U.S. Naval Air Group Abreviations
AAA Anti Aircraft Artillery
ACM Air Combat Maneuvers
ACT aircrew coordination training (old term for CRM, see below)
ADB aircraft discrepancy book
ADEX air defense exercise
ADF automatic direction finding
ADIZ air defense identification zone
AEW airborne early warning
AFCS Automatic Flight Control System
AGL above ground level
AHARS Artificial Heading and Attitude Reference System
AI air intelligence; air intercept
AIM aeronautical information manual
ALS approach lighting system
ALSS aviation life support system
AMB Aircraft Mishap Board
AMCM airborne mine countermeasures
AMO Assistant Maintenance Officer
angel 1,000 feet
AO Admin Officer
AOA angle of attack
AOR area of responsibility
AR Aerial Refueling
ARB Air Reserve Base, Aircraft Recover Bulletin
ARG Amphibious Ready Group
ARTCC Air Route Traffic Control Center
ASAC antisubmarine air controller
ASAP as soon as possible
ASI aviation status indicator
ASO Aviation Safety Officer
ASTAC ASW/ASST Tactical Controller
ASW antisubmarine warfare
ASUW anti-surface warfare
ATC air traffic control
ATCF air traffic control facility
ATO Airborne Tactical Officer
AUTEC Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center
AWAC Airborne Warning and Control System
BAM Basic Air Maneuvers
BFM Basic Fighter Maneuver
BGAD battle group air defense
BuNo Bureau Number (each aircraft has a unique one)
CAD Cartridge Actuated Device
CAG Carrier Air Group; term also refers to the commander of this entity
CAINS carrier inertial navigation system
CALA combat aircraft landing area
CAP combat air patrol
CAPC Carrier Aircraft Plane Commander
Carquals carrier qualifications
CAS Close Air Support
Case I landing with ceiling above 3K feet, visibility more than 5 miles
Case II landing with ceiling 1K-3K feet, visibility more than 5 miles
Case III landing at night, or with ceiling below 1K feet, visibility less than 5 miles
Casrep casualty report
CATCC Carrier Air Traffic Control Center
CATM captive air training missile
CAVU Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited
CCA carrier-controlled approach
CDQAR Collateral Duty Quality Assurance Representative
CFIT controlled flight into terrain
CFL critical field length (how much runway an aircraft needs for certain weights
Cherub 100 feet
CIC combat information center
Clara pilot can't see meatball (on the fresnel optical landing system)
CO Commanding Officer
COD Carrier On-board Delivery
COMPTUEX Composite Task Unit Exercise
CONUS Continental United States. CONUS refers to the 48 contiguous states. It is not synonymous with United States
COTAC copilot tactical coordinator
CQ Carrier Qualification
CRM crew resource management
CSC communications signal computer
CTF Commander Task Force
CV aircraft carrier
CVN nuclear powered aircraft carrier
CVW carrier air wing
DACT dissimilar air combat training
DAST Dedicated At Sea Test
DCA drift correction angle; Damage Control Assistant
DCAG deputy carrier air group commander
DDI digital-display indicator
DH decision height; department head
DLQ Deck Landing Qualification
DMB datum-marker buoy
DME distance-measuring equipment
DoD Department of Defense
ECM electronic countermeasures
ECMO electronic countermeasures officer
ECS environmental control system
EDC engine-driven compressor
ELP Emergency Landing Pattern
ELT Emergency Locator Transmitter
EMI electromagnetic interference
EP emergency procedure; external pilot (for UAVs)
ESM Electronic Support Measures
ETA estimated time of arrival
ETD estimated time of departure
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FAARP Forward Area Arming and Refueling Point
FAC(A) Forward Air Controller (Airborne)
FACSFAC Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility
FAM familiarization flight
FAR Federal Aviation Regulation
Fast Eddie a metal cover on a catapult shuttle in a landing area on a flight deck
father home ship's TACAN
FCF Functional Check Flight
FCLP Field Carrier Landing Practice
FCS flight control system
FDD flight deck director
FDO flight duty officer
FE flight engineer
FL flight level
FLIP Flight Information Publication
FLIR forward-looking infrared
FMC Full Mission Capable
FNAEB field naval aviator evaluation board
FOD Foreign Object Damage
FRS Fleet Replacement Squadron
FSDO Flight Standards District Office
FSS Flight Service Station
GBU guided bomb unit
GCA ground-controlled approach
GCI ground-controlled intercept
GIG global information grid
GLOC G-induced loss of consciousness
GPS global positioning system
GQ General Quarters
GSE Ground Support Equipment
GSO Ground Safety Officer
H2P Helicopter Second Pilot
HAC Helicopter Aircraft Commander
HAR Helicopter Aerial Refueling
HARS heading and altitude reference system
HARM high speed anti-radiation missile
hazmat hazardous material
HEEDS Helicopter Emergency Egress Deployment System
HERO Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance
HF high frequency
HET Hostile Environment Training
HMIS Hazardous Material Information System
HOSTAC Helicopter Operations on Ships other than Aircraft Carriers
HIS Horizontal Situation Indicator
HUD Head-Up Display
IAW in accordance with
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICS intercommunication system
IFARS individual flight activity reporting system
IFEI integrated-fuel-engine indicator
IFF identification friend or foe
IFR Instrument Flight Rules, in-flight refueling
ILS instrument landing system
IMC Instrument Meteorological Conditions
INAV Instrument Navigation (usually, a type of training flight)
INS Inertial Navigation System
IP Instructor Pilot; internal pilot (for UAVs)
IPI integrated position indicator
IROK Inflate, Release, Oxygen, Koch (post-ejection procedures)
IUT Instructor Under Training
JASSM joint air-to-surface standoff missile
JDAM joint direct attack munition
JO junior officer
JSOW joint standoff weapon
J-SHIP Joint Shipboard Integration Process
KIAS knots indicated airspeed
LPU life preserver unit
LSO Landing Signal Officer
LZ Landing Zone
MAD Magnetic Anomaly Detector
MAG Marine Aircraft Group
Mark I, Mod. 0 the basic or simplest version of something
MARSA military assumes responsibility for separation of aircraft
marshal aircraft circling overhead a carrier, waiting their turn to trap
MASD marine aviation support detachment
MAW Marine Aircraft Wing
MC 1 mission computer 1
MCAS Marine Corps Air Station
MDA minimum descent altitude
MEA minimum en-route altitude
medevac medical emergency evacuation
MEF Marine Expeditionary Force
METL Mission Essential Task List
MEU Marine Expeditionary Unit
midrats midnight rations
MIM Maintenance Instruction Manual
MO Maintenance Officer
MOA military operation area
MOSA minimum operational safe altitude
mother home ship
MOVLAS manually operated visual landing aids system
MRC Maintenance Requirement Card
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets
MSL mean sea level
MTR military training route
NAF Naval Air Field
NALF Naval Auxiliary Landing Field
NAS Naval Air Station
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATOPS Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization program
navaid navigation aid
NDB non-directional beacon
NEC Naval enlisted classification
NFO naval flight officer
nm nautical mile
NMCS Non-Mission-Capable Status
NOTAM Notice to Airmen
NRFI Not Ready For Issue
NSN National Stock Number
NVD night-vision device
NX night check
OAT outside air temperature
OCU Operational Conversion Unit
ODO Operations Duty Officer
OFT operational flight trainer
OinC Officer In Charge
OOCF out-of-control flight
OPFOR Opposition Force
Ops Operations (Department)
Ops O Operations Officer
OPTAR operating target
ORM Operational Risk Management
OVC overcast
PAC pilot at controls
PAR pulsed acquisition radar
PAX passengers
PCL pocket checklist
PCS Permanent Change of Station
PEL Precautionary Emergency Landing
PIC pilot in command
PIM position of intended movement
PLAT Pilot Landing Aid Television
PMC Partially Mission Capable; also passengers-mail-cargo
PMS Preventive Maintenance Schedule
PNAC pilot not at controls
PPC Patrol Plane Commander
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
PPR Prior Permission Required
PQM Pilot Qualified in Model
QA Quality Assurance
QAR Quality Assurance Representative
QAS Quality Assurance Supervisor
RAG Readiness Air Group
RAST Recovery Assist Secure and Traversing
RCR runway condition reading
RDO Runway Duty Officer
RFI Ready For Issue
RIO Radar Intercept Officer
ROE Rules Of Engagement
RSD Rapid Securing Device
RTB return to base
RVR runway visual range
SA Situational Awareness
SAS stability augmentation system
SAR Search and Rescue
SDC signal data computer
SDO Squadron (Staff) Duty Officer
SE Support Equipment
SEAD suppression of enemy air defenses
SELRES Selected Reserve
SFWT Strike Fighter Weapons and Tactics program
SHML Ship's Hazardous Material List
SIAP single integrated air picture
SLAM-ER Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response
SO Safety Officer, Sensor Operator
SOCAL Southern California
SOF Special Operations Forces
SOP Standard Operating Procedures
SPIE simulated problem input evaluation
SSC Surface Surveillance
SUS signal underwater sound
SUW surface warfare (acronym usually appears with "anti-")
sweet working OK, functioning normally
SFWT strike fighter weapons and tactics program
TAC tactical air controller
TACAN tactical air navigation (system)
TACTS Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System
TAO tactical air observer, tactical action officer
TCAS Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System
TCP Tool Control Program
T/M/S type, model and series
TSTA training ships training availability
TYCOM type commander
UAV unmanned aerial vehicle
UHF ultrahigh frequency
UNREP underway replenishment
USASOC US Army Special Operations Command
VEN variable engine nozzles
vertrep vertical replenishment
VID visual identification
VFR Visual Flight Rules
VHF very high frequency
VMC visual meteorological conditions
VNAV Visual Navigation (usually, a type of training flight)
VOD vertical on-board delivery
VOR VHF omnidirectional radio
VSI vertical speed indicator
WASEX War at Sea Exercise
WCMD wind-corrected munitions dispenser
WOXOF sky totally obscured, ceiling indefinite, visibility zero in fog
WW weather watch
XO Executive Officer