Brevity Codes (Unclass) Flashcards
Tally
Sighting of a target
Non-friendly aircraft or enemy position
No joy
Aircrew does not have a visual contact with the target
Contact
Acknowledgement of sighting of specified reference point
Visual
Sighting of FRIENDLY aircraft or ground position
Blind
No visual contact with FRIENDLY aircraft or ground position
Looking
Aircrew d9es not have the ground object, reference point, or target in sight
Parrot
IFF
Identification, friend or foe
Selective Identification feature transponder
India
Mode 4 IFF
Beadwindow
Last transmission potentially disclosed unauthorized information
Winchester
No ordnance remaining
Remington
No ordnance remaining
Except gun or self-protect ammo
Pigeons
Mag bearing and range to HOMEPLATE
Gadget
Radar
or Emitter equipment
Jello
ISAR
Inverse synthetic aperture radar
Nancy
FLIR
IR equipment
Scram
Friendly asset is in immediate danger
Withdraw clear in the direction of survival
No further mission support from friendly asset is expected
Sneaker
An intelligence-gatherinc vessel
Bullseye
An established reference point from which the position of an object can be referenced by bearing (magnetic) and range (nm) from this point.
Cloak/cloaking
Switch/switching from normal/overt external lighting to covert NVD capable lighting
Strength
Numerical strength if a track/group
The center of the front of the main body or convoy
TT
Originator’s present position
from yourself
XX
The standard position established by the OTC
from a bullseye
YY
From th4 addressees present position
From who you are talking to
ZZ
From center of the force
Force track a/b/c
An abbreviated designation to eliminate the use of track numbers in Tactical communications, as designated by ZULU
(Either once requested or given)
Investigate
Verify specified element(s) of ROE, PID, clear field of fire, and/or coordination of forces on the referenced target/track
I.e. “heartless 11, talon, investigate, surface track number 4004, keystone 135/65, track south, skunk”
Scan
Search sector indicated and report any contacts
I.e. “hammer 21, sheriff, Scan bullseye 150-180/20-30”
Target
ROE, PID, coordination of forces, and commander’s guidance requirements on the referenced target/track have been satisfied
Target/track correlation and clear field of fire must be accomplished prior to employing ordnance fires
I.e. “heartless 11, talon, target, surface track number 4121, keystone 190/90, track southeast, hostile, ‘bear’, strength 3”
Smack
Clearance to employ ordnance/fires on surface targets coordinates/ link 16 track
ROE, PID, clear field of fire, coordination of forces, and commander’s guidance requirements on the referenced target/ track have been satisfied
I.e. “heartless 11, talon, smack, surface track number 4065, keystone 270/60, track east, hostile, corsair, attack axis 270, neutrals north 15 nautical miles”
Skunk
Maritime surface contact that has not yet been identified
Robber
A surface vessel that is identified as an enemy in accordance with theater ID criteria
Term does not necessarily imply clearance to engage
Hostile
A contact identified as enemy upon which clearance to fire is authorized in accordance with theater ROE
Neutral
A PID aircraft, shift, or ground position whose characteristics, behavior, origin, or nationality indicate it is neither supporting nor opposing friendly forces
Shadow
Used to direct persistent surveillance
I.e. “heartless 11, talon, shadow, surface track number 02462, keystone 184/32, track south, hostile, bear”
Orbit
Aircraft will hold at medium altitude above contact
Flyby
Aircraft will conduct a low altitude pass abeam over or abeam the vessel
Do NOT cross the bow
Thump
Aircraft will conduct a low-altitude, high-speed pass over or abeam the vessel
Do NOT cross the bow
Pepper
Aircraft will strafe 1,000 ft ahead of the bow of the vessel
Sledgehammer
Request from a surface vessel for immediate air support
Once sledgehammer is called by the defended vessel, air assets will be reassigned from other missions to identify threat intentions and employ if necessary as an AR/AI/SCAR role
Gangplank
Training word for sledgehammer
Stroke
Directive call for third party to provide best possible continuous track data for weapon targeting purposes
I.e. “heartless 11, talon, stroke, surface track number 01562, keystone 084/22, track east, hostile, cosair”
Pinpoint
Request that the maritime air controller (MAC) provide target coordinates via lat/long
Rifle
Friendly air to surface missile launch
Sparkle
Mark by IR pointer
Bruiser
Friendly air-launch anti-ship missile
Greyhound
Friendly ground attack cruise missile
Mustang
ASUW weapon carrying helicopter
Splash
Weapon impact/status report
1 - target destroyed (i.e. “splash one”)
2 - weapons impact (i.e. “splash two”)
Capture
Specified surface target / object has been acquired and is being tracked with inboard sensor (FLIR/MTS)
Deadeye
Laser designator system is inoperative
Snake
Oscillate an infrared pointer in a figure eight about the targer
Active
Referenced Emitter is radiating at the stated location or along the stated bearing
Bent
System indicated is inoperative
Data
Standby for data link message concerning object at stated location
Down
Referenced Emitter has stopped radiating at the stated location/bearing
Drop / dropping
Remove the emitter/target from the Tactical picture/track stores
Empty
No emitters of interest detected
Working
Platform gathering electronic order of battle (EOB) on a designated emitter
Color
Request for information on a type / system at stated location
Implies a request for ambiguity resolution
Tag
Responses to an emitter ambiguity resolution request (color)
I.e. “tron 51, talon, color, straight flush, Alaska 04/19”
“Talon, tron 51, tag straight flush at that location”
Or
“Talon, tron 51, empty straight flush, that location “
Music
Deceptive jamming
Buzzer
Communications jamming
I.e. “tron 52, talon, music/buzzer, surface e track number 02151, keystone 100/70, track east, hostile, bear”
Canyon
Use electronic jamming on radar frequency indicated or in accordance with previous orders
I.e. “tron 61, talon, request canyome, surface track 010132, keystone 150/45, track east, hostile, [amplifying knfo] (code words, strength, striker attack axis)”
Sniper
Type, location, range, bearing
Aircraft to employ range-known snti-radiatiom missile against specified threat at the specified threat at the specified location
Snapshot (type/bearing)
Immediately reply a best available anti-radiatioj missile against a specified threat at the specified bearing
I.e. “ tron 51, talon, sniper, surface track number 02513, keystone 134/49, track west, hostile, bear”
Freak
Frequency in Mhz
Slope
EW PRF (pulse repetition frequency)
Pillow
EW PRI (pulse repetition interval)
Bridge
EW pw (pulse width) in microseconds
Brush
Scan rate (in seconds per revolution)
Confetti
Chaff lane or corridor
Hooter
Friendly jammer
Sniff
Passive sensor indication of a radar emitter
Flash racket report (requires immediate action)
- Call sign
- “Flash”
- Identifier - nato nickname
- True bearing
I.e. “99, sheriff, flash, straight flush, 030”
ATRB
Inter-flight directive to Maneuver: action, threat bearing range
I.e. “wolf flight, break left, singer 030/10”
Dirt
Indication of a surface threat in search mode
Mud
Indication of a surface threat in track mode
Singer
Indication of SAM launch
Naked
No indications of MWS/RWS
Xerox
Formation shows same RWR indications
Defending (ditectiom)
Aircraft is in a defensive position, maneuver with reference to SAM threat
Defensive
Aircraft is under attack, maneuvering defensively, unable to ensure deconfliction / mutual support
Free
Opposite of defending, make this call after you get away from threat
Spike (direction)
RWR indication of AI (air interception) threat in track launch
Notch
Directive call to perform a max-rate turn to place the threat on the beam
Forward notch
Max-rate turn to place the threat on the forward beam
Rear notch
Max-rate turn to pace the threat on the rear beam
Courtesy notch
Maneuver formation of aircraft to place the threat on the formations relative beam (fwd or aft)
Usually used when threats are in search/acquisition mode and formation integrity is still desired
Mosquito
Hostile fire (small arms/RPG detected)
Roe
Rules of engagement
Twc
Threat warning condition
Sweet
Equipment indicated is operating efficiently
Sour
Equipment indicated is not operating effciently
Playtime
Amount of time aircraft can remain on station, given in hours plus minutes
Timber
Link 16 network
Pigeons
Mag bearing and range to homeplate
Angels
Aircraft altitude in thousands of ft
Cherubs
Aircraft altitude in hundreds of ft
Homeplate
Home airfield or ship
Mother
Parent ship
Father
Tacan
Surface Tactical air navigation system
Charlie
- Expected landing time on ship
- Directive to land on a ship
- Advisory call modifying/delaying the briefed recovery time
I.e. “Charlie, 10”
Pogo
Switch to comm chann number preceding pogo
If unable to establish comms, switch to channel number following pogo
I.e. “freq pogo freq”
[Type] kill
Description of target destruction (firepower, mobility, sink)
Goalie
A back-up guidance capable platform appointed to guide a weapon to the target if the primary platform’s guidance system fails after weapon release
Fence in/out
F - firepower E - emitters N - navigation C - communicatiom E - electronic countermeasures
Combat Checklist
Fence checks have been completed or have been cleaned up from
Oth-t
Over the horizon targeting (ship)
As fragged
Unit or element will be performing exactly as briefed
Hotdog [color]
Friendly aircraft is approaching or is at a specified standoff distance, followed by brief procedures
Leaker
Surface threat has passed through a defensive layer, should include amplifying information
Kick [freq]
Change radio or data link to a specified net or frequency
Yardstick
Use air to air (a/a) tacan for ranging
Joined
Wing aircraft’s call indicating joined on formation lead
Anchor
Orbit around a specified point (call anchor right or left)
Padlocked
Aircrew can’t take eyes off an aircraft, ground target or surface position without risk of losing tally/visual
Popeye
Flying in clouds or an area of reduced visibility
Base [+/-]
Reference number used to indicate such information as headings, altitudes, fuels, etc
Elevator
Climb or descend
I.e. “elevator cherubs 5” = climb/descend 500’
Bodey
A radar/visual contact that is unidentified
Intruder
An individual, unit, or weapon system in or near an operational/exercise area, which represents the threat of intelligence gathering or disruptive activity
