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Abbreviations & Acronyms

A

AAC - Army Air Corps
AAR - Air-to-Air Refueling
AAW - Anti-Air Warfare
ACCS - Air Command & Control System
ACOS - Assistant Chief Of Staff
ACM - Air Chief Marshal
ADGE - Air Defence Ground Environment
AD H - Assistant Director Housing
AE - Aeronautical Engineering
AEF - Air Experience Flights
AEROMED - Aeromedical Evacuation
AEW - Airborne Early Warning
AFCO - Air Force Careers Office
AFPRB - Armed Forces Pay Review Body
AGM - Air-to-Ground Missile
AH - Annington Homes
AHM - Area Housing Manager
Air Cdre - Air Commodore
AIM-9L - Sidewinder SRAAM
ALARM - Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile
AM - Air Marshal
AMRAAM - Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile
AOC - Air Officer Commanding
AOR - Area of Responsibility
APO - Acting Pilot Officer
ASACS - Airborne Surveillance and Control System
ASC - Air Surveillance & Control
ASOC - Air Support Operations Centre
ASRAAM - Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile
ASTOR - Airborne Stand-Off Radar
ASW - Anti-Submarine Warfare
ATC - Air Training Corps
ATS - Advanced Training Squadron                                                            ATTU - Advanced Tactical Training Unit
ATW - Aerosystems Training Wing
ATOC  - Air Tactical Operations Centre
AVM - Air Vice-Marshal
AWOL - Absence With-out Leave
AWACS - Airborne Warning & Control System
AWP - Accommodation and Welfare Policy

B

BFPO - British Forces Post Office
BFBS - British Forces Broadcasting Service
BFJT - Basic Fast Jet Training
BME - WS Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
BVR - Beyond Visual Range

C

C2 - Command and Control
C4I - Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Intelligence
CAA - Civil Aviation Authority
CACS - Computer Assisted Command System
CAOC - Combined Air Operations Centre
CAP - Combat Air Patrol
CAS - Close Air Support
CASOM - Conventionally Armed Stand-Off Missile
CBU - Cluster Bomb Unit
CCF - Combined Cadet Force
CCLO - Community Careers Liaison Officer
Cdre - Commodore
CEAS - Children’s Education Advisory Service
CFS - Central Flying School - headquarters based at RAF Cranwell
CILOCT - Contributions in lieu of Council Tax
CinC - Commander In Chief                                                                     Cmdt - Commandant
CNO - Casualty Notification Officer
CO - Commanding Officer
CofC - Chain of Command
COI - Central Office of Information - London based, Government
COMAO - Composite Air Operations
COS - Chief Of Staff
Cpl - Corporal
CT - Chief Technician
CVF - Future Aircraft Carrier

D

DA - Disturbance Allowance
DACOS - Deputy Assistant Chief Of Staff
DAS - Defence Accommodation Stores
DAS - Defensive Aids System
DCAE - Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering
DCCIS - Defence College of Communications and Information Systems
DCDS - Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff
DCEME - Defence College of Electro-Mechanical Engineering                        
DCPG - Defence College of Policing and Guarding                                       DE - Defence Estates
DE - Direct Entrant
DEFS - Defence Elementary Flying School - based at RAF Cranwell
DFT - Damages for Trespass
DHFS - Defence Helicopter Flying School - based at RAF Shawbury
DILFOR - Dangerously Ill Forwarding of Relatives
DLO - Defence Logistics Organisation
DMOC - Defence Media Operations Centre
DofR - Directorate of Recruitment
DPA - Data Protection Act
DPA - Defence Procurement Agency
DPTS - Directorate of Personnel Training & Strategy
DSC - Deputy Squadron Commander                                                         DSOP - Defence School of Photography
DWSP - Defence Welfare Support Policy
DZ - Drop Zone

E

EC - Emergency Contact
ECM - Electronic Counter Measures
EFT - Elementary Flying Training
ELINT - Electronic Intelligence
ESM - Electronic Support Measures
EW - Electronic Warfare

F

FAC - Forward Air Control
FANDF - Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum                                  FFR - Fixed Forces Rate (of exchange)
FCAS - Forces Continuous Attitude Survey
FD - Force Development
FLIR - Forward Looking Infrared
Flt Lt - Flight Lieutenant
Flt Sgt - Flight Sergeant
FOI - Freedom of Information
FSA - Financial Services Authority
FW - Fixed Wing - all aircraft excluding helicopters

G

GB - Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales)
GBAD - Ground Based Air Defence
GDT - Ground Defence Training
GLO - Ground Liaison Officer
Gp Capt - Group Captain
GSK - General Service Knowledge
GT - Ground Training
GTS - Ground Control Station

H

HAS - Hardened Aircraft Shelter
HF - High Frequency
HIC - Housing Information Centre
HIVE - Forces Information Centre
HMI - Human-machine Interface
HQ - Headquarters

I

IC - In Command
ID - Identification
IED - Improvised Explosive Devise
IFF - Identification Friend or Foe
IiP - Investors in People
IMINT - Imagery Intelligence
IMSAT - Imagery Satellite
INAS - Inertial Navigation and Attack System
IofR - Inspectorate of Recruitment
IOT - Initial Officer Training
IRF - Immediate Reaction Force
ISD - In Service Date
ISTAR - Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance
ITS - Initial Training Squadron                                                                  

J

JCA - Joint Combat Aircraft
JCCC - Joint Casualty & Compassionate Cell
JEFTS - Joint Elementary Flying Training School
JFH - Joint Force Harrier
JHC - Joint Helicopter Command
JPA - Joint Personnel Administration
JRRF - Joint Rapid Reaction Force
JSHAO - Joint Service Housing Advice Office
JSP - Joint Service Publication
JSF - Joint Strike Fighter
JTIDS - Joint Tactical Information Distribution System

L

LAC - Leading Aircraftman
LDS - Last Day of Service
LGB - Laser Guided Bomb
LMG - Light Machine Gun                                                                           LSA - Longer Separation Allowance
LTM - Laser Target Marker

M

MAD - Magnetic Anomaly Detector                                                              MCO - Media & Communication Officer
ME - Multi-Engine MEARW Multi-Engine Advanced Rotary Wing
MEDEVAC - Medical Evacuation
MGS - Military Guard Service                                                                     MHS MODern - Housing Solutions
MND - Multi National Division
MOD - Ministry of Defence
MOT - Motivational Outreach Team
MP - Manpower Plan
MP - Member of Parliament
MR - Maritime Reconnaissance
MRA - Maritime Reconnaissance & Attack
MRAF - Marshal of the Royal Air Force
MRT - Mountain Rescue Team
MSC - Mission Support Cell
MT - Military Transport
MTO - Military Transport Officer
MTW - Military Training Wing

N

NAAFI - Navy, Army and Air Force Institute
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NBC - Nuclear, Biological & Chemical
NCA - Non-Commissioned Aircrew
NOK - Next of Kin
NVG - Night-vision Goggles

O

OAS - Offensive Air Support
OASC - Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre
OC - Officer Commanding
OCA - Offensive Counter Air
OCU - Operational Conversion Unit - Aircraft-specific training
OOA - Out of Area                                                                                    Ops - Operations
ORBAT - Order of Battle
ORD - Ordinary Retirement Date (The date at which officers retire)
OSD - Out of Service Date (when aircraft retire!)
OSG - Offensive Support Group

P

PACCC - Personnel Allowances Casework and Complaints Cell

PAX - Passengers/Forces Life and Personal Injury Insurance
PEd - Physical Education
PEdO - Physical Education Officer
PJHQ - Permanent Joint Headquarters – based at Northwood
Plt Off - Pilot Officer
POC - Point of Contact
POL - Post Operational Leave
PTI - Physical Training Instructor
PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Q

QFI - Qualified Flying Instructor

R

RAF - Royal Air Force
RAFA - Royal Air Forces Association
RAFAT - Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - The Red Arrows
RAFBF - RAF Benevolent Fund
RAF FF - RAF Families Federation
RAFLC - Royal Air Force Leadership Centre
RAFSA - Royal Air Force School of Administration                                        RAP - Recognised Air Picture
REME - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - Army
RLG - Relief Landing Grounds
RN - Royal Navy
ROAD - Review of Officer and Airmen Development
RPA - Remotely Piloted Air System (preferred RAF terminology to UAS/UAV)
RPAS - Remotely Piloted Air System (preferred RAF teminology to UAS/UAV)
R&R - Rest & Recuperation
RTS - Recruit Training Squadron - located at RAF Halton
RW - Rotary Wing - helicopters (see also FW)

S

SAC - Senior Aircraftman
SAR - Search & Rescue
SATCOM - Satellite Communications
SCS - Service Community Support
SDR - Strategic Defence Review
SE - Single engine
SEARW - Single Engine Advanced Rotary Wing
SEBRW - Single Engine Basic Rotary Wing
SERE - Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Extraction - form of training
SFA - Service Family Accommodation
Sgt - Sergeant
SH - Support Helicopter
SITREP - Situation Report
SLA - Single Living Accommodation
SLI - Service Life Insurance
SMO - Senior Medical Officer
SO - Staff Officer
SPPol - Service Personnel Policy
SPVA - Service Personnel and Veterans Agency                                          Sqn - Squadron
Sqn Ldr - Squadron Leader
SSVC - Services Sound & Vision Corporation
SSAFA-FH - Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen’s Families Association – Forces Help
STOVL - Short Take-Off & Vertical Landing

T

TACP - Tactical Air Control Party
TAOR - Tactical Area of Responsibility
TD - Training Development
TIALD - Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator
TG - Training Group - now known as 'No 22 (Training) Group'
TGDA - Training Group Defence Agency
Theatre - Area of Operation
TLA - Three Letter Abbreviation
TMT - Trade Management Training
Trg - Training
TWU - Tactical Weapons Unit

U

UAS - University Air Squadrons
UAS - Unmanned Aerial System (preferred RAF terminology is RPAS)
UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (preferred RAF teminology is RPAS)
UOTC - Univeresity Officer Training Corps

V

VO - Visiting Officer

W

WaSP - Welfare and Support Personnel                                                       Wg Cdr - Wing Commander
WO - Warrant Officer

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