Strategic Defense Initiative Glossary of Terms

The military is extremely fond of using acronyms, especially concerning technical programs.

The following is a list of acronyms and definitions used by the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) concerning the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). This is a useful reference when dealing with SDI documents.

AD	Armament Division (AFSC)
AEDC	Arnold Engineering Development Center (AFSC)
AFATL	Air Force Armament Laboratory (AFSC)
AFGL	Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (AFSC)
AFOSR	Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSC)
AFR	Air Force Regulation
AFRPL	Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (AFSC)
AFSC	Air Force Systems Command
AFSCR	AFSC Regulation
AFSTC	Air Force Space Technology Center
AFWAL	Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories (AFSC)
AFWL	Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFSC)
AMO	Aerospace Medical Division (AFSC)
APO	Associate Product Division
ASD	Aeronautical Systems Division (AFSC)
ATC	Associate Technology Center/Laboratory
BMO	Ballistic Missile Office (AFSC)
CC	Commander
CV	Vice Commander
C3	Command, Control, Communications
D&F	Determination and Finding
DARPA	Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD)
DCS	Deputy Chief of Staff
DEW	Directed Energy Weapons
DNA	Defense Nuclear Agency (DOD)
DOD	Department of Defense
DOE	Department of Energy
DSDIO	Director, SDIO
ESO	Electronic Systems Division (AFSC)
FTD	Foreign Technology Division (AFSC)
HO	Headquarters
IAW	In Accordance With
IPD	Integrating Product Division
KEW	Kinetic Energy Weapons
LEO	Lead Execution Organization
LPD	Lead Product Division
LTC	Lead Technology Center
MAJCOM	Major USAF Command
MOA	Memorandum of Agreement
MWPOR	Monthly WPD Report
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
PDP	Program Decision Package
PE	Program Element
PEO	Participating Execution Organization
PMD	Program Management Directive
POM	Program Objective Memorandum
RADC	Rome Air Development Center (AFSC)
RD&A	Research, Development and Acquisition
SA/BM	Systems Analysis and Battle Management
SATKA	Surveillance, Acquisition, Tracking, Kill Assessment
SD	Space Division (AFSC)
SDI	Strategic Defense Initiative
SDIO	SDI Organization (DOD)
SLKT	Survivability, Lethality and Key Technologies
TPP	Technical Program Plan
USAF	United States Air Force
WPD	Work Package Directive

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In conclusion

From this list of acronyms, you can get a good idea of the projects and areas of interest for the AFSC on SDI. Anyone doing business in or with the military on such a program is wise to learn these acronyms. It is “speaking the same language.”

Questions you may consider:

• Do people involved lose the meaning of the items when they are using such acronyms?
• What does using so many acronyms do for effective communication?

Reader questions and feedback | Resources | Where can you go from here?

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Resources

The following are resources on this topic.

Websites

Strategic Defense Initiative – from Wikipedia

Strategic Defense Initiative – from Encarta

The Strategic Defense Initiative – political risks – from Air University Review 1985

Books on SDI

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