Apache

IX Battlegroup: The Information Exploitation Battlegroup – Magowan’s troops

JDAM: Joint Direct Attack Munition – Inertial Navigation and GPS guidance system bolted onto a 500 to 2000lb bomb to make it an accurate all-weather weapon

Joint Helicopter Command: The UK-based command headquarters and operating authority for all British military helicopters in the UK and abroad

JHF: JHF (A) – Joint Helicopter Force in Afghanistan – ‘Main’ at Kandahar and ‘Forward’ at Camp Bastion – the Afghanistan helicopter headquarters operating under authority for the JHC

JOC: Joint Operations Cell – the functioning control centre of operations in the Helmand province

JTAC: Joint Terminal Attack Controller – soldier responsible to his commander for the deliverance of air ordnance from combat aircraft onto a target. The airspace controller above a battle, normally callsigns Widow or Knight Rider

Klicks: Military slang for kilometres

KIA: Killed in action

Knight Rider: Callsign for the BRF JTAC’s

Lance Bombardier: Artillery Rank – the second rung on the ladder after private/marine

LCpl: Lance Corporal – rank – the second rung on the ladder after private/marine

Leakers: Taliban that are attempting to escape (leak) from a target area

Lima Charlie: Phonetic alphabet for LC – air speak for Loud and Clear

Loadie: Loadmaster responsible for passengers and equipment in military troop-carrying helicopters or transport aircraft

Longbow: The Longbow Radar is the Apache’s Fire Control Radar. It looks like a large Swiss cheese and sits on top of the main rotor system

LS: Landing Site

LSJ: Life Support Jacket – survival waistcoat

Lynx: British Army Light Battlefield Helicopter – used for movement of small teams

M230: The cannon on the underside of the Apache; 30mm chain fed

ManPADS: Man Portable Aid Defence System – shoulder-launched heat-seeking missile

MC:

Military Cross – awarded in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land.

MI6: Military Intelligence Section 6 – nickname for the British Government’s Secret Intelligence Service

MIA: Missing in action

MiD: Mentioned in Despatches – award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service

MIRC: Military Internet Relay Chat

MoD: Ministry of Defence

Monocle: The pink see-through glass mirror over an Apache pilot’s right eye that displays green symbology and images from the onboard computers and sights

Mosquito: Taliban slang for the Apache

MPD: Multi-Purpose Display – 5-inch screen on the console in the Apache

MSR: Main Supply Route – route for equipment and personnel

Mujahideen: Afghan opposition groups – fought the Soviets during the Soviet invasion and each other in the Afghan Civil War – plural for the word mujahid meaning ‘struggler’

NAAFI: Navy, Army and Air Forces Institute – a British military shop and café

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – multi-national military force

Negative: Air speak for No

Nimrod MR2: Royal Air Force large-bodied jet that is used as a spy plane

NSA: National Security Agency – US Government’s communications intelligence (same as GCHQ)

NVG: Night Vision Goggles – night sights that magnify light by 40,000 times

OC: Officer Commanding – Major in charge of a Squadron or Company group

Ops: Operations – as in Ops tent, Ops room, Ops Officer or literally an operation

ORT: Optical Relay Tube – the large console in the front seat with PlayStation type grips on either side

P Company: Gruelling fitness tests used by the Parachute Regiment to test suitable candidates for parachute training and airborne forces

Para:

Nickname for a soldier from the Parachute Regiment or the Regiment itself

Paveway: Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) – the laser guidance system bolted onto 500–2000 lb bombs

Pepper-Potting: One patrol goes firm. The other passes it and goes firm. Then the original patrol passes and goes firm. On and on – one foot on the ground at all times advancing forward or backwards

Pinzgauer: Small 4x4 All Terrain Utility Truck

Piss Boy: The loser of a game who has to make the tea and coffee

PJHQ: Permanent Joint Headquarters – located at Northwood; Commands overseas joint and combined military operations and provides military advice to the Ministry of Defence.

PK: Soviet designed General Purpose Machine Gun – 7.62mm bipod machine gun

PNVS: Pilot’s Night Vision System – the thermal camera that sits above the TADS on the Apache’s nose

Pongo: Derogatory slang used by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for Army soldiers

Port: Left-hand side of an aircraft or vessel

Predator: Large US UAV that contains sophisticated sights and radios similar to those on the Apache. It can be armed with Hellfire

PX: Post Exchange – huge US Military shop that sells almost anything