Glossary
Acronyms and terms used across the database. Open-source, non-exhaustive.
A
- ATGM
- Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
- Some loitering munitions blur the line with ATGMs.
- ATR
- Automatic Target Recognition: machine classification of sensor returns.
B
- BLOS
- Beyond Line-Of-Sight: link or weapon engagement past the radio horizon.
- BVLOS
- Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight: operator can no longer see the airframe.
C
- C2
- Command and Control: the link and process used to direct a system.
- C4ISR
- Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance.
- CDE
- Collateral Damage Estimate.
- C-UAS
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial System: detection, tracking, identification and defeat of drones.
- COMINT
- Communications Intelligence: exploitation of intercepted communications.
- COTS
- Commercial Off-The-Shelf: commercially available, non-military hardware.
D
- DARPA
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (US DoD).
- DEAD
- Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses.
- DEW
- Directed Energy Weapon: HEL or HPM systems.
E
- ELINT
- Electronic Intelligence: exploitation of non-comms emissions (radar etc.).
- EMP
- Electromagnetic Pulse.
- EO/IR
- Electro-Optical / Infrared: passive imaging sensor suite.
- EW
- Electronic Warfare: use of the EM spectrum to attack, protect or sense.
F
- FPV
- First-Person View: operator flies via onboard camera feed, common in racing and one-way attack drones.
G
- GBAD
- Ground-Based Air Defense.
- GNSS
- Global Navigation Satellite System: umbrella term covering GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou.
- GPS
- Global Positioning System: US-operated GNSS constellation.
H
- HALE
- High-Altitude Long-Endurance UAS.
- HEL
- High-Energy Laser.
- HPM
- High-Power Microwave: RF directed-energy weapon.
I
- IFF
- Identification, Friend or Foe.
- INS
- Inertial Navigation System: dead-reckoning via accelerometers and gyros.
- ISR
- Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance.
J
- JCO
- Joint Counter-sUAS Office (US DoD).
L
- LOS
- Line-Of-Sight.
- LSS
- Low, Slow, Small: the target profile most C-UAS systems struggle with.
M
- MALE
- Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance UAS.
- MANPADS
- Man-Portable Air-Defense System: shoulder-fired SAM.
- MTI
- Moving Target Indicator: radar mode that filters static returns.
N
- NLOS
- Non Line-Of-Sight.
O
- OWA
- One-Way Attack: drone designed to be expended on the target (loitering munition).
R
- RCCTO
- Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (US Army).
- RCS
- Radar Cross-Section: a target's apparent size to radar.
- RF
- Radio Frequency.
- ROE
- Rules Of Engagement.
- RPA
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft: synonym for UAV in some doctrines.
- RWR
- Radar Warning Receiver.
S
- SALUTE
- Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, Equipment: standard observation report format.
- SAR
- Synthetic Aperture Radar: high-resolution imaging radar.
- SEAD
- Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses.
- SHORAD
- Short-Range Air Defense.
- SIGINT
- Signals Intelligence.
- sUAS
- Small Unmanned Aerial System: typically Group 1–2 (under ~25 kg).
T
- TTP
- Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures.
U
- UAS
- Unmanned Aerial System: airframe, payload, control link and ground station as a whole.
- UAV
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: the airframe itself.
- USV
- Unmanned Surface Vessel.
- UUV
- Unmanned Underwater Vehicle.
V
- V-SHORAD
- Very Short-Range Air Defense.