Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

  • AAW, anti-air warfare
  • ABM, anti-ballistic missile; anti-ballistic missile defense system
  • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
  • AF, Air Force
  • AFB, Air Force Base
  • AFL, American Federation of Labor
  • AFL–CIO, American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • AGI, intelligence collecting vessel
  • AGS, hydrographic survey vessel
  • AID, Agency for International Development
  • ALCM, air-launched cruise missile
  • ALCOM, Alaskan Command
  • ANIO/SP, Assistant National Intelligence Officer for Strategic Programs, Central Intelligence Agency
  • ARCS, acquisition radar and control system
  • ARM, anti-radiation missile
  • ARVN, Army of the Republic of (South) Vietnam
  • ASAT, anti-satellite
  • ASD, Assistant Secretary of Defense
  • ASD (I), Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
  • ASD (SA), Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis
  • ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations
  • ASM, air-to-surface missile
  • ASW, anti-submarine warfare
  • ATA, seagoing auxiliary tug
  • ATA/R, seagoing auxiliary/rescue tug
  • ATF, seagoing fleet tug
  • AT&T, American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
  • AVF, all-volunteer armed force
  • AWACS, airborne warning and control system
  • AZORIAN, code name for the first Hughes Glomar Explorer mission
  • B, billion
  • BACKFIRE, Soviet long-range bomber
  • B–1, four-engine, variable-sweep wing, supersonic strategic bomber (USAF)
  • BW, biological weapon(s)
  • C, classified; confidential; Counselor of the Department
  • C3, command, control, and communications
  • C3S, command, control, communications, and surveillance systems
  • CAIG, Cost Analysis Improvement Group
  • CAS, Close Air Support
  • CBR, chemical-biological-radiological
  • CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System
  • CCC, command, control, and communications
  • CCD, United Nations Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
  • CCP, Chinese Communist Party
  • CD, civil defense
  • CEA, Council of Economic Advisers
  • CEP, Council on Economic Policy; circular error probability
  • CFI, Committee on Foreign Intelligence
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CIEP, Council on International Economic Policy
  • CIEPDM, Council on International Economic Policy Decision Memorandum
  • CIEPSM, Council on International Economic Policy Study Memorandum
  • CINCEUR, Commander in Chief, European Command
  • CINCPACFLT, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet
  • CINCSAC, Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command
  • CJCS, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • C–NSI, Confidential—National Security Information
  • CNO, Chief of Naval Operations
  • Co., corporation
  • COLC, Cost of Living Council
  • COMINT, communications intelligence
  • CONAD, Continental Air Defense Command
  • CONUS, continental United States
  • CQ, command, control, and communications
  • CRA, continuing resolution authority
  • CRAF, Civil Reserve Air Fleet
  • crypto, cryptographic
  • CSGN, nuclear-powered strike cruiser
  • CSS–1 (Donfeng 2), Chinese medium-range (surface-to-surface) ballistic missile with a range of 1,250 nm
  • CSS–2 (Donfeng 3), Chinese intermediate-range (surface-to-surface) ballistic missile with a range of 2,500 nm
  • CSS–X–3 (Donfeng), Chinese intermediate-range (surface-to-surface) ballistic missile with a range of 2,750–3,500 nm
  • CSS–X–4 (Donfeng), Chinese intercontinental ballistic (surface-to-surface) ballistic missile with a range of up to 7,000 nm
  • CVN, aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered
  • CVV, aircraft carrier, vertical takeoff and landing
  • CW, chemical weapon(s)
  • CY, calendar year
  • D, Democrat; deployment
  • DAO, Defense Attache Office
  • DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution
  • DASD, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
  • DC, District of Columbia
  • DCA, Defense Cooperation Agreement
  • DCI, Director of Central Intelligence
  • DCPA, Defense Civil Preparedness Agency
  • D/DCI/NIO, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for National Intelligence Officers
  • DDG, guided missile frigate
  • DDRE, Director of Defense Research and Engineering
  • DEFO, Defense Field Office
  • DEPSECDEF, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency
  • DI/OSR, Directorate of Intelligence, Office of Strategic Research, Central Intelligence Agency
  • DIPP, Defense Intelligence Projections for Planning
  • DIRDIA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
  • DLGN, nuclear-powered guided missile frigate
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • DOMP, Deep Ocean Mining Project
  • DPPG, Defense Policy and Planning Guidance
  • DPRC, Defense Program Review Committee
  • DRP, Defense Review Panel
  • DRPWG, Defense Review Panel Working Group
  • DSARC, Defense System Acquisition Review Council
  • ECCM, electronic counter-countermeasures
  • ECM, electronic countermeasures
  • ELINT, electronic intelligence
  • EMT, equivalent megatonnage
  • EO, Executive Order
  • ERDA, Energy Research and Development Administration
  • ESVN, Executive Secure Voice Network
  • Ex–Im, Export-Import Bank
  • F, Fahrenheit
  • FAA, Foreign Assistance Act; Federal Aviation Administration
  • FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • FBM, fleet ballistic missile
  • FBS, forward based systems
  • FCC, Federal Communications Commission
  • FDAA, Federal Disaster Assistance Administration
  • FEBA, forward edge of the battle area
  • FFG, guided missile frigate
  • FMS, foreign military sales
  • FMSA, Foreign Military Sales Act
  • FOI, follow-on interceptor
  • FPA, Federal Preparedness Agency
  • FRB, Federal Reserve Board
  • FRC, Federal Records Center
  • FRG, Federal Republic of Germany
  • FSO, Foreign Service Officer
  • ft, feet
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYDP, Five-Year Defense Program
  • GAO, General Accounting Office
  • GB, nerve agent sarin
  • GC, general civilian
  • GCI, ground-controlled intercept system
  • GIUK gap, a defensive line in the North Atlantic Ocean formed by bridging the gaps separating Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom
  • GM, General Motors
  • GNP, gross national product
  • GOP, Republican Party
  • GPF, general purpose forces
  • GPS, Global Positioning System
  • GSA, General Services Administration
  • GSFG, Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
  • GSP, General Strike Plan
  • GVN, Government of (South) Vietnam
  • H, Congressional Relations, Department of State
  • HASC, House Armed Services Committee
  • HEL, high-energy lasers
  • HEW, Department of Health, Education and Welfare
  • HGE, Hughes Glomar Explorer
  • HR, House of Representatives
  • HTGR, high temperature gas reactor
  • HUD, Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile
  • ICRC, Interagency Contingency Review Committee
  • IG, Interdepartmental Group(s)
  • IGPMA, Interdepartmental Group for Politico-Military Affairs
  • IIM, Interagency Intelligence Memorandum
  • IL–28, Soviet Ilyushin jet bomber
  • IMET, international military education and training
  • Inc., incorporated
  • INR, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • IOC, initial operational capability
  • IR, intermediate range; Intelligence Report
  • IRBM, intermediate range ballistic missile
  • ISA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • ISC, interagency steering committee
  • IST, integrated systems tests
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JSBS, Joint Strategic Bomber Study
  • JSOP, Joint Strategic Objectives Plan
  • JSTPS, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff
  • km, kilometer
  • KT, kiloton
  • L, Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • LA, Los Angeles
  • LAP, loading, assembling, and packing
  • Limdis, Limited Distribution
  • L/M, Assistant Legal Adviser for Management, Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • LRA, long-range aviation
  • LSD, landing ship, dock
  • LTG, lieutenant general
  • M, million; mobilization
  • MAAG, Military Assistance Advisory Group
  • MAP, Military Assistance Program
  • MARV, maneuvering reentry vehicle
  • MATADOR, code name for the second Hughes Glomar Explorer mission
  • MBFR, mutual and balanced force reductions
  • MC, Military Committee; Marine Corps
  • MCA, Military Construction Authorization
  • MFN, most favored nation
  • MIRV, multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle
  • MK, mark
  • mm, millimeter
  • MM, Minuteman
  • MR, medium range
  • MSPG, Materiel Support Planning Guidance
  • MTT, mobile training team
  • MX Missile, an experimental MIRVed ICBM under development by the United States
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NCA, National Command Authorities
  • NCO, noncommissioned officer
  • NEA, Northeast Asia
  • NFIB, National Foreign Intelligence Board
  • NIC, National Intelligence Council
  • NIE, National Intelligence Estimate
  • NIO, National Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
  • NIO/SP, National Intelligence Officer for Strategic Programs, Central Intelligence Agency
  • NIPP, National Intelligence Projections for Planning
  • NK, North Korea
  • NM or nm, nautical mile
  • NMCC, National Military Command Center
  • NNTAP, National Nuclear Targeting and Attack Policy
  • NOA, new obligational authority
  • Nodis, No Distribution
  • NPG, Nuclear Planning Group
  • NPR, Naval Petroleum Reserve
  • NPW, nuclear powered warship
  • NRO, National Reconnaissance Office
  • NSA, National Security Agency
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NSCIC, National Security Council Intelligence Committee
  • NSDM, National Security Decision Memorandum
  • NSSM, National Security Study Memorandum
  • NSTAP, National Strategic Targeting and Attack Policy
  • NUWEP, nuclear weapon employment policy
  • N.Y., New York
  • OAG, Operations Advisory Group
  • OASD, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
  • OASD/ISA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • ODC, Office of Defense Cooperation
  • OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • OEP, Office of Emergency Preparedness
  • OJCS, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • O/L, outlays
  • O&M, operations and maintenance
  • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
  • ONE, Office of National Estimates
  • OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
  • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • OSD/ISA/DASD, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • OSR, Office of Strategic Research, Central Intelligence Agency
  • OST, Office of Science and Technology
  • OT&E, Operational Test and Evaluation
  • OTP, Office of Telecommunications Policy
  • PACOM, Pacific Command
  • PCS, process control system
  • PCZ, protected communications zone
  • PDM, Program Decision Memorandum
  • PDR, processing data rate
  • P&E, Program Analysis and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • PE, Planning and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • PF, patrol frigate; police force; popular force
  • PFIAB, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
  • PL, Public Law
  • PLA, People’s Liberation Army (PRC)
  • PM, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PM/ISP, Office of International Security Policy, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PM/NPO, Office of Nuclear Policy and Operations, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PNE, Peaceful Nuclear Explosions
  • POM, Program Objectives Memorandum
  • PPBS, Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System
  • PRC, People’s Republic of China
  • PRM, protected radio modulation
  • R, Republican
  • R&D, research and development
  • RDT&E, research, development, testing, and evaluation
  • RF, reserve force; regional force
  • RG, record group
  • RISOP, Red Integrated Strategic Operations Plan
  • ROC, Republic of China (Taiwan)
  • ROK, Republic of (South) Korea
  • RV, reentry vehicle; long-range seagoing rescue vessel
  • RVN, Republic of (South) Vietnam
  • S, Secret; Senate
  • SA, Systems Analysis
  • SAC, Strategic Air Command
  • SACEUR, Supreme Allied Commander, European Command
  • SAL, strategic arms limitation
  • SALT (II), Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty; strategic arms limitation talks
  • SAM, surface-to-air missile
  • SAPRC, Security Assistance Program Review Committee
  • SCN, shipbuilding and conversion, Navy
  • SEA, Southeast Asia
  • SEATO, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
  • Sec Def, Secretary of Defense
  • SIOP, Single Integrated Operations Plan
  • SLBM, submarine-launched ballistic missile
  • SLEP, Service Life Extension Program
  • SLOC, Sea Line of Communication
  • SNIE, Special National Intelligence Estimate
  • SOUTHCOM, Southern Command
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff
  • S/PC, Planning and Coordination Staff
  • SR, Strategic Research
  • SRAM, short-range attack missile
  • SRG, Senior Review Group
  • SS–11, Soviet light ICBM and counterpart to U.S. Minuteman
  • S/S, Executive Secretariat
  • SSBN, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
  • S/S–I, Executive Secretariat, Information Management Section
  • SSM, surface-to-surface missile
  • SSN, nuclear-powered submarine
  • STOL, short takeoff and landing
  • SVN, South Vietnam
  • T, Under Secretary for Security Assistance, Department of State
  • TAFT, technical assistance field team
  • TAT, technical assistance team
  • TDY, temporary duty
  • TNF, theater nuclear forces
  • TOA, total obligational authority
  • TOR, terms of reference
  • TOW, tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile
  • TRIDENT, SLBM equipped with MIRVs
  • TS, Top Secret; telecommunications security
  • TTB, threshold test ban
  • TU–16, Soviet Tupelov twin-engine jet bomber
  • TV, television
  • U, unclassified; uranium
  • UK, United Kingdom
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNREP, underway replenishment
  • UPI, United Press International
  • US, United States
  • USA, United States Army
  • USAF, United States Air Force
  • USG, United States Government
  • USGPO, United States Government Printing Office
  • USIB, United States Intelligence Board
  • USMC, United States Marine Corps
  • USN, United States Navy
  • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • VP, Verification Panel; Vice President
  • VSS, helicopter carrier
  • V/STOL, vertical/short takeoff and landing
  • VTA, military transport aviation
  • WG, working group
  • WPC, Warsaw Pact Countries
  • WPI, Wholesale Price Index
  • X, experimental