Military Reference

Real Life Military Acronyms and Abbreviations

Ground Vehicles and Aircraft

APC: Armored Personal Carrier
AFV: Armored Fighting Vehicle
IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle
MICV: Mechanized Infantry Fighting Vehicle
CEV: Combat Engineer Vehicle
ACE: Armored Combat Earthmover
FISTV: Fire Support Team Vehicle
ITV: Improved TOW Vehicle
AFSV: Armored Fire Support Vehicle
ARRV: Armored Repair and Recovery Vehicle
AVLB: Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge
BARV: Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle
CFV: Calvary Fighting Vehicle
FAASV: Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
ICV: Infantry Combat Vehicle
LAV: Light Armored Vehicle
MEWS: Mobile Electronic Warfare System
LVT: Landing Vehicle Tracked
LVPT: Landing Vehicle Personal Tracked
LVTR: Landing Vehicle Tracked Recovery
SP: Self-Propelled
SPG: Self-Propelled Gun
SPH: Self-Propelled Howitzer
SPM: Self-Propelled Mortar
SPAAG: Self-Propelled Anti Aircraft Gun
SPATG: Self-Propelled Anti Tank Gun
TEL: Transporter Erector Launcher
TELAR: Transport Erector Launcher And Radar
ACAV: Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle.
BUFF: Big Ugly Fat Fuck, B-52
HMMWV: "Humvee" (mil.)/"Hummer" (civ.)-- High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle
MUT: Multipurpose Utility Truck (the "Jeep")
BMP: Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota
BRM: Bronevaya Rasvedyvatelnaya Maschina
BMD: Bronevaya Maschina Desantnaya
BRDM: Bronevaya Rasvedyvatelnaya Dosornaya Maschina
BTR: Bronetransportr
BTR-D: Bronetransportr-Desantnaya
ZSU: Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka
RPG: Reaktivniy Protivotankoviy Granatomet
Su: Sukhoi
Yak: Yakovlev
Mi: Mil
Ka: Kamov
Tu: Tupolev
MiG: Mikoyan-Gurevich
Il: Ilyushin
An: Antonov
M: Myasishchev
B- Bomber
F- Fighter
P- Pursuit
C- Cargo
UH- Utility Helicopter
AH- Attack Helicopter
CH- Cargo Helicopter
MH- Special Forces Operations Helicopter
SR- Strategic Reconnaissance
V: Vertical (V-22 Osprey)
VSTOL: Very Short TakeOff/Landing
VTOL: Vertical TakeOff/Landing

Weapons and Ammunition

COAX: Co Axially mounted
HESH: High Explosive Squash Head
HEAT: High Explosive Anti tank
APFSDS: Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot
SAM: Surface to Air Missile
AAA: Anti Aircraft Artillery
WAM: Wide Area Mine
DPICM: Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions
FSE: Fire Support Element
TOW: Tube Launched Optically-tracked Wire guided anti tank missile
LAW: Light Anti Armor Weapon, often refers to the M-72 rocket but also other weapons
APSE-T: Armored Piercing Secondary Effect Tracer
ERA: Explosive Reactive Armor
APIT : Armor Piercing, Incendiary, Tracer
FSC: Fire Control Center
HEP: High Explosive Plastic
HE: High Explosive
HE-FRAG: High Explosive Fragmentation
HEI-T: High explosive Incendiary Tracer
HEAT-T-MP: High Explosive Anti Tank Tracer Multi Purpose
HERA: High Explosive Rocket Assist
HVAP-T: High or Hyper Velocity Armor Piercing Tracer
ATGM: Anti-Tank Guided Missile
ATGW: Anti-Tank Guided Weapon
CBU: Cluster Bomb Unit
ASM: Air-to-surface missile
AShM: Anti-ship missile
AAM: Air-to-air missile
SARH: Semi-active radar homing
ARM: Anti-Radiation missile
LGB - Laser Guided Bomb
GBU - Guided Bomb Unit
CBU: Cluster Bomb Unit
TASM: Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile
TLAM-N: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Nuclear
TLAM-C: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, HE Unitary
TLAM-D: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Bomblet dispensing
HVM: Hypervelocity Missile
AUG: Army Universal Gun
SAM: Surface To Air Missile
SRAM - Short Range Attack Missile
ACR: Advanced Combat Rifle
CAWS: Close Assault Weapon System
HB: Heavy Barrel
SD: Schalldämpfer. German word for "sound suppressed"
SOCOM: Special Operations COMmand
FN FAL: Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger
PDW: Personal Defense Weapon
OICW: Objective Individual Combat Weapon
OCSW: Objective Combat Support Weapon
LMG: Light Machine Gun
MMG: Medium Machine Gun
HMG: Heavy Machine Gun
CSW: Conventional Standoff Weapon
CWS: Container Weapons System
FAE: Fuel-Air Explosive
FROG- Free Rocket Over Ground.
ALCM: Air-Launched Cruise Missile (Nuclear)
CALCM: Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile
ACM: Advanced Cruise Missile
ICBM: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
MRBM: Medium Range Ballistic Missile
SRBM: Short Range Ballistic Missile
TBM: Tactical/Theatre Ballistic Missile
FOBS: Fractional Orbital Bombardment System
MIRV: Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry Vehicles
MARV: MAneuverable Reentry Vehicle
AN: Avtomat Nikonova
AK: Avtomat Kalashnikova
AS: Avtomat Spetsialny
PM: Pistolet Makarova
PYa: Pistolet Yarygin
PSM: Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny
CIWS: Close In Weapons System
DP: Dual Purpose
HA: High Angle, Anti Aircraft
GFCS: Gun Fire Control System
GMLS: Guided Missile Launch System
GWS: Guided Weapons System
PSS: Pistolet Samozaryadny Spetsialny
APS: Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina
SVDS: Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova Skladnaya
SVU: Snayperskaya Vintovka Ukorochennaya
VSS: Vintovka Snayperskaya Spetsialnaya
PK: Pulemyot Kalashnikova
PKS: Pulemyot Kalashnikova Stankoviy
PzKw: PanzerKampfWagen-- armored combat car/tank br> FLAK: Flieger Abwehr Kanone: anti-air cannon

Military Ships and boats

LCAC: Landing Craft/Air Cushion
LST: Landing Ship/Tank
FAC: Fast Attack Craft
FF: Frigate
FFG: Frigate, Guided Missile
DD - Destroyer
DDG - Destroyer, Guided Missile
DDGN - Destroyer, Guided Missile, Nuclear
DDE – Destroyer Escort (Canada only)
DE – Destroyer Escort
CL - Cruiser, Light
CA - Cruiser, Heavy
CB – Cruiser, Large br> CG - Cruiser, Guided Missile
CGN - Cruiser, Guided Missile, Nuclear
CH - Cruiser Helicopter
BC – Battlecruiser
BCGN –Battlecruiser, Guided Missile, Nuclear
BB – Battleship
CV – Aircraft Carrier
CVL – Aircraft Carrier, Light
CVE – Aircraft Carrier, Escort
CVN – Aircraft Carrier, Nuclear
CVH – Aircraft Carrier, Helicopter
LCC – Amphibious Command Ship
LHA – Amphibious Assault Ship
LHD – Amphibious Assault Ship
LPH – Amphibious Assault Ship
LL – Amphibious Ship, general designator for any sort of amphibious warfare vessel
LPH – Amphibious Transport Dock
LSD – Landing Ship Dock
LSM – Landing Ship Medium
LST – Landing Ship Tank
MM – Mine warfare vessel, general designator for any sort of anti mine vessel
MCM – Mine Countermeasure Vessel
MH(I)(C)(O) – Mine Hunter (Inshore)(Coastal)(Ocean)
MHS – Mine Hunter Sweeper
ML(I)(C)(O) – Minelayer (Inshore)(Coastal)(Ocean)
OPV – Offshore Patrol Vessel
PC – Patrol Craft
PG(F)(G) – Patrol Ship (Fast)(Guided Missile)
PHM – Patrol Combattant Guided Missile
PT(H) Patrol Boat (Hydrofoil)
SS – General designator for any submarine
SSR – Submarine Radar Picket
SSA – Submarine Missile
SSBN – Submarine, Ballistic Missile, Nuclear
SSGN – Submarine Guided Missile, Nuclear

Other Stuff and Stuff Not Yet Categorized

OPFOR: Opposing Force
TOE: Table of Organization and Equipment
CVC: Combat Vehicle Crewman's Helmet
MOPP: Mission Oriented Protective Posture. It has four levels in reference to how ready a solider is for NBC combat. Level's 1-4, at one they simply have the equipment, at four they are fully suited up with mask on.
NBC: Nuclear/Biological/Chemical, a reference to combat under threat or active attack by weapons of mass destruction.
REFORGER: Return of Forces to Germany
TOC: Tactical Operations Center
SHELLREP: Shell report, a report about artillery impacting
SITREP: Situation Report
SOP: Standard or Standing Operating Procedures
CFE: Conventional Forces Europe Treaty
FCC: Fire Command Center
FDC: Fire Direction Center
FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared Receiver, passive heat sensing, thermal imaging
IR: Infrared, often in reference to the active type but also to passive FLIR
LLLTV: Low Light Level Television system
AAW: Anti Aircraft Warfare
AEW: Airborne Early Warning
ECM: Electronic Counter Measures
ECCM: Electronic Counter Counter Measurers
ESM: Electronic Support Measures
ELINT: Electronic Intelligence
EW: Electronic Warfare
EHE: Extremely high frequency
ELF: Extremely low frequency
GPS: Global Positioning System
IFF: Identification Friend Foe
SAR- Search and Rescue
CG- Coast Guard
LAM: Laser Aiming Module
SAGE: Semi-Automated Ground Environment
LRRP: Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
MOUT: Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain
FIBUA: Fighting in Built Up Areas
NORAD: North American Air Defense
DEW Line: Distant Early Warning Line (no longer active)
MRE's: Meals, Ready to Eat, Meals Rejected by Ethiopians, everyone, the enemy
SEAL: Sea/Air/Land
KH: Key Hole (observation satellites) series.
Pvt: Private
Pfc: Private First Class
Spc. Specialist
Cpl. Corporal
Sgt. Sergeant
Ssgt. Staff Sergeant
SFC. Sergeant First Class
MSG: Master Sergeant
1SG: First Sergeant
SgM: Sergeant Major
CSM: Command Sergeant Major
SMA: Sergeant Major of the Army (unique)
2Lt. Second Lieutenant
1Lt. Lieutenant
Cpt. Captain
Maj. Major
LTC. Lieutenant-Colonel
Col. Colonel
BG. Brigadier General
MG. Major General
LG. Major General
Gen. General