MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
298
Theater Missile
Defense Council
(TMDC)
A consultative body for considering TMD family of systems planning and
programming issues; chaired by an Assistant to the MDA Deputy for
Acquisition/TMD, membership includes MDA TMD Directors, representatives of
each applicable Service Program Executive Officer, and TMD Executive Agents
and Program Managers.
Theater High
Altitude Area
Defense System
(THAAD)
A ground-based, air transportable interceptor system that will provide wide area
defense capability by intercepting longer-range missiles at higher altitudes and at
greater distances. Will provide an overlay or upper tier to point defenses such as
PATRIOT.
Theater Missile
(TM)
A theater missile (TM) is a ballistic missile (BM), cruise missile (CM), or air-tosurface guided missile (ASM) whose target is within a theater or which is capable
of attacking targets in a theater.
Theater Missile
Defense (TMD)
OBSOLETE. The strategies and tactics employed to defend a geographical area
outside the continental United States against attack from short-range,
intermediate-range, or medium-range ballistic missiles.
Theater Missile
Defense Ground-
Based Radar
(TMD-GBR)
A ground-based, air transportable sensor that provides search, tracking and
discrimination capabilities for the THAAD interceptor system. Also referred to as
THAAD Radar.
Theater Missile
Defense Initiative
(TMDI)
An initiative under which all DoD theater and tactical missile defense activities are
carried out. Section 231 of the National Defense Act for Fiscal Year 1993
(Public Law 102–484) directed establishment of a TMDI office within the DoD.
THEL Tactical High Energy Laser.
Thermal Energy Electromagnetic energy emitted as thermal radiation. The total amount of
thermal energy received per unit area at a specified distance is generally
expressed in terms of calories per square centimeter.
Thermal Imagery Imagery produced by sensing and recording the thermal energy emitted or
reflected from the objects, which are imaged.
Thermal Kill The destruction of a target by heating it, using directed energy, to the degree
that structural components fail.
Thermal
Management
Technologies/techniques associated with the control and management of
thermal energy, its generation, dissipation, and recovery.
Thermal
Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation emitted (in two pulses from a nuclear air burst) from the
fireball as a consequence of its very high temperature; it consists essentially of
ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiations.
Thermal X-Rays The electromagnetic radiation, mainly in the soft (low energy) x-ray region,
emitted by the nuclear weapon residue by virtue of its extremely high
temperature; it also is referred to as the primary thermal radiation. It is the
absorption of this radiation by the ambient medium, accompanied by an increase
in temperature, which results in the formation of the fireball (or other heated
region) which then emits thermal radiation. (See X-Rays.)
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
299
Thermosphere The atmospheric shell extending from the top of the mesosphere to outer space;
it is a region of more or less steadily increasing temperature with height, starting
at 40 to 50 miles (70 to 80 kilometers); the thermosphere includes, therefore, the
exosphere and most or all of the ionosphere.
Threat
Characterization
An assessment of the nature, magnitude and intent of an attack in progress.
Threat Corridor
(Threat Tube)
A tube containing all the objects originating from launch sites and aimed at
targets whose spacing is close enough to permit the tube around the object
trajectories to be represented by a single trajectory in battle management
computation.
Threat Scenario A hypothetical example of the employment of threat systems against ballistic
missile defenses for the purpose of analysis and evaluation of those defensive
systems and architectures.
Threshold Performance capability or characteristic level in terms of a minimum acceptable
value (threshold) required to satisfy the mission need and a performance
objective.
Threshold
Defense
A defense strategy that concedes that the target can be destroyed at a price
that is not prohibitive, but the presence of the defense is thought to require the
offense to mount a relatively large and complex attack.
Throw Weight All weight in an interceptor, above the sustainer, which serves as the kill vehicle.
Thrusted
Replicas (TREPS)
Conical decoys equipped with a miniature rocket device. Generally used to
change the decoy’s optical signature to resemble that of an RV in the reentry
phase.
TI (1) Technical Instruction. (2) Technology Insertion.
TIARA Tactical Intelligence and Related Activities.
TIBS (1) Theater Information Broadcast Service.
(2) Tactical Information Broadcast System.
(3) Theater Intelligence Broadcast System.
TIC (1) Thermionic Integrated Circuit. (2) Technical Information Center.
TIDP Technical Interface Design Plan.
TIE (1) Technology Integration Experiments. (2) Technical Independent Evaluation.
Tier An integrated set of SDS elements that address a particular phase of the threat
(e.g., boost phase).
Tiered Defenses The use of defensive systems at different phases of the missile trajectory.
TIES Technology Integration Equipment System.
TIIAP Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program.
TIL Technical Insertion Laboratory.
TIM Technical Interchange Meeting.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
300
Time-Phased
Force and
Deployment List
Appendix 1 to Annex A of the operation plan. It identifies types and/or actual
units required to support the operation plan and indicates origin and ports of
debarkation or ocean area.
Time of Flight
(Max)
The maximum time for a booster or vehicle to perform its function from time of
launch.
Time on Station The time the sensor is in its operating position.
Time Sensitive
Targets
Those target requiring immediate response because they pose (or will soon
pose) a clear and present danger to friendly forces or are highly lucrative,
fleeting targets of opportunity.
Time to Station The time required to move a sensor to its operating position.
TIMS Training Integration Management System (USAF term).
TIN Theater Intelligence Networks.
TIP TOPAZ International Program.
TIR OBSOLETE. Terminal Imaging Radar. (Predecessor to Ground-Based Radar
Terminal (GBRT).)
TIRS Telemetry, Instrumentation and Range Safety
TIS (1) Trusted Information Systems, Inc. (2) Technical Information System.
Titan USICBM.
TIU TIBS/Tactical Interface Unit.
TIWG Test Integration Working Group. (U.S. Army)
TL Team Leader.
TLA Time Line Analysis.
TLAM Theater land Attack Missile.
TLAM/D TLAN Dispenser (Navy term).
TLDD Top Level Design Document.
TLV Target Launch Vehicle.
TLX Teletype.
TM (1) See Theater Missile. (2) Technical Manual. (3) Tactical Missile (US Army
term).
TMCC Test Monitor and Control Center.
TMD See Theater Missile Defense.
TMD C2 Theater Missile Defense Command and Control.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
301
TMD C
3
I Those assets that provide connectivity between and among Theater Ballistic
Missile Defense forces.
TMD ESM Theater Missile Defense Existing System(s) Modification (MDA term).
TMD GBR See Theater Missile Defense Ground Based Radar (THAAD Radar).
TMD IA Theater Missile Interoperability Architecture.
TMD ITP TMD Integrated Test Plan.
TMDAS Theater Missile Defense Architecture Study.
TMDC Theater Missile Defense Council.
TMDE Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment (ILS term).
TMDI See Theater Missile Defense Initiative.
TMDSE Theater Missile Defense System Exerciser.
TMMM TOMAHAWK Multi-Mission Missile.
TMP Technical Manual Plan (ILS term).
TMPCU Tomahawk Theater Mission Planning Center Upgrade.
TN (1) Terrestrial Network (C2E term). (2) Thermonuclear.
TNF Theater Nuclear Forces .
TNT Trinitrotoluene.
TNW Theater Nuclear Weapon.
TO (1) Task Order. (2) Technical Order.
TOA Total Obligation Authority.
TOAM Tactical Air Operations Module.
TOC Tactical Operations Center.
TOE Table of Organization and Equipment.
TOF Time of Flight.
TOI Track of Interest.
TOIA Task Order Impact Analysis.
Tolerance The ability of a system to provide continuity of operation under various abnormal
conditions.
TOM See Target Object Map.
Tomahawk US ground launched cruise missile.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
302
TOMD Task Radar Management Details.
TOMP Task Order Management Plan.
TOMS Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (NASA term).
TOO Target of Opportunity.
TOOL Target of Opportunity Launch.
TOP Task Order Plan.
Top-Down Pertaining to an approach that starts with the highest-level component of a
hierarchy and proceeds through progressively lower levels; for example, topdown design, top-down programming, top-down testing. Contrast with bottomup.
Top-Down
Design
The process of designing a system by identifying its major components,
decomposing them into their lower level components, and iterating until the
desired level of detail is achieved.
Top-Down
Testing
The process of checking out hierarchically organized programs, progressively,
from top to bottom, using simulation of lower level components.
TOPAZ A project to demonstrate the transfer of Russian thermionic space nuclear power
technology to U.S. BMD applications.
TOR Terms of Reference.
TOS (1) Tactical Operations Shelter (Station). (2) Task Order Status.
TOT Time on Target
Total Obligation
Authority (TOA)
A DoD financial term, which expresses the value of the direct program for a given
fiscal year.
Total Quality
Management
(TQM)
A management philosophy committed to a focus on continuous improvement to
product and services with the involvement of the entire workforce.
TOTS Target Oriented Tracking System
TOVS TRIOS Operational Vertical Sounder.
Toxicity The kind and amount of poison or toxic produced by a microorganism, or
possessed by a chemical substance not of biological origin.
TP (1) Telenet Protocol (Telecomm/Computer term). (2) Test Program.
TPALS Theater Protection Against Limited Strikes.
TPBM Terminal Phase Battle Manager.
TPD Mobile Tactical Radar (US).
TPDR Total Processing Data Rate (TelComm/Computer term).
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
303
TPEC THAAD Performance Evaluation Center.
TPEM Technology Program Element Manager (SDIO/MDA term).
TPFDD Time-Phased Force Deployment Data.
TPFDDL Time-Phased Force Deployment Data List.
TPFDL Time-Phased Force Deployment List.
TPM Technical Performance Measurement.
TPMT Total Preventative Maintenance Time (ILS term).
TPO (1) Test Planning Organization. (2) THAAD Program Office
TPP Test Procedure Plan.
TPR (1) Terminal Phase Radar. (2) Trained Personnel Requirements. (3) Target
Performance Report.
TPS Thermal Protection System.
TPT Theater Planning Tool.
TPWG Test Planning Working Group. (U.S. Air Force)
TQM Total Quality Management.
Traceability (1) The characteristic of software systems or designs or architectures or
domain models that identifies and documents the derivation path
(upward) and allocation/flowdown path (downward) of requirements and
constraints.
(2) The degree to which a relationship can be established between two or
more products having a predecessor-successor or master-subordinate
relationship to one another.
Track (1) A series of related contacts displayed on a plotting board.
(2) To display or record the successive positions of a moving object.
(3) To lock onto a point of radiation and obtain guidance from.
(4) To keep a gun properly aimed, or to point continuously a target locating
instrument at a moving target.
(5) The actual path of an aircraft above, or a ship on, the surface of the
earth.
Track
Assessment
The Track Assessment looks for anomalies in an object’s track data. An anomaly
in the track may indicate a hit.
Track, Birth to
Death
The maintenance of an associated track through all phases of flight (i.e., boost
to reentry).
Track Correlation The combining of track information for identification purposes, using all available
data.
Track Extension This term usually applies to improvements in track estimates by use of new data.
It is sometimes used to describe a process of target extrapolation to a future time
or place (e.g., reentry).
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
304
Track File A target’s stated estimate, confidence, covariance matrix, and associated LOS
measurements with irradiances with confidence of association; or some subset of
the above.
Track File-Track
History
A set of individual track reports on a particular object, which taken together
produce useful approximation of that object's future position in space.
Track Formation The process of determining the track or tracks of detected objects. It is usually a
three-step process of data association, track initialization, and track improvement
by filtering.
Tracking The act of generating and maintaining a time history of an object's position and
any other features of interest.
Tracking and
Pointing
Once a target is detected, it must be followed or “tracked”. When the target is
successfully tracked, a weapon is “pointed” at the target. Tracking and pointing
are frequently integrated operations.
Tracking Range
(Max)
The maximum line of sight distance at which a sensor can maintain track of an
object.
Track Initiation The formation of the first or initial estimate for a sensor system of the state vector
of an object. The process typically requires observation from a number of
frames.
Track Production
Area
An area in which tracks are produced by one radar station.
Track Symbology Symbols used to display tracks on a data console or other display device.
Track Telling The process of communicating air surveillance and tactical data information
between command and control systems or between facilities within the systems.
Telling may be classified into the following types: back tell; cross tell; forward tell;
lateral tell; overlap tell; and relateral tell.
TRADEX Target Resolution and Discrimination Experiment.
TRADOC U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Ft. Monroe, VA.
Traffic Capability
Maximum
The maximum number of objects per unit time which the sensor system can
maintain track files.
Traffic Decoy Decoy that matches RV characteristics in the exoatmosphere and high
endoatmosphere.
Train Threat geometry with objects placed in a line (string) along the velocity vector of
reentry.
Trajectory The curve described by an object moving through space.
Trajectory
Histories
Trajectory information on targets recorded over a period of time.
TRAK A data base management system (not an acronym).
Trans-Attack Period from first tactical indication of attack until termination started, i.e., postattack.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
305
TRANSCOM Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL.
TRANSEC Transmission Security.
Transition The period in which the world strategic balance would shift from offensedominance to defense-dominance.
Transition to
Production
A risk reduction process during which the program shifts (passes) from
development to production. It is not an exact point, but is described as a
process consisting of disciplined engineering and logistics management to
ensure the system is ready for manufacture. (See DoD 4245.7-M.)
Transmission
Security
(TRANSEC)
That component of security, which results from all measures, designed to protect
communications transmissions from interception and traffic analysis. (See
COMSEC.)
Transonic Of or pertaining to the speed of a body in a surrounding fluid when the relative
speed of the fluid is subsonic in some places and supersonic in others. This is
encountered when passing from subsonic to supersonic speeds and vice versa.
Transponder A receiver-transmitter that will generate a reply signal upon proper interrogation.
TRAP Tactical Receiver and Related Applications.
Trap Door A hidden software or hardware mechanism that permits system security
mechanisms to be circumvented.
Traveling Wave
Tube (TWT)
An electronic tube in which a stream of electrons interact continuously or
repeatedly with a guided electromagnetic wave moving substantially in
synchronism with it, in such a way that there is a net transfer of energy from the
stream to the wave; the tube is used as an amplifier or oscillator at frequencies in
the microwave region.
Traverse (1) To turn a weapon to the right or left on its mount.
(2) A method of surveying in which lengths and directions of lines between
points on the earth are obtained by or from field measurements, and
used in determining positions of the points.
Traverse Level That vertical displacement above low-level air defense systems, expressed both
as a height and altitude, at which aircraft can cross the area.
TRB Tactical Review Board.
TRD Technical Requirements Document.
TRE Tactical Receive Equipment.
TREA Transmit/Receive Element Array (THAAD).
TREE Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics.
TREM Total Radiation Environment Model.
TREPS See Thrusted Replicas.
TRESIM Tactical Receive Equipment Simulator.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
306
TRG Threat Reference Guide.
TRI-TAC Tri-Service Tactical Digital Communications System.
TRIDENT Class of US ballistic missile submarines (USN term).
TRIDENT I (C-4) US SLBM (USN term).
TRIDENT II (D-5) US SLBM (USN term).
TRIM Toxic Reduction Investment and Management.
TRM Technical Reference Model.
TRMP Test Resources Management Plan.
TRN (1) Task Requirements Notice. (2) Test Requirements Notification.
Trojan Horse A computer program with an apparently or actually useful function that contains
additional (hidden) functions that surreptitiously exploit the legitimate
authorizations of the invoking process to the detriment of security or mission
performance.
TROPO Tropospheric Scatter.
Tropopause The imaginary boundary layer dividing the stratosphere from the lower part of the
atmosphere, the troposphere. The tropopause normally occurs at an altitude of
about 7.62km to 13.71km in polar and temperate zones, and at 16.76km in the
tropics. (See Stratosphere, Troposphere.)
Troposphere The region of the atmosphere, immediately above the earth's surface and up to
the tropopause, in which the temperature falls fairly regularly with increasing
altitude, clouds form, convection is active, and mixing is continuous and more or
less complete.
Tropospheric
Scatter
The propagation of electromagnetic waves by scattering as a result of
irregularities in the physical properties of the troposphere.
TRP (1) Test Readiness Program. (2) Technology Reinvestment Program.
(3) Technology Readiness Program (pre-acquisition program status).
(4) Technical Requirements Package.
TRPC Technology Readiness Planning Committee.
TRR Test Readiness Review.
Trusted
Computer
System/Software
A system or its software that employs sufficient hardware and software integrity
measures to allow its use for processing sensitive or classified information.
Trusted Path A mechanism by which a person at a terminal can communicate directly with the
Trusted Computing Base. This mechanism can only be activated by the person
of the Trusted Computing Base and cannot be imitated by un-trusted software.
TRW TRW, Inc.
TS (1) Terminal Service. (2) Top Secret.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
307
TSA Technology Security Analysis.
TSD Tactical Surveillance Demonstration.
TSCM Tomahawk Strike Coordination Module (USN term).
TSD Tactical Surveillance Demonstration.
TSDE Tactical Surveillance Demonstration Enhancement.
TSEU Technology Seeker Evaluation Unit.
TsIAM Moscow’s Central Institute of Aviation Motors.
TSM TRADOC System Manager.
TSMA Theater of Strategic Military Action.
TSP Target Support Plan.
TSPI Time, Space, Position Information.
TSR Target System Requirements.
TSRD Target System Requirements Document.
TSS Terminal Surveillance Sensor.
TSSAM Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile.
TSWG Target Signature Working Group.
TT Total Time.
TT&C Telemetry, Tracking and Command.
TT&E Technical Test and Evaluation (Army).
TTA Total Time Accounting.
TTBM Terminal Tier Battle Manager.
TTBT Threshold Test Ban Treaty.
TTD&D Test Technology Development and Demonstration. A portion of the CTEIP
program, which funds the development and demonstration of technologies,
which have significant potential for improving testing.
TTEL Tools and Test Equipment List (ILS term).
TTL Transistor-to-Transistor Logic.
TTP Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures.
TTSARB Technology Transfer and Security Assistance Review Board.
TTT Test Technology Transfer.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 T
308
TTV Technology Test Vehicle.
TTY Teletype.
TUG TRACE User Group.
TV Thrust Vectoring (rocker engineering term).
TVC Thrust Vector Control.
TVE Technology Validation Experiment.
TVM Track-via-Missile.
TVV Technology Validation Experiment.
TW Tactical Warning.
TW/AA See Tactical Warning/Attack Assessment.
TW/SD Tactical Warning and Space Defense.
TWG Technical Working Group.
TWS TOMAHAWK Weapons System (USN term).
TWT Traveling Wave Tube.
TWTA Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier. (Electronic Engineering term).
TY Then Year (PPBS term).
TY$M Then Year Dollars Millions.
Type A - System
Specification
States all necessary requirements in terms of performance, including test
provisions to assure that all requirements are achieved. Essential physical
constraints are included. Type A specifications state the technical and mission
requirements of the system as an entity.
Type B -
Development
Specification
States all necessary requirements in terms of performance. Essential physical
constraints are included. Type B specifications state requirements for the
development of items other than systems. They specify all of the required item
functional characteristics and the tests required to demonstrate achievement of
those characteristics.
Type C - Product
Specification
Product specifications are applicable to any item below the system level, and
may be oriented toward procurement of a product through specification of
primarily function (performance) requirements or fabrication (detailed design)
requirements. Type C specifications intended to be used for the procurement of
items including computer programs.
Typhoon Class of Soviet ballistic missile submarines.
Typing The act of recognizing objects by measuring a set of observables, computing a
set of characteristics, and associating the characteristics with a specific class of
objects (i.e., SS-18, SS-24).
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
309
U Uranium.
U&S Unified and Specified (pre-1996 term).
U.K (UK) United Kingdom.
U.S. (US) United States.
U.S. West U.S. West Incorporated.
U.S.S.R. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
UA User Assessment (NMD BMC3 term).
UAE United Arab Emirates.
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
UAV BPI Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based Boost Phase Intercept.
UCAP UAV Combat Air Patrol.
UCC Uniform Commercial Code (US legal term).
UCP Unified Command Plan.
UD/ASD United Defense/Armaments Systems Division.
UDMH Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (a liquid propellant rocket fuel).
UDS Universal Documentation System. A standardized comprehensive tool for stating
and coordinating program requirements for testing MRTFB ranges, as well as the
capabilities and plans of test ranges to support program requirements. It
consists of a series of six planning and execution documents: 10 are the
Program Introduction (PI) (also called the Program Introduction Document (PID)),
2) Statement of Capability (SC), 3) Program Requirements Document (PRD), 4)
Operations Requirements (OR), 5) Program Support Plan (PSP), and 6) the
Operations Directive (OD). The UDS was developed and is regulated by the
Range Commanders Council (RCC).
UE Unit Equipment.
UEME Unified Electro-Magnetic Effects.
UEWR Upgrade Early Warning Radar.
UF4 Uranium tetra fluoride.
UF6 Uranium hexafluoride.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
310
UFG User Focus Group.
UFO UHF Follow-On .
UFP Unit Flyaway Price.
UGF Underground Facility.
UGS Unattended Ground Sensors.
UGT Under Ground Test.
UHF Ultra High Frequency.
UIC Unit Identification Code.
UIN User Interaction Node.
UKAS (1) UK Architecture Study (2) UK Associate Studies.
UKEADTB UK Extended Air Defense Test Bed.
UKTB United Kingdom Test Bed.
ULCS Unit Level Circuit Switch (SINCGARS term).
ULS Unit Level Switch.
ULSA Ultra Low Sidebobe Antenna.
ULTDS Unit Level Tactical Data Switch (SINCGARS term).
Ultraviolet (UV) Electromagnetic radiation of wavelength between the shortest visible violet
(about 3,850 Angstroms) and soft x-rays (about 100 Angstroms).
UMD Unit Manning Document.
UMMIPS Uniform Material Movement and Issue Priority System (ILS term).
UNAAF Unified Action Armed Forces.
UNC United Nations Command.
Unconventional
Warfare
A broad spectrum of military and paramilitary operations conducted in enemyheld, enemy-controlled or politically sensitive territory. Unconventional warfare
includes, but is not limited to, the interrelated fields of guerrilla warfare, evasion
and escape, subversion, sabotage, and other operations of a low visibility,
covert, or clandestine nature.
Unified Action
Armed Forces
A publication setting forth the principles, doctrines, and functions governing the
activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States when two or
more Services or elements thereof are acting together.
Unified Command A command with a broad continuing mission under a single commander and
composed of significant assigned components of two or more Services, and
which is established and so designated by the President, through the Secretary
of Defense with the advice and assistance of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
311
UNISYS UNISYS Corporation.
United States
Army
Space Command
(USARSPACE)
The Army component command of USSPACECOM. Responsible for the Army
elements of the SDS system. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
United States
Space Command
(USSPACECOM)
The unified command responsible for planning and conducting ballistic missile
defense. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
United States
Strategic
Command
(USSTRATCOM)
The DoD unified command responsible for carrying out directed nuclear and nonnuclear strategic air, intercontinental ballistic missile, and sea-launched ballistic
missile offensive combat strikes. Located at Offutt AFB, NE.
United States
Transportation
Command
(USTRANSCOM)
The DoD unified command responsible for providing air, land, and sea
transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of
war. It is also responsible for providing airlift, sealift, surface transport, and
terminal services, and commercial air, land, and sea transportation, including as
needed to support the deployment, employment, and sustainment of U.S. forces
on a global basis, as directed by the Secretary of Defense. Located at Scott
AFB, IL.
Unk Unknown.
Unresolved
Objects
Objects so closely spaced with respect to the sensor focal plane as to be
indistinguishable from a single object.
UNSC United Nations Security Council.
UnSecEnergy Under Secretary of Energy.
UOC Usable on Code (ILS term).
UOES See User Operational Evaluation System.
UPD Unconventional Passive Discrimination.
UPS Uninterruptible Power Source.
UQT Unit Qualification Training (ILS term).
URIP University Research Initiative Support Program.
URL Uniform Resource Locator (internet protocol term).
URT Upgraded RTD.
US/UK United States/United Kingdom.
USA (1) United States Army. (2) Under Secretary of the Army.
USAADASCH U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School.
USAAE U.S. Army Acquisition Executive.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
312
USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers.
USACOM United States Atlantic Command, Norfolk, VA.
USAF United States Air Force.
USAF/AFMC/ESC U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, Electronic Systems Center; ex-ESD.
USAF/AFMC/SMC U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, Space and Missile Systems Center; ex-USAF
Systems Command /SSD.
USAF/OTEC U.S. Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center.
USAF/SMC U.S. Air Fore Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, CA.
USAF/SSD U.S. Air Force/Space Systems Division; See USAF/AFMC/SMC.
USAFE U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
USAFLANT U.S. Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Command.
USAKA U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll.
USAMICOM U.S. Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL.
USAMSIC See MSIC.
USAMSAA U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity.
USAOEC U.S. Army Operational Evaluation Command, Alexandria, VA.
USAOTEC U.S. Army Operational Test and Evaluation Command.
USARCENT U.S. Army Forces, U.S. Central Command.
USAREUR U.S. Army Forces, U.S. European Command.
USARLANT U.S. Army Forces, U.S. Atlantic Command.
USARPAC U.S. Army Forces, U.S. Pacific Command.
USARSPACE See United States Army Space Command.
USASDC U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command (<1Oct 92).
USASSDC U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command, Huntsville, AL
USATECOM U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command.
USATRADOC U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
USB Upgraded SBD.
USC U.S. Code.
USCENTAF U.S. Central Command Air Forces.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
313
USCENTCOM United States Central Command, MacDill AFB, FL.
USCG United States Coast Guard.
USCINCCENT Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command.
USCINCEUR U.S. Commander in Chief, Europe.
USCINCLANT Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command.
USCINCPAC Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command.
USCINCSPACE Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Space Command.
USCINCTRANS Commander in Chief, U.S. Transportation Command.
USCS U.S. Customs Services.
USD Under Secretary of Defense.
USD(A&T) Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology).
USD(A) OBSOLETE. Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition.).
USD(A)/STNF Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Strategic and Tactical Nuclear Forces.
USD(P) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
USDA United States Department of Agriculture.
USDAO U.S. Defense Attaché Office.
USDELMC U.S. Delegation to the NATO Military Committee.
USDR&E Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
User Friendly Primarily a term used in automatic data processing (ADP); it connotes a machine
(hardware) or program (software) that is compatible with a person's ability to
operate it successfully and easily.
User Operational
Evaluation
System (UOES)
Prototypical system developed and tested as part of the early phases of the
development process. A UOES has two objectives: (1) testing, evaluation, and
training for a system proceeding through the normal acquisition process; and (2)
contingency defense capability should the need arise prior to completion of the
normal acquisition cycle.
USEUCOM United States European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
USFJ U.S. Forces Japan.
USFK U.S. Forces Korea.
USFK/CFC CSFK Combined Forces Command.
USG U.S. Government.
USIA United States Information Agency.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
314
USLANTCOM United States Atlantic Command (Now see USACOM).
USLANTFLT U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
USMAR-
FORCENT
U.S. Marine Component, U.S. Central Command.
USMAR-FORLANT U.S. Marine Component, U.S. Atlantic Command.
USMAR-FORPAC U.S. Marine Component, U.S. Pacific Command.
USMC United States Marine Corps.
USMCR United States Marine Corps Reserve.
USMILREP U.S. Military Representative.
USN United States Navy.
USNAVCENT U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command.
USNAVEUR U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. European Command.
USNIP U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.
USNO U.S. Naval Observatory.
USNPGS U.S. Naval Post-Graduate School.
USPACAF U.S. Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Command.
USPACFLT US Pacific Fleet.
USPACOM United States Pacific Command, Pearl Harbor, HI.
USREPMC U.S. Representative to the Military Committee (NATO).
USSC United States Space Command.
USSOCOM United States Special Operations Command, Tampa, FL.
USSOUTHCOM United States Southern Command, Panama Canal Zone, Panama.
USSPACECOM See United States Space Command.
USSS United States Secret Service.
USSTRATCOM See United States Strategic Command.
USTA United States Telephone Association.
USTRANSCOM See United States Transportation Command.
UT Universal Time.
UTC Unit Type Code.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 U
315
UTM Universal Transverse Mercator.
UTTMDS Upper Tier Theater Missile Defense System. See THAAD System.
UUT Unit Under Test (ILS term).
UV Ultraviolet.
UV Electro-
Optics
Technologies/techniques employed by optical sensors in the wavelength
spectrum shorter than visible (e.g., less than 4,000 A).
UVPI Ultraviolet Plume Instrument.
UW Unconventional Warfare.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 V
316
V Volt.
V&H Vulnerability and Hardening.
V&V Verification and Validation. (See Verification, Validation, and IV&V.)
V/STOL Vertical Short Takeoff and Landing .
VAFB Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
Validation Confirmation that the processes and outputs from a test resource parallel real
world processes and are realistically sensitive to change in the environment,
tactical situation, system design, tactics, and threat.
VAMOSC Visibility and Management of O&S Costs.
VAR Visitor Access Request.
Variability The manner in which the probability of damage to a specific target decreases
with the distance from ground zero; or, in damage assessment, a mathematical
factor introduced to average the effects of orientation, minor shielding, and
uncertainty of target response to the effects considered.
VBO Vertical Burn-Out (velocity).
VCC Voice Communications Circuit.
VCRM Verification Cross Reference Matrix.
VCS Voice Communications System.
VDC Volts Direct Current.
VDD Version Description Document.
VDU Visual Display Unit.
VE Value Engineering.
VECP Value Engineering Change Proposal.
Verification (1) Confirmation that all data inputs, logic, calculations and engineering
representations of a T&E resource accurately portray the characteristics,
calculations, logic, and interactions of the system under evaluation.
(2) The process of evaluating a system or component during or at the end
of the development process to determine whether it satisfies specified
requirements.
VESA Video Electronics Standards Association.
VFR Visual Flight Rules.
VGA Video Graphics Array (Telecomm/Computer term).
VHF Very High Frequency.
VHSIC Very High Speed Integrated Circuit.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 V
317
VIDS Vehicle Integrated Defense Software (USA term).
VIGILANTE Viewing Image/Gimbaled Instrumentation Lab-Analog Neural Three-D
Experiment. VIGILANTE involves building a small computer (ANTE) offering 1/12
Operation Per Second (OPS), using a mixture of experimental three-dimensional
circuitry and commercial components. Project also demonstrates VIRGIL, a
gimbaled airborne sensor with visible, experimental UV and quantum-well IR
cameras capable of tracking targets that can be detected, identified, and
precision-tracked with the ANTE processor.
VIM Vibration Isolation Module.
VINSON Encrypted Ultra High Frequency Communications System.
VIS Visible.
VIS/UV Visible/Ultraviolet.
Visibility Range
(or Visibility)
The horizontal distance (in kilometers or miles) at which a large dark object can
just be seen against the horizon’s sky in daylight. The visibility is related to the
clarity of the atmosphere ranging from 170 miles (280 kilometers) for an
exceptionally clear atmosphere to 0.6 mile (1.0 kilometer) or less for dense haze
or fog. The visibility on an average clear day is taken to be 12 miles (19
kilometers).
Visible Electro-
Optics
Technologies/techniques employed by optical sensors in the visible portion of
the wavelength spectrum.
VLAR Vertical Launch and Recovery (UAV JPO term).
VLF Very Low Frequency.
VLOS Vertical Line of Sight.
VLS Vertical Launch System.
VLSI Very Large Scale Integration.
VLSIC VLSI Circuits.
VLWIR Very Long Wavelength Infrared.
VME Versa Modular European .
VMF Variable Message Format (Telecomm term).
VOX Voice Actuation.
VRI Vanguard Research, Inc., Fairfax, VA.
VTC Video Teleconference.
VTOL Vertical Takeoff and Landing .
VTOL-UAV Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
VUE Visible Light/Ultraviolet Experiment.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 V
318
Vulcan UK bomber.
VV&A Verification, Validation, and Accreditation.
VVER Pressurized water type nuclear power reactor.
VVIRF Verification and Validation Information Request Form.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 W
319
W/ With.
w/o Without.
W/TD Warning/Threat Detection.
WAA Wide Aperture Array.
WALEX Warfare Analysis Laboratory Exercise.
WAM (1) Worldwide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS). (2) Wide Area
Munition. (3) Wide Area Mine. (4) Wide Area Missile.
WAN Wide Area Network (Telecomm/Computer term).
WAP Wide Azimuth Probe.
War Game A simulation, by whatever means, of a military operation involving two or more
opposing forces, using rules, data, and procedures designed to depict an actual
or assumed real life situation.
Wargame 2000 Title of MDA program for development of a state-of-the-art simulation tool at the
JNTF for use in CONOPS validation, missile defense program design verification,
validation and accreditation, and support CinC/Allied wargames and
assessments.
Warhead A weapon, usually thermonuclear, contained as the payload of a missile.
Warhead Mating The act of attaching a warhead section to a rocket or missile body, torpedo,
airframe, motor, or guidance section.
Warhead Section A completely assembled warhead including appropriate skin sections and related
components.
WARM Wartime Reserve Modes.
Warning of Attack A warning to national policymakers that an adversary is not only preparing its
armed forces for war, but intends to launch an attack in the near future.
Warning Order A preliminary notice of an order or action that is to follow.
WARSIM Warfighter Simulation (US Army term).
WARSIM 2000 Warfighter Simulation 2000 (US Army term).
Wartime Reserve
Modes (WARM)
Characteristics and operating procedures of sensor, communications, navigation
aids, threat recognition, weapons, and countermeasures systems that (1) will
contribute to military effectiveness if unknown to or misunderstood by opposing
commanders before they are used, but (2) could be exploited or neutralized if
known in advance. Wartime reserve modes are deliberately held in reserve for
wartime or emergency use and seldom, if ever, applied or intercepted prior to
such use.
WAS Wide Area Sensor.
WASP Wide-body Airborne Surveillance Platform. A modified DC-10.
MDA GLOSSARY, VER. 4.0 W
320
WASHDC Washington, District of Columbia.
Wastage (Max) The maximum number of defense weapons which, when used, will be ineffective
in contributing to the defeat of the offense.
Watch Condition
(WATCHCON)
Series of readiness conditions used by the intelligence community to alert staffs
to watchfulness without raising DEFCON.
WATS Wide Area Telephone System.
WAVE Wideband Angular Vibration Experiment.
Wavelength The distance between two points having the same phase in two consecutive
cycles of a periodic wave, along a line in the direction of propagation.
WB Wideband.
WBM Weapons Battle Manager(s).
WBS See Work Breakdown Structure.
WCC (1) See Wing Control Center. (2) Weapons Control Computer.
WCG Workstation Computer Graphics (Computer term).
WCP (1) Weapon Control Processor. (2) Weapon Control Platform.
WCS Weapons Control System.
WDM Wavelength Division Multiplexon.
Weapon Enabling The set of control functions without which defense weapons cannot be
launched.
