Ed Macy - Apache

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

QHI:Qualified Helicopter Instructor – flying instructor

R and R:Rest and Recuperation – break from combat

RAF:Royal Air Force

Rearm:Reload the Apache with ammunition

REME:Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

RIP:Relief in Place – Apache Flights handing over the battle between each other maintaining support to the ground troops

RM:Royal Marine/s

RMP:Royal Military Police – British Military Police

ROE:Rules of Engagement – law set by a country’s Government laying down the rules as to which arms may be brought to bear

Rocco:Rocco Siffredi – Italian actor, director and producer of pornographic movies

RPG:Soviet-designed Rocket Propelled Grenade – shoulder-launched rocket with a powerful grenade warhead on the front

RSM:Regimental Sergeant Major – WO1 and the senior soldier in a Regiment

RTB:Return To Base

RTA:Road Traffic Accident

RTS:Release to Service – the document that details what can and can’t be done with the Apache regarding flight, firing, etc.

RV:Rendezvous – designated meeting place

SA7/14:Soviet-designed Surface to Air Missiles – ManPADS

SA80:British Forces Rifle – 5.56mm automatic

SAM:Surface to Air Missile

Sappers:Military engineers – slang for the Royal Engineers

SAS:Special Air Service – an independent British Special Forces Unit of the British Army

Sausage Side:A term for enemy territory dating back to the World Wars. The sausage loving Germans’ side of the battlefield

SBS:Special Boat Service – an independent British Special Forces Unit of the Royal Navy’s Royal Marines

Scimitar:British Army Armoured Recce Vehicle

SERE:Survive, Evade, Resist and Extract

SF:Special Forces – e.g. SAS and SBS

SIB:Special Investigation Branch – detectives of the RMP

SigInt:Signal Intelligence – intelligence gained from radio, telephone, texts and email intercepts

Small Arms:Infantry light weapons – pistols, rifles and machine guns – weapons capable of being fired by a foot soldier on the move

Snatch:Lightly armoured military Land Rover

Spoof:Game played with coins to decide who has to do a task

Spooks:Nickname for spies

SRR:Special Reconnaissance Regiment – an independent British Special Forces Unit of the British Army, specialising in close target reconnaissance

Stack:Fast Air that is queued up and held before being passed on to whoever is in need of its offensive capability

Standby Standby:Warning call to watch out for something

Starboard:Right-hand side of an aircraft or vessel

Steering Cursor:The rocket symbol used to line up the Apache so the rockets land on the target, also known as the ‘I’ Bar

Stingers:US-designed Surface to Air ManPADs (Man Portable Air Defence system) missile. Taliban slang for any shoulder-launched surface to air missile

Sunray:Callsign for a commander

SUSAT:Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux – the 4-times magnification day/night sight that sits on top of an SA80 rifle or SA80 carbine

Symbology:Flying and targeting information beamed onto the monocle

T1:Triage Casualty Code 1 – needs to be in an operating theatre within an hour to save life

T2:Triage Casualty Code 2 – needs to be in an operating theatre quickly before they become T1

T3:Triage Casualty Code 3 – injured and needs medical help

T4:Triage Casualty Code 4 – dead

TADS:Target Acquisition and Designation Sight system – the ‘bucket’ on the nose of the Apache that houses the Apache’s cameras

Taliban:Collective term used in this book for Taliban, Al Qaeda and Hezb-I Islami Gulbuddin (HIG)

Theatre:Country or area in which troops are conducting operations

Thermobaric:Enhanced blast Hellfire – thermobaric means heat and pressure

Topman:Callsign for the British Harrier

Tornado:Royal Air Force multi-role strike warplane