to reverse course.
COMEOFF

COMEOFF (w/direction)

—1. (Air-to-Air) Directive call to maneuver as indicated to either regain mutual support or to deconflict flight paths. Implies both VISUAL and TALLY.
2. (Air-to-Ground) Directive call to maneuver or execute a specific instruction (e.g., COMEOFF DRY).
COMMIT
 —Directive call to intercept a group of interest.
COMPOSITION
 —Request for number of contacts within a group.
CONFETTI
 —Chaff lane or corridor.
CONS/CONNING
 —Threat/bogey aircraft leaving contrails.
CONTACT
 —1. Sensor contact at the stated position.
2. Acknowledges sighting of a specified reference point.
3. Individual radar return within a group or arm.
CONTAINER
 —Inner group formation with four contacts oriented in a square or offset square.
CONTINUE
 —Continue present maneuver; does not imply a change in clearance to engage or expend ordnance.
CONTINUE DRY
 —Ordnance release not authorized.
COVER
 —Directive/informative call to assume a supporting position that will allow engagement of a specified track or threat to the flight if required.
CRANK 

CRANK (w/direction)

—F-Pole maneuver; implies illuminating target at radar gimbal limits.
CUTOFF
 —Request for, or directive to, intercept using cutoff geometry.
CYCLOPS
 —Any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
DASH 

DASH (#)

—Aircraft position within a flight. Use if specific call sign is unknown.
DATA

DATA (object, w/position)

—Standby for data link message concerning object at stated
location.
DEADEYE
 —Informative call by an airborne laser designator indicating the laser/IR system is inoperative.
DECLARE
 —Inquiry as to the identification of specified tracks, targets, or correlated group.
DEEP
 —Descriptive term used to indicate separation between the nearest and farthest groups in range in a relative formation; used to describe a LADDER, VIC, CHAMPAGNE, or BOX.
DEFENSIVE
 —Speaker is under attack, is maneuvering defensively, and is unable to ensure deconfliction or mutual support.
DEFENDING
 w/direction)—Aircraft is in a defensive position and maneuvering with reference to a surface-to-air threat.
DELOUSE
 —Directive call to detect, identify, and engage (if required) unknown aircraft trailing friendly aircraft.
DEPLOY
 —Directive call for the flight to maneuver to briefed positioning.
DETAILS
 —Request for modified J-FIRE 9-Line Brief from Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS).
DIVERT
 —Proceed to alternate mission/base.
DOLLY
 —LINK-4A/TADIL-C.
DRAG

DRAG (w/cardinal direction)

—Target stabilized at 0 to 60 degrees angle from tail or 120- to 180-degree angle from nose.
DROP
 —1. Directive/informative call to stop monitoring a specific emitter/target and resume search responsibility.
2. Remove the emitter/target from the tactical picture/track stores.
3. Directive call to remove a specific system or EOB category from search responsibilities.
DROP KICK
 —Informative to the flight that an intentional deviation from any briefed action is being made.
DROPPING
 —Informative call that a fighter has discontinued targeting responsibility.
DUCK
 —Air launched decoy (e.g., TALD/MALD).
ECHELON

ECHELON (w/cardinal direction)

—A fill-in describing a RANGE or AZIMUTH presentation, with one group displaced behind and to the side of the other group.
ECHO
 —Positive SEESAW/System M/Mode X reply.
EMPTY
 —No emitters of interest detected.












































































































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