by Dale Brown
updated, the readability-and the profits. You know, the usual... "But
now. . . I see the pilots, crew chiefs, sailors, husbands and fathers
out there. I think of how far they are from home. I wonder if they've
got enough water, or if they've been up for a long time, or if they've
been able to call home or gotten a letter from home-and I worry. I
don't think I've worried about anything or anybody in ten years. I
think about how dangerous it is to be flying at night-hell, I never used
to know, or care, about what time of day it was out there. I never used
to think about those icons, never realized that each symbol represented
so many Americans fighting and dying in a strange land." He looked at
the screen, then at McLanahan and Elliott with a faint smile and said,
"It's like what you said back at the Arc Light Memorial on Guam,
General, looking at that old B-52: I only saw the machine out there, but
you saw the men. I didn't understand you then, but I think I understand
now. "I think you do too, Jon, " Brad Elliott said. "And you know what?
I don't think you'll ever be the same. Masters nodded, knowing Elliott
was right. McLanahan knew it, too. ... GLOSSARY All items are
real-world terms except where designated with 'F AAA-Anti Aircraft
Artillery Advanced Missile Warning System-next generation of satellites
that detect enemy missile launches Aegis-advanced naval air defense
radar system AGM-84E SLAM-modified Harpoon long-range cruise missile
with TV and satellite navigation system guidance AGM-I30
Striker-rocket-boosted two-thousand-pound glide bomb; range ten to
fifteen miles AIM-7-Sparrow radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile
AIM-9-Sidewinder infrared (heat) guided short-range air-to-air missile
AIM-54-Phoenix radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile
AIM-120-Scorpion radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile ALARM-(F)
Air Launched Alert Response Missile; aircraft-launched space booster
AMRAAM-AIM-I20 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile; next generation
of "launch-and-leave" guided missiles AMWS-Advanced Missile Warning
System, next-generation radar/ laser system to warn pilots of incoming
antiaircraft missiles ASEAN-Association of South East Asian Nations,
cooperative council of nations, generally aligned to counter growing
influence of China: Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand,
Vietnam, Indonesia ASIS-(F) Attack Systems Integration Station, the
mission commander's area (right seat) of a B-2 stealth bomber,
responsible for navigation and attack ASROC-nuclear-tipped antisubmarine
rocket torpedoes, launched by Navy ships ASTAB-automated status board
monitors, part of AEGIS radar system AWACS-Airborne Warning and Control
System, the E-3 radar plane that can detect, track, identify, and
control air targets at long range AWG-9-long-range, high-powered attack
radar on Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters BGAAWC-Battle Group Anti-Aircraft
Warfare Center, the control center for all antiaircraft warfare in a
Navy battle group Bhangmeters-nuclear detonation detection system on
satellites; detects and measures the flash of a nuclear detonation and
estimates the strength of the warhead BLU-9fuel-air explosive bomb, a
weapon that disperses a fuel oil into the air; many times more powerful
than a conventional bomb of similar size because it does not carry its
own chemical oxidizers BMEWBallistic Missile Early Warning System, a
radar system used to detect launch of submarine-launched ballistic
missiles BNBombing and Navigation System BUFF-Big Ugly Fat Fellow,
nickname for the B-52 bomber C101-long-range ship- or land-launched
antiship missile built by China; Silkworm C601-long-range air-launched
antiship missile built by China C801-medium-range Chinese antiship
missile CAP-Combat Air Patrol, layers of fighters set up in an area to
search for enemy attackers CIC-Combat Information Center, the central
communications and control area on board naval vessels CINCSAC-Commander
in Chief, Strategic Air Command, the four star Air Force officer
responsible for strategic bombers, land-based strategic ballistic
missiles, and long-range communications and reconnaissance aircraft
CINCSPACECOM-Commander in Chief, Space Command; the four star Air Force
officer responsible for all North American space activity including
space surveillance, satellites, and rocket launches COBRA
DANE-long-range radar system designed to provide technical information
on Soviet and Chinese ballistic missiles, especially impact points of
warheads COMSUBFLT-Commander, Submarine Fleet, the four-star Navy
officer responsible for all American submarines DARPA-Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, an office of the Department of Defense
responsible for new weapon and aircraft research DC- 10-wide-body cargo
and passenger carrier made by McDonnellDouglas Aircraft Co. DCI-Director
of Central Intelligence, responsible for all intelligence gathering
activities in the U.S. DEFCON-Defense Condition; ranges from 5 (peace,
no advanced readiness) to 1 (all-out war); denotes worldwide readiness
of U.S. military forces Defense Satellite Program (DSP)-name of agency
that operates all military reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering
satellites DF-direction-finder, a radio beacon that allows other
DF-equipped units to locate it. DR-dead reckoning; estimating position
by best-known heading and speed information Dreamland-unclassified
nickname for military research area in south central Nevada DSC Defense
Satellite Communications System, a network of voice and data satellites
to connect military and civilian defense agencies all over the world
Durandal-French-made runway-cratering bomb that uses a rocket engine to
burrow deep under a runway surface before detonating its high-explosive
warhead E-2 Hawkeye-naval carrier-based airborne radar plane used to
monitor friendly aircraft and search for enemy aircraft and vessels
E-3-Sentry airborne radar plane (see AWACS) E-4B NEACP pronounced
"kneecap"); National Emergency Airborne Command Post, a heavily modified
Boeing 747 airliner used as a communications plane for the President of
the United States and other high-ranking government officials in wartime
EB-52-(F) modified B-52 bomber with air defense and defense suppression
weapons and equipment EC-18-next-generation electronic intelligence
aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command EC-135C strategic
communications platform ELT~emergency locator transmitter, a radio that
transmits a beacon signal on special search and rescue frequencies to
facilitate rescue operations ~MP~electromagnetic pulse, the high burst
of energy from a nuclear explosion that can disrupt communications and
electronic circuitry for long distances and for long periods of time
ETA-estimated time of arrival ETE-estimated time en route F-4E
Phantom~urrent two-seat fighterzbomber built by McDonnellDouglas F-16
ADF Fighting Falcon lightweight fighter built by General Dynamics; ADF
(air defense fighter) model specially modified to intercept unidentified
bomber aircraft at long range F-23 Wildcat-(fictional, but
X-23 is
actual) next-generation fighter built by Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas
Fei Lung 7 Chinese ship-launched medium-range antiship missile Fei
Lung-9-(F) Chinese ship-launched long-range antiship missile with
nuclear warhead FIEfighter-intercept exercise, where fighters practice
finding, identifying, intercepting, and attacking bombers FOREST
GREEN-Defense Department program developed to detect and measure nuclear
explosions on Earth or in the atmosphere Form "'81-standard aircraft
maintenance log Fox Three-in an air intercept, a code meaning the
aircraft's machine gun or cannon is being employed GCI-Ground Controlled
Intercept, ground radar station that controls fighters to intercept
unidentified aircraft Global Positioning System (GPS)-constellation of
satellites in Earth orbit that provide very precise time, position, and
groundspeed information to aircraft and vessels GUARD-121.5 or 243.0
megahertz, the international emergency radio frequencies HADES-(F)
BLU-96 fuel-air explosive bomb Harpoon-U.S.-made AGM-84 long-range
antiship missile HAVE NAP-AGM-142 Israeli-made long-range air-launched
attack missile HAVE QUICK-secure antieavesdrop air-to-air radio used by
friendly fighters HAWC-(F) High Technology Aerospace Weapons Center, a
secret U.S. Air Force research facility in Dreamland that conducts
flighttest experiments on new and modified aircraft and new weapon
systems HDTV-high-definition television Hong Qian-6I-short-range
antiaircraft missile system deployed on medium-size Chinese warships
Hong Qian-91-medium-range antiaircraft missile system deployed on large
Chinese naval vessels Hornet-F/A-18 carrier-based fighter-bomber built
by McDonnellDouglas HUD-heads-up display, a system that projects flight
and weapons information in front of a pilot's field of view to allow him
to read important flight information without looking back down inside
the cockpit at his instrument panel during critical phases of flight,
such as air combat ICBM-intercontinental ballistic missile, very
long-range nuclear tipped attack missiles IFF-Identification Friend or
Foe, a radio system that broadcasts coded identification information to
other aircraft or radar systems IN-instructor navigator IRSTS-infrared
search and track system, an electronic weapon system for fighters that
detects heat energy and can transmit azimuth (bearing to the target)
data to the fighter's fire-control weapon system ISAR-Inverse Synthetic
Aperture Radar, a radar system that uses the motion of the object being
tracked to sharpen and define the radar image; commonly used to identify
ships by naval reconnaissance aircraft J-2-part of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff joint staIf, J-2 is the JCS directorate of intelligence JC Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the commanders of the five main branches of the
American military that serve as the interface between the National
Command Authority (President and Secretary of Defense) and the military
forces. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the NCA's primary
uniformed military adviser. KA-aerial refueling tanker version of the
A-6 Intruder carrier based attack aircraft KC-10-aerial refueling tanker
version of the McDonnell-Douglas DC10 airliner KC-135-aerial refueling
tanker version of the C-135 transport plane KH-Keyhole series of
photographic reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence-gathering
satellites; produces very high-resolution photographs; the code name
KEYN0LE refers to overhead photographic imaging systems, including
aircraft and satellites LACROSS~new generation of high-resolution radar
imaging satellites; transmits intelligence data to Earth by data link
LSD-large-screen display; main processed radar data display of the Aegis
naval battle group air defense system; also Landing Ship, Dock, an
amphibious assault ship that carries large floating dock pieces to
oflload supply ships during beach assaults M61A1-standard 20-millimeter
cannon of many American fighter aircraft MAC-Military Airlift Command,
the Air Force organization responsible for most American military
transport duties MAJCOM-Major Command, the main organizations directed
by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Command Authority; divided
into specified (single-service) or unified Joint-service) commands
Megafortress-(F) unclassified nickname of the EB-52 strategic
"battleship" escort aircraft MEU-Marine Expeditionary Unit, the smallest
and most responsive of the U.S. Marine Corps' air-ground task forces;
usually made up of two thousand Marines and Navy personnel and usually
deployed with Navy fleets MFD-multi-function display, an instrument
screen in a modern aircraft cockpit that displays different data and
performs different functions, depending on the selected mode Mk
82-standard five-hundred-pound general-purpose high-explosive bomb
MNP-Moro National Party, the pro-Islamic political organization active
in the southern Philippines MOA-Military Operating Area, a piece of
airspace set aside for high performance fighter activity; the military
is responsible for aircraft separation Murene NTL-90-French-made
air-launched torpedo MUTES-Multiple Target Emitter Site, a mobile
electronic threat complex used in training missions by the Strategic Air
Command; simulates many different types of enemy radar-guided
air-defense weapons MV-22A-Marine Corps amphibious assault version of
the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft Nansha Da Chinese name for the
Spratly Islands National Security Advisor Coordinates activities of the
National Security Council and reports directly to the President National
Security Council-principal advisory group to the President on defense
matters; composed of the Vice President, Secretaries of State, Treasury,
and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director
of Central Intelligence NAVSTAR-unclassified nickname of the Global
Positioning System of navigation satellites NCA-National Command
Authority, composed of the President of the United States and the
Secretary of Defense, who command all combat forces through the
operational chain of command New People's Army-the Communist guerrilla
forces of the National Democratic Front, a major antigovernment force in
the Philippines New Philippine Army-the name of the reorganized
Philippine defense forces NIRTSat(F) Need It Right This Second
satellites, a series of lightweight communications, intelligence, and
reconnaissance satellites launched by small, quick-response space
boosters such as ALARM. NMCC-National Military Command Center, the main
commandcontrol-communications facility for senior Pentagon commanders
NORAD-North American Aerospace Defense Command, the joint multi-service
U.S. and Canadian organization responsible for surveillance and
air-defense operations of North America; located within Cheyenne
Mountain, Colorado NSA-National Security Agency, the agency responsible
for interpreting and disseminating intelligence information NSC-National
Security Council OPLANOperations Plan, generally referring to the
pre-planned series of military responses drawn for various
parts of the
world 050-Offensive Systems Officer, the navigator-bombardier on a B-I
strategic bomber PACAF-Pacific Air Forces, the major Air Force command
responsible for all air operations from the U.S. West Coast to Africa
PACER SKY-(F) a satellite-based reconnaissance system that transmits
real-time infrared, visual, and radar satellite data to a ground or
airborne terminal to provide aircrews or commanders with
up-to-the-minute information on enemy troop positions Palawan-the
westernmost island province of the Philippines; very sparsely settled
and remote PCS permanent change of station; generally any military
assignment lasting more than 180 days Phalanx CIW CIWS, or Close-In
Weapon System; Phalanx is a radarguided 30-millimeter Gatling gun used
by many classes of naval vessels for last-ditch defense against antiship
missiles Powder River-a MOA (Military Operating Area) covering parts of
Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, part of the Strategic Training Range
Complex of the Strategic Air Command; used as a fighter-intercept area
and bombing range PRC-People's Republic of China PRF-pulse repetition
frequency, the rate at which a radar system transmits electronic
signals; faster PRF rates usually denote very high-precision radar
tracking, as for gun or missile control PT-physical training Puerto
Princesa-the main city and capital of the island province of Palawan in
the Philippines RC-135X-a version of the Strategic Air Command's series
of strategic reconnaissance aircraft, specifically designed to locate,
classify, and target enemy surface-to-air missile sites RC~radar
cross-section, the apparent size of a target on a radar, referring to
the ability of a radar to detect a target at a given range; mostly a
function of the size and structural composition of the target RED FLAG a
large-scale tactical air war game exercise held several times a year at
Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada, involving hundreds of aircraft
from all over the world RHAW Radar Heading and Warning System, a display
in many modern fighter aircraft that warns of the presence, direction,
and type of enemy radars RIO-Radar Intercept Officer, the "backseater"
in an F-14 Tomcat carrier-based fighter responsible for locating enemy
targets RK-S~standard twenty-kiloton tactical nuclear warhead designed
