This is a short, simplified set of brevity terms you may encounter playing combat flight simulators. It is not an exhaustive list of all real world brevity. It is also designed to balance accessibility and real-world accuracy.
ABORT
Terminate action prior to execution, especially terminating an attack prior to weapons release.
Eagle 11 is preparing to execute a close air support attack when the JTAC calls out “Eagle 11, ABORT ABORT ABORT!” Eagle 11 terminates the attack and breaks off without releasing weapons.
ACTION
Initiate a briefed attack or maneuver.
ACTIVE
In reference to an emitter: The named emitter is emitting at the stated location or along the stated bearing.
ALPHA CHECK
Request for bearing and range from aircraft to a specific point.
Eagle 11 pushes to the strike channel and contacts the controller. “Magic, Eagle 11 checking in as fragged, request alpha check bullseye.” Magic responds with a bearing and range “Eagle 11, contact, alpha check bullseye 144/28.”
ANCHOR
To orbit around a specific point, or to be in a turning fight around a specific point.
The flight lead called out “Eagle flight, anchor rock.” The flight turned to orbit around the ROCK waypoint listed on their kneeboard card.
Eagle 11 merged with the hostile and began a two-circle dogfight. “Eagle 11 anchored bullseye 024/20!” the pilot called out.
ANGELS
Height of a friendly aircraft in thousands of feet above mean sea level. Never used for non-friendly aircraft.
ANYFACE
Substitute for friendly command and control callsign if the callsign is not known.
ARIZONA
Aircraft has no antiradiation missiles remaining.
AS FRAGGED
As planned/briefed/scheduled. Short for “As in the fragmentary order (FRAGO)”
ATTACK
Aircraft are committed to attacking a specific ground target. Not for use in close air support engagement.
AUTHENTICATE
Request or response to a coded challenge.
AVALANCHE
Friendly forces need reinforcement at a stated location.
AWAY
Release of quantity and type of weapons.
Eagle 11 released two bombs and calls out “Eagle 11, 2 pigs away, bullseye 232/15.”
AZIMUTH
Direction to threat.
BAD MAP
An air to surface radar map is unusable due to terrain shadows or poor image quality.
BANDIT
An air contact which has been positively identified as an enemy but engagement is not necessarily authorized under the rules of engagement. Often incorrectly used as a synonym of HOSTILE in video games.
BANZAI
Decision during a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) timeline to maneuver into Within Visual Range (WVR). In other words, decision to charge into a dogfight.
BAT
A friendly glide bomb (e.g. JSOW, SDB).
BEAM
Describes a radar contract moving within 60-110 degress angle of trail or 70-120 degrees angle from nose. In other words, a contact facing somewhat perpendicular to you.
BEAM RIDER
BENT
System is inoperative. In other words, synonym for “broken.” Opposite of SWEET.
BERETTA
Aircraft is out of or unable to employ remaining air to ground ordnance, excluding the gun.
BIG STICK
Friendly long-range surface to air missile.
BINGO
Pre-briefed amount of fuel needed to recover. Typically includes fuel needed to return to base, then divert to an alternate airbase, plus some extra time for safety. However, the exact parameters may vary by mission.
BIRD
Friendly surface to air missile.
BITTERSWEET
Potential friendly fire (blue-on-blue) or blue-on-neutral incident.
BLACKOUT
Turn off all external lights.
BLIND
No visual contact with a friendly aircraft, ship, or ground position. Opposite of visual.
BLOW THROUGH
When entering a merge in air to air combat, to continue ahead at the merge and do not become anchored with the target.
BLUR
Radar is being jammed.
BOGEY
An air contact whose identity is unknown. Often incorrectly used as a synonym of BANDIT or HOSTILE in video games.
BOGEY DOPE
Request for information about nearest or indicated closest group. Response typically includes bearing, range, altitude, aspect, and other fill-ins.
BOX
In a PICTURE call, labels groups as in a square formation.
BRAA
Bearing, Range, Altitude, Aspect. Typically communicates direction and distance from a friendly aircraft to a contact.
BRACKET
To manuever to opposite sides of a target, either horizontally or vertically; a “pincer maneuver”
BREAK
Perform an immediate maximum performance turn in the indicated direction.
_Eagle 12 saw the AAA guns start blasting at the flight lead. “1, BREAK RIGHT!” The lead immediately evaded towards the right.
BREAK AWAY
Instruction from a tanker to a receiving aircraft to immediately separate from the tanker. Typically called out if there is a risk of a collision.
BRUISER
Friendly air-to-ship weapon with less than 100 nautical miles of range.
BUDDY LASE
One aircraft using a designating laser to guide weapons or sensors from another aircraft.
BUDDY LOCK
Response to a spike or buddy spike; radar is locked to a known friendly aircraft.
BUDDY SPIKE
Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) indication that a friendly aircraft has locked on.
In combat flight simulators, many players prematurely panic when this happens and yell “BUDDY SPIKE” or “BUDDY BUDDY BUDDY”; in real life, locking onto a friend is routinely used to obtain positional and velocity information and make it easier to rejoin a formation.
BUGOUT
Separate from an engagment with no intent to reengage or return.
BULLSEYE
A pre-briefed reference point, or a bearing and range from that reference point to an object.
BUSTER
To fly at maximum sustained speed.
“Eagle 11, we need you to buster over to Mosul, we have troops in contact requesting support.” EAGLE 11’s pilot pushed the throttle up to MIL and turned for Mosul.
BUTTON
Radio channel.
CAP
Noun: Combat Air Patrol, i.e. establishment of fighters in a location to monitor for and be prepared to engage air threats.
Verb: To establish a Combat Air Patrol over a location.
CAPTURED
An object has been acquired and is being tracked.
CEASE
Discontinue the stated activity.
CHAMPAGNE
In a picture call, labels three groups where two are leading in front and one is in trail behind.
CHARLIE
Signal to land on a ship. If a number is suffixed, delay by that many minutes.
CHEAPSHOT
Active missile shot terminated before missile went active.
CHECK
To turn to a new relative heading.
“CHECK 15 LEFT” called the flight lead. The flight turned to a new heading 15 degrees to the left.
CHECK CAPTURE
Target is no longer tracked by sensor.
CHECK DATA
You have a new message (e.g. over datalink).
CHECK FIRE
Pause fire.
CHECK FOCUS
Sensor is out of focus.
CHERRY
Landing zone has more enemy activity than briefed risk tolerance.
CHERUBS
Height of a friendly aircraft in hundreds of feet above ground level.
CHICK
Friendly aircraft on a safe mission.
CHRISTMAS TREE
Turn on all external lighting.
CLAM
Stop emitting.
CLEAN
No sensor information. Does not imply there are no contacts, just that they do not appear on sensors.
CLEARED
Authorized.
CLEARED HOT
Authorized to attack (CAS type 1 or 2).
CLEARED TO ENGAGE
Authorized to attack (CAS type 3 or air-to-air).
CLOAK
Switch from normal external lighting to covert external lighting requiring night vision.
CLOSING
Decreasing separation.
CLOVER
Call for a helicopter to establish a cloverleaf attack pattern.
COLD
Facing away.
COMEBACK
Reverse course.
COME OFF
Manuver to deconflict flight paths or to reestablish a supporting position.
COMMIT
Intercepting an air contact.
CONS
An airctaft that is producing contrails.
CONTACT
Sensor information at a position (e.g. a reference point, a radar return)
CONTINUE
Continue present manuever.
CONTINUE DRY
Continue present manuever without authorization for ordnance release.
COVER
Establish posture to engage a threat.
COVEY
CRANK
Manuever in the given direction while continuing to maintain sensors on target.
DASH
Indicates an aircraft’s position in a flight.
DATA
Message or information available on datalink.
DEADEYE
Laser designator is inoperative.
DECLARE
Request to identify a contact as FRIENDLY, BOGEY, HOSTILE, NEUTRAL, UNABLE, or FURBALL.
DECLUTTER
Remove symbols from a display to better see an object of interest.
DEFENDING
Aircraft is maneveruing defensively in reaction to a threat.
DEFENSIVE
Aircraft is under attack, defending and unable to support.
DELOUSE
To detect, identify and engage a contact trailing a friendly.
DIRT
Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) indicates a surface threat in search mode.
DIRTY
Aircraft is in a high drag configuration, e.g. in landing configuration or with external stores.
DIVERT
Proceed to alternate airbase.
DOG
Towed decoy.
DOUBLE TAP
Shoot two air to air missiles per target.
DRAG
Contact is moving 0-60 degrees trail angle or 120-180 degrees nose angle. In other words, contact is facing kinda diagonally away from you.
DRIVE-BY
Threat aircraft systems observed in use.
DROP
Stop monitoring specified contact and return to serarch.
DUSTOFF
Military medical aircraft.