Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

  • ABM, anti-ballistic missile
  • ABRES, Advanced Ballistic Reentry System
  • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • ACDA/D, Office of the Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • ACDA/DD, Office of the Deputy Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • ACDA/IR, Office of International Relations, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
  • ALCM, air-launched cruise missile
  • ASBM, anti-ship ballistic missile
  • ASM, air-to-surface missile
  • ASROC, anti-submarine rocket
  • ASW, anti-submarine warfare
  • AWACS, airborne warning and control system
  • B–1, supersonic four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber (U.S. Air Force)
  • B–52, all weather, intercontinental strategic heavy bomber
  • BOMARC, Boeing and University of Michigan Aeronautical Research Center
  • CEP, circular error probable/probability
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CJCS, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • CM, cruise missile
  • CMC, cruise missile carrier
  • CNO, Chief of Naval Operations
  • CONUS, continental United States
  • CPSU, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • CSCE, Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
  • CTB, Comprehensive Test Ban
  • D&P, Derazhyna and Pervomaysk
  • DCI, Director of Central Intelligence
  • Del, delegate
  • Dept, Department
  • DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • Dog House radars, large phased array radars deployed near Moscow at Naro-Fominsk that functioned much like the Perimeter Acquisition Radar of the U.S. Sentinel/Safeguard ABM system.
  • DOS, Department of State
  • ECM, electronic countermeasures
  • Exdis, exclusive distribution
  • F–4, supersonic tandem, two-seat, twin-engine jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber (U.S. Navy)
  • F–111, medium-range interdictor and tactical strike fighter (U.S. Air Force)
  • F–111B, fleet air-defense, carrier-based fighter carrying long range air-to-air missiles (U.S. Navy)
  • FBS, forward-based systems
  • FEBA, forward edge of battle area
  • FOBS, Fractional Orbital Bombardment Missile Systems
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • FRC, Federal Records Center
  • FRG, Federal Republic of Germany
  • FRODS, functionally-related observable differences
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYDP, Five-Year Defense Program
  • FYI, for your information
  • GDR, German Democratic Republic
  • GLBM, ground-launched ballistic missile
  • GLCM, ground-launched cruise missile
  • HAK, Henry A. Kissinger
  • Hakto, series indicator for messages from Kissinger
  • IA, Interim Agreement (SALT I)
  • ICBM, inter-continental ballistic missile
  • ICCM, inter-continental cruise missile
  • INR, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • IOC, initial operating capability
  • IRBM, intermediate-range ballistic missile
  • ISA, Office of International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • JC, Jimmy Carter
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JCSM, Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum
  • JDT, Joint Draft Text
  • K, Kissinger
  • km, kilometer
  • LB, land-based
  • Limdis, limited distribution
  • LLCM, land-launched cruise missile
  • LRA, long-range aviation
  • LRTNF, Long-Range Theater Nuclear Forces
  • MAD, mutual assured destruction
  • MAP, Multiple Aim Point
  • MARV, maneuverable reentry vehicle
  • MBFR, Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
  • memcon, memorandum of conversation
  • MIRV, multiple independently-targeted reentry vehicle
  • MLBM, modern large ballistic missile
  • MM, Minuteman
  • MOD, Minister of Defense
  • MOU, memorandum of understanding
  • MPS, multiple protective structure
  • MRBM, multiple-range ballistic missile
  • MRV, multiple reentry vehicle
  • MSOR, maximum system operational range
  • mtg, meeting
  • M–X, Missile Experimental
  • NAC, North Atlantic Council
  • NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NCA, National Command Authority
  • NIC, National Intelligence Council
  • NIE, National Intelligence Estimate
  • nm, nautical mile
  • Nodis, no distribution
  • NPG, Nuclear Planning Group
  • NPT, Non-Proliferation Treaty
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NSDM, National Security Decision Memorandum
  • NTM, national technical means
  • O&M, Operation and Maintenance
  • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
  • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • OST, Office of Science and Technology
  • P, President
  • P.L., Public Law
  • para, paragraph
  • PD, Presidential Directive
  • PM, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PRC, People’s Republic of China
  • Pres, President
  • R&D, research and development
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • RG, Record Group
  • RN, Richard M. Nixon
  • RPV, remotely-piloted vehicle
  • RV, reentry vehicle
  • S, Office of the Secretary of State
  • SAC, Strategic Air Command
  • SAL, strategic arms limitation
  • SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
  • SAM, surface-to-air missile
  • SB, sea-based
  • SC, Security Council (United Nations)
  • SCAD, subsonic cruise armed decoy
  • SCC, Standing Consultative Commission; Special Coordination Committee (National Security Council)
  • SecDef, Secretary of Defense
  • SecState, Secretary of State
  • Secto, series indicator for telegrams from the Secretary of State while on travel
  • septel, separate telegram
  • SFRC, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  • SIOP, Single Integrated Operational Plan
  • SLBM, submarine-launched ballistic missile
  • SLCM, sea-launched cruise missile
  • SNDV, strategic nuclear delivery vehicle
  • S/P, Policy Planning Council or Staff, Department of State
  • SRAM, short-range air-to-surface missile
  • SS–9, Soviet ICBM, the high accuracy of which made it a threat to U.S. ICBMs
  • SS–11, Soviet ICBM, Soviet counterpart to the U.S. Minuteman system in quantity, size, and purpose, believed effective against only soft targets
  • SS–17, Soviet MIRV ICBM
  • SS–18, Soviet MIRV ICBM with 20 warheads; believed to give the Soviet Union a potential first-strike capability because of its heavy throw weight
  • SS–N–8, Soviet sea-based ICBM deployed on Soviet Delta-class submarines; carried a single warhead
  • SS–X–16, first Soviet mobile ICBM; carried a single warhead
  • SS–X–18, Soviet MIRV ICBM with 8 warheads; designed to attack and destroy U.S. ICBMs and hardened missiles
  • SSBN, Ballistic Nuclear Submarine
  • SSN, Nuclear Attack Submarine
  • SST, supersonic transport
  • SU, Soviet Union
  • TEL, transport and erector launcher
  • telcon, telephone conversation
  • TERCOM, Terrain Contour Matching (navigation system for cruise missiles)
  • TNF, Theater Nuclear Forces
  • TOA, total obligational authority
  • Tohak, series indicator for messages to Kissinger
  • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams to the Secretary of State while on travel
  • TS, Top Secret
  • TVA, Tennessee Valley Authority
  • UK, United Kingdom
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • US, United States
  • USDEL, United States Delegation
  • USG, United States Government
  • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • VP, Verification Panel
  • Z, Zulu time (Greenwich Mean Time)