nuclear warhead designed in the Soviet Union and used extensively by many Soviet client
countries
ROE—Rules of Engagement, the set of
orders briefed to military personnel (usually fighter pilots) on when they may
attack enemy forces; designed so that commanders may have strict control of a
situation at all times, but also to provide maximum protection for crew members
on the scene
RON—Remain Overnight; usually
referring to an unplanned diversion
RPG—rocket-propelled grenade, usually
an antitank weapon carried by infantry RTB—Return To Base
SA-2—Soviet long-range
surface-to-air missile system; older system, capable only against high-altitude
targets
SA-11—Soviet medium-range,
high-performance surface-to-air missile system
SAC—Strategic Air Command, primary
long-range air offensive military organization in the United States,
responsible for land- based strategic bombers, long-range land-based nuclear
missiles, aerial refueling tankers, and long-range strategic reconnaissance and
communications aircraft
SATCOM—Satellite Communications
System, the U.S. Air Force’s primary satellite communications system
SCARAB—(F), Self Contained Air
Relocatable Alert Booster, a highly transportable small space booster system
designed to quickly launch lightweight satellites into Earth orbit from any
location
Sea Ray—small, inexpensive
air-launched antiship missile, usually carried by helicopters based on naval
vessels
SECDEF—Secretary of Defense, a
member of the President’s Cabinet who makes the day-to-day decisions in all
defense matters
Shuihong-5—principal Chinese
amphibious patrol and attack aircraft
SIOP—Single Integrated Operations
Plan, the multi-service attack plan for all American military forces for the
conduct of a strategic nuclear war
SITREP—Situation Report; usually
refers to a request for a quick summary of a battle or the status of forces
involved in a battle
SLAM—Standoff Land Attack Missile,
the TV-guided version of the AGM-84 Harpoon missile
SM-2—Standard Missile, the primary
surface-to-air missile on large Navy warships
SMFD—Super Multi Function Display, a
large aircraft instrument computer display that presents flight information in
a pictorial icon-based format instead of alphanumerics
SPACECOM—Space Command, the Air
Force major command responsible for all military space activities
SPO—Senior Project Officer, the
director of a particular weapon- development project
Spratly Islands—a chain of small
islands, atolls, and coral reefs in the South China Sea between the Philippines
and Vietnam, long contested by several nations because of its strategic
position and because of its natural resources
SPY-1—primary three-dimensional
radar system of the Aegis battle group air-defense system
SR-71—“Blackbird” strategic
reconnaissance aircraft, the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft ever built;
retired in 1989 from the Strategic Air Command
SRAM—Short Range Attack Missile, a
nuclear-armed inertially guided attack missile carried by B-52, B-l, FB-111A,
and B-2 bombers
SS-25—Primary Soviet-made
nuclear-armed mobile intercontinental ballistic missile
START—Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty, a proposed treaty between the U.S. and the USSR to limit the number of long-range strategic
nuclear weapons by both sides
STRATFOR—Strategic Forces group, a
team of Strategic Air Command commanders