Military Acronyms

An acronym is a special form of abbreviation in which the first letters of a series of words are used to form a new word- the acronym. Acronyms are pervasive everywhere and you probably use them without even realizing it, such as when you tell someone you want a project done ASAP or when you LOL at a friend's joke. However, some industries use more acronyms than others and some of these industry-specific acronyms can be difficult to figure out. The U.S. Military, for example, uses many acronyms which can be confusing to civilians. Fortunately, here is a long list so you can learn the acronyms and sound as though you know what you are talking about!

The following is a list of some commonly used military acronyms and their meanings:

List of Military Acronyms

• 3M Maintenance And Material Management (MMM)
• A/A Air-to-air
• A/C Aircraft
• A/D Analog/digital
• A/S Airspeed
• AAA Anti-aircraft Artillery
• AAA Artifacts, Agents And Activities
• AAAA Army Aviation Association Of America
• AALC Amphibious Assault Landing Craft
• AAW Anti-air Warfare
• AAWBOT Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Basic Operator Trainer
• ABC Analog Backup Computer
• ACCS Advanced Communications Control System
• ACFT Aircraft
• ACK Acknowledge
• ACLS Auto Carrier Landing System
• ACMS Air Combat Maneuvering System
• ACMS Air Combat Maneuvering Simulator
• ACO Administrative Contracting Officer
• ACSUBS Aircraft Subsystems
• ADA Air Defense Artillery
• ADA Airborne Data Automation
• ADC Air Data Computer
• ADL Authorized Data List
• ADPA American Defense Preparedness Association
• ADPSO Automatic Data Processing Security Officer
• ADS Air Data System
• ADS Automated Data System
• ADSU Air Direction Sensing Unit
• ADU Air Data Unit
• ADU Audio Distribution Unit
• AFFTC Air Force Flight Test Center
• AFLC Air Force Logistics Command
• AFPRO Air Force Plant Representative Office
• AIF Airborne Inhabited Fighter
• AIMS Altitude Identification And Measuring System
• AHD Ahead
• ASCII American Standard Computer Information Interchange
• ASD Assistant Secretary Of Defense
• ASDS Airborne Serial Data System
• ASSET Asset Source For Software Engineering Technology
• ASSY Assembly
• AST Aircraft System Trainer
• ASTAB Auto Status Board
• ASTM American Society For Testing And Materials
• ASW Anti-submarine Warfare
• AZ Azimuth
• B Bottom
• BAT Battery
• BB Battleship
• BB Broadband
• BCM Beyond Capability Of Maintenance
• CASE Computer Aided Software Engineering
• CB Circuit Breaker
• CC Configuration Control
• CCA Carrier Controlled Approach
• CCSDSP Closed Circuit Saturation Diving System
• CCTDA Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator
• CCTT Command And Control Team Trainer
• CCTV Closed Circuit Television
• CCU Computer Control Unit
• CDD Common Data Dictionary
• CDI Cumulative Damage Indes
• CIS Case Integration Services
• CITIS Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service
• CIU Cockpit Interface Unit
• CJCS Chairman Of The Joint Chief Of Staff
• CJCS SROE Chairman Of The Joint Chief Of Staff Standing Rules Of Engagement
• CKPT Cockpit
• CL Center Line
• CL Channel
• CLIN Contract Line Item Number
• CLIP Configuration Logistic Information Program
• CLIPS A Nasa Expert System Shell - C Language
• CLR Clear
• CLS Contractor Logistics Support
• CLTE Cost And Lead Time Estimate
• CM Configuration Management
• CMAN Configuration Management
• CMDS Cockpit Management Display System
• CMI Computer Managed Instruction
• CMM Capability Maturity Model
• CMPTR Computer
• CMPTSC Conventional Marine Propulsion Training Steering Group
• CMR Configuration Management Review
• CMRS Calibration/measurement Requirements Summary
• CMS Cockpit Management System
• CMSS Configuration Management Support System
• CMVWP Commander Medium Attack Tactical Warfare Wing Pacific
• CNATRA Chief Of Naval Air Training
• CNAVRES Chief Of Naval Reserve
• CND Chief Of Naval Development
• CNET Chief Of Naval Education And Training
• CNEWTP Consolidated Electronic Warfare
• CNI Comm/nav/iff
• CNIU Communication/navigation Interface Unit
• CNM Chief Of Naval Material
• CNO Chief Of Naval Operations
• CNR Chief Of Naval Research
• DISP Display
• DIST Distance
• DIVERTR Diverter
• DLSC Defense Logistic Systems Center
• DNA Defense Nuclear Agency
• DNS Doppler Navigation Sensor
• DOC Descend On Course
• DOD Department Of Defense
• DF Direction Finder
• EFIS Electronic Flight Information System
• EFR Equipment Facility Requirements
• Engineering Information
• EIA Electronic Industries Association
• EIA Electronic Institute Of America
• FRB Failure Review Board
• FRD Facilities Requirements Document
• FREQ Frequency
• FRS Fleet Readiness Squadron
• HTCL Remote Hover Trim Controller
• HTRS Heaters
• HUD Head Up Display
• HVR Hover
• ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization MDTS Mcdonnell Doughlas Training Systems
• MDTS Mcdonnell Doughlas Training Systems
• PAT Process Action Team
• PATT Pattern
• PAX Passengers
• QUICKSTRIKE Mine
• QUP Quantity Per Unit Pack
• R  Right
• RAD1 Radio 1
• RAD2 Radio 2
• RAD3 Radio 3
• STRT Start
• STT Schedule Training Time
• STTWG Submarine Training/trainer Working Group
• STVTS Submarine Tactical Visual Training System
• SUBS Subcontractors
• SUM Software Users Manual
• SWP Space, Weight And Power
• SWS Strategic Weapons System
• TCMDR Troop Commander
• WST Weapon System Trainer
• WT Weight
• WTHR Weather

Also, see our list of Common Military Vocabulary.