Glossary

A glossary of military terms and words – an alphabetical list of words related to military, law enforcement, firearms, and vehicles with explanations; a brief dictionary.

AAanti-aircraft
AAAVarmored amphibious assault vehicle
ACRVarmored command and reconnaissance vehicle
ADAMArea Denial Artillery Munition
ADATSAir Defence Anti-tank system
AEVarmored engineer vehicle
AFSVArmored Fire Support Vehicle
AIFVArmored Infantry Fighting Vehicle
AMLAtomitrailleuse Legere (Light Armored Car)
AMXAtelier de Construction d’Issy-les-moulienaux
AParmor-piercing
APCarmored personnal carrier
APC-Tarmor-piercing capped-tracer
APDSArmor-piercing discarding sabot
APDS-Tarmor-piercing discarding sabot – tracer
APERS-Tanti-personnel-tracer
APFSDSarmor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot
APFSDS-Tarmor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot – tracer
APHEarmor-piercing high explosive
APSE-Tarmor-piercing secondary effect – tracer
API-Tarmor-piercing  incendiary – tracer
AP-Tarmor-piercing – tracer
AREAtelier de Construction Roanne
ARRVArmored repair and recovery vehicle
ATRautomotive test rig
ATGWanti-tank guided weapon
ATTSair-transportable towed system
AVGParmored vehicle general purpose
AVLBarmored vehicle launched bridge
AVREarmored vehicle royal engineers
BARVbeach armored recovery vehicle
bhpbrake horsepower
BLRBlindado Lingero de Ruedas
BMRBlindado Medio de Rueads
CAFCanadian Armed Forces
CCV-LClose Combat Vehicle – Light
CEVcombat engineer vehicle
CFEConventional Forces Europe
CFVCavalry Fighting Vehicle
CLGPCannon Launched Guided Projectile
COVCounter Obstacle Vehicle
CVR(T)Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
CVR(W)Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled)
DCADefense Contre Avions
EBGEngin Blinde Genie
EBREngin Blinde de Reconnaissance
ERAExplosive Reactive Armor
ERCEngin de Reconnaissance Cannon
ESDElectronique Serge Dassault
FAASVField Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
FCCFire Command Centre
FCSFire Control System
FDCFire Direction Centre
FISTVFire Support Team Vehicle
FLIRForward-Looking Infra-red
FVRDEFighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment
GIATGroupement Industriel des Armements Terrestres
GLLDGround Laser Locator Designator
HAVheavy assault bridge
HBheavy barrel
HCTHOT Compact Turret
HEhigh explosive
HE-Thigh explosive – tracer
HEAThigh explosive anti-tank
HEAT-FShigh explosive anti-tank fin-stabilized
HEAT-T-MPhigh explosive anti-tank – tracer – multi-purpose
HE-FShigh explosive – fin-stabilized
HE-FRAGhigh explosive fragmentation
HE-FRAG FShigh explosive fragmentation – fin-stabilized
HEI-Thigh explosive incendiary – tracer
HESHhigh explosive practice – tracer
HEPhigh explosive plastic
HE-Thigh-explosive – tracer
HERAhigh explosive rocket assist
hphorsepower
HVAP-DS-Thigh-velocity armor-piercing discarding sabot – tracer
HVAP-Thigh velocity armor-piercing tracker
IAFVInfantry armored fighting vehicle
ICMimproved conventional munition
ICVinfantry combat vehicle
IDFIsrael Defence Forces
iffidentification friend or foe
IFVinfantry fighting vehicle
IRinfra-red
ISinternal security
ITVimproved TOW vehicle
KIFVKorean Infantry Fighting Vehicle
kg/cm2kilogram per centimeter square
km/hrkilometer per hour
LAVLight Armored Vehicle
litliters
LLLTVlow-light-level television
LVTlanding vehicle tracked
LVTClanding vehicle tracked command
LVTElanding vehicle tracked engineer
LVTHlanding vehicle tracked howitzer
LVTPlanding vehicle tracked personnel
LVTRlanding vehicle tracked recovery
mmeter
mmmillimeter
MBTmain battle tank
MCTMILAN compact turret
MEWSmobile electronic warfare system
MGmachine gun
MICVmechanized infantry combat vehicle
MILANMissile d’Infanterie Leger Antichar
MLRSMultiple Launch Rocket System
MVEEMilitary Vehicles and Engineering Establishment
NBCnuclear, biological, chemical
NVENight Vision Equipment
NVGNight Vision Goggles
OHVOver Head Valve
RProcket-propelled
RPGrocket-propelled grenade
ptopower take-off
RAAMSRemote Anti-armor Mine System
RMGranging machine gun
ROBATRobotic Counter Obstacle Vehicle
ROKITRepublic of Korea Indigenous Tank
RORoyal Ordnance
rpmrounds per minute or revolutions per minute
SAMSurface-to-Air-Missile
SANTALSysteme Anti-aerien Leger
SATCPSysteme Anti-aerien a Tres Courtee
SFSpecial Forces
shpshaft horsepower
SPAAGself-propelled anti-aircraft gun
SPAAMself-propelled anti-aircraft missile
SPATGself-propelled anti-tank gun
SLEPservice life extension program
SOFSpecial Operations Forces
SPself-propelled
SPGself-propelled gun
SPHself-propelled howitzer
SPMself-propelled mortar
TADDSTarget Alert Display Data SET
TAMTanque Argentino Mediano
TDtank destroyer
TELtransporter, erector, launcher
TELARtransporter, erector, launcher, and radar
TLStank laser sight
TOGSThermal Observation and Gunnery System
TOWTube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided television
VARRVVickers Armored Repair and Recovery Vehicle
VABVehicule de l’Avant Blinde (front armored car)
VABVickers Armored Bridgelayer
VBCVehicule Blinde Combat
VBLVehicule Blinde Leger
VCIVelicule de Combat d’Infanterie; Vehiculo combate infantria (infantry combat vehicle)
VCRvariable compression ratio
VCRVehicule de Combat a Roues
VCTPVehiculo de Combate Trasporte de Personal
VCGVehicle de Combat du Genie
VDAVehicule de Defense Anti-aerienne
VECVehiculo de Exploracion de Caballerie
VSELVickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd
WAPCWheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
WFSVWheeled Fire Support Vehicle
WMRVWheeled Maintenance Recovery Vehicle