Always under construction By Hugh Stegman nv6H

supplies or patients, pronounced MAY-DEE-CAL

MEDICO Emergency Medical Communications

MEDLOG Medical logistics

MEECE Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment

MEL Maximum Elevation (of a spacecraft)

MEMA Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

MEO Medium Earth Orbit

MEOW (1) Maximum Envelope of Water

(2) Maximum Envelope of Winds

MEP Mission Effectiveness Program

MER-# Mars Exploration Rover # (NASA)

MERCAST MERchant ship broadCAST

MEROD Message Entry and Read Out Device (Thales-Racal, see RAC-ARQ)

MERS Mobile Emergency Response Support (FEMA)

MESFET MEtallic Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

Messenger Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging

MET Meterological

Met Office Weather office at a base

METAR Meteorological observation code for routine aviation

METAREA Meteorological Area, same number as the NAVAREA (see WMO)

METARS Plural of METAR

Meteo Meteorological

METEOMAR Marine weather broadcast (Italy)

METOC Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre (Halifax, NS)

Metro Meteorological office

METSAT Meterological Satellite

MF (1) Medium Frequency (300-3000 kHz)

(2) Multifrequency

mf Microfarad

MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MFD Modulated Fractional Division

MFG Manufacturing

MFM Modified Frequency Modulation (Miller Coding)

MFPU Maritime Force Protection Unit (USCG)

MFR (1) Manufacturer [~]

(2) Marine Force Reserve

MFSK Multiple Frequency Shift Keying

MFU Marine Firemen's Union

mgt management

mH Millihenry

MHD Magnetohydrodynamics; behavior of plasmas in magnetic fields, such

as the ionosphere and sunspots

MHE materials-handling equipment

MHFCS Australian Modernised HF Communication System

MHS (1) Message Handling System

(2) Maritime Homeland Security (DHS)

MHz MegaHertz

MI (1) Military intelligence

(2) shallow

mi mile (1.6 km)

MI5 Directorate of Military Intelligence, group 5 (UK domestic)

MI6 Directorate of Military Intelligence, group 6 (UK foreign, aka SIS)

MIB Management Information Base

MICR Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (as used by banks)

MICS Medical Implant Communications Service

MID (1) Middle East (MWARA)

(2) Maritime Identification Digits, country code prepended to MMSI

MIDI Music Industry Digital Interface

MIDS Multifunctional Information Distribution System

MIFG Shallow Fog

MIJI Meaconing, Intrusion, Jamming & Interference ("Jammer writeup")

Mil (1) Military

(2) Milliampere

MIL-188-110A/B/C DoD standard, covers single-tone modems

MIL-188-141A/B/C DoD standard, covers ALE controllers

MIM Metal-Insulator-Metal (capacitor)

MIME Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, allows attachment of binaries to

ASCII text letters

MIMS Medical Information Management System

min Minute

MIN Mobile Identification Number

MINIMUF Miniature Maximum Usable Frequency calculator, classic BASIC

MUF prediction algorithm

MINREX Ministerio de las Relaciones Exteriores (Cuban news agency)

MINUSCA Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African

Republic (UN peacekeeping force; possibly French)

MINUSMA Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (UN; ditto)

MIR (1) Acronym: Microwave Impulse Radar

(2) Not an acronym; transliteration of Russian for "Peace"

MIREX Mir Experiment, amateur robot packet station on Mir

MIRL Medium Intensity Runway Lights

MIS Management Information Systems

MISDN Mobile ISDN

MISR Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (Terra satellite)

MIT Massachussetts Institute of Technology

MITO Minimum Interval TakeOff

M-JPEG JPEG used for moving pictures (cf JPEG, MPEG)

mkr Marker

ML Machine language, how computers store instructions

MLAT Multilateration [~]

MLB (1) Motor Lifeboat

(2) Magnetic Longwire Balun

(3) Major League Baseball

MLC Main Lobe Clutter

MLCM MultiLevel Coded Modulation

MLDD Matched Line Directional Divider

MLM Marine Location Marker

MLS Microwave Landing System

MLSE Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimator

MLSO Mauna Loa Solar Observatory

MLT Magnetic Local Time

MM Maritime mobile

mm Millimeter

MMC (1) materiel management center

(2) Microsoft Management Console

(3) Multi-Media Card

(4) Metal-Matrix Composite

mmf micro-microfarad, changed to picofarad

MMI Man-Machine Interface

MMIC Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit

MMP Masters, Mates, and Pilots (Maritime union)

MMR Merchant Marine Reserve

MMS Maritime Mobile Service

MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identity (code for DSC)

MMW MilliMeter Wave

MMX Multimedia extensions (microprocessor architecture)

MNCS Master Net Control Station

MNP Modem Network Protocol

MOA Military Operation Area

MOAB (1) Massive Ordnance, Air Blast

(2) Mother Of All Bombs (informal)

Mob Mobile

MOC (1) Mission Operation Center

(2) Ministry Of Commerce (Canada)

(3) MERS Operations Center (FEMA nested acronym)

MOCA Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude

MoD Ministry of Defence (UK)

MOD (1) Ministry of Defense

(2) Mobile Offshore Drilling

Mod Modification (to radio) [~]

Mode 1 Military air squawk, returns mission code

Mode 2 Military air squawk, returns unit code

Mode 3 Military/civil air squawk, returns 4-digit ATC ID

Mode 4 Military air squawk returned by encrypted challenge

Mode 5 Military air squawk, like Mode S only encrypted

Mode A (1) SITOR-A (ARQ)

(2) Air transponder squawk

Mode B SITOR-B (FEC)

Mode C Like air Mode A, adds altitude information

Mode S Air transponder in mode "Select"

Modem Modulator/Demodulator

MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Terra satellite)

MODU Mobile Offshore Drilling Update

MOI Ministry Of Information

MOOTW Military operations other than war

MOP (1) Measure Of Performance

(2) Ministry Of Petroleum

MOPP mission-oriented protection posture (0-4, 4 being full suit)

MOS (1) Metal Oxide Semiconductor

(2) Mitoudt Sound, shooting film with a silent camera

MOSAIC Multifunctional On-the-move Secure Adaptive Integrated

Communications

MOSFET Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

MOSS MIME Object Security Services

MOTD Message Of The Day

MOTIS Message Orientated Text Interchange Service, ISO version of MHS

MOU Memorandum Of Understanding

MOV moved/moving/movement

MOX Manually Operated Switching

MOZ (1) Mozambique (country code)

(2) Mozilla (computer browser)

MP (1) Military Police (US)

(2) Member of Parliament (UK)

(3) Multiprocessor (computer h/w)

(4) Magnetopause

MP2 MPEG-1 Level 2, replaced by MP4

MP3 MPEG-1 Level 3, CD-quality compression scheme

MP4 MPEG-1 Level 4, audio/video compressor

MPA Maritime Patrol Aircraft (NATO)

MPDU HFDL: Media access Protocol Data Unit

MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group, lossy compression for video

MPG (1) File extension: MPEG video

(2) Miles Per Gallon

mph mile per hour

MPSA Military Postal Service Agency

MPSAP Mobile Public Safety Answering Point

MPSK Multiple Phase Shift Keying

MPT Ministry of Post and Telecom

MPX Multiplex

MR Magnetoresistive

MRAP Mine-Resistant Assault-Protected (vehicle)

MRAV Multi Role Armored Vehicle

MRB Marine Radio Beacon

MRC (1) Mobile Radio Communications

(2) Morocco (country code)

MRCC Maritime Rescue Coordination Center

MRE Meal, Ready-to-Eat

MRF Medium Range Forecast (NCEP)

MRHS Maritime Radio Historical Society (operates KSM)

MRR Medium Range Recovery (helicopter)

MRO Medical Regulating Office

MRS (1) Medium Range Surveillance

(2) Mountain Radio Service

MRS MPA Medium Range Surveillance Maritime Patrol Aircraft

MRSC Maritime Rescue Sub-Center

MRT (1) Mountain Rescue Team

(2) Mauretania

MRU Most Recently Used

MS Master Station

ms millisecond

mS millisiemen

MS (1) Motor Ship

(2) Meteor Scatter

(3) Mobile Station

MS-188 MIL-STD-188, Military telecom standards

MSAS MTSAT Satellite Based Augmentation System (Japan)

MSB (1) Most Significant Bit/Byte

(2) Main Support Battalion

MSC (1) Mobile Switching Center

(2) Military Seaflift Command (US)

MSD Marine Safety Detachment

MSE (1) Mobile Subscriber Equipment

(2) Mean Square Error

MSF (1) English standard frequency & time station

(2) Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)

MSFC NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

msg Message

MSI (1) Maritime Safety Information

(2) Marine Safety Information

(3) Medium-Scale Integration

MSIB Marine Safety Information Bulletin

MSIS Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter (research)

MSK Minimum Shift Keying

MSMT Micro Surface-Mount Technology

MSO Marine Safety Office

MSP Maritime Security Program (US)

MSR (1) main supply route

(2) Mobile Sea Range

MSRT Maritime Security Response Team (USCG)

MSS (1) Mobile Satellite Service

(2) Mobile Satellite System

MSST Maritime Safety and Security Team (USCG)

MST (1) Mountain (US) Standard Time, zone includes Rockies

(2) Maintenance support team

MSU Marine Safety Unit

MSW Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych (Poland's Interior Ministry)

MT (1) Monitoring Times (no longer published)

(2) mountain(s)

(3) Mitigation Directorate (FEMA)

MTA (1) Message Transfer Agent

(2) Metropolitan Transit Authority

MTADS Multi-sensor Towed Array Detection System

MTBF (1) Mean Time Before Failure

(2) Mean Time Between Failures

MTD Moving Target Detection

MTF medical treatment facility

MTI Moving Target Indicator

MTMC Military Traffic Management Command

mtr Meter, either distance unit or measuring device

MTSA Maritime Transportation Security Act

MTSAT Multi-functional Transport Satellites (Japan)

MTTF Mean Time To Failure

MTTR Mean Time To Repair

MTU Maximum Transmit Unit (TCP/IP packet length)

MUF Maximum Usable Frequency (varies with path)

MULTICS Multiplexed Information and Computing Service; Unix precursor

MUNDI MUltiplexed Network for Distributed and Interactive services (UK)

Mung (1) Verb: to Mash Until No Good

(2) Verb: to Mung Until No Good (recursive acronym)

MURS Multi-Use Radio Service

MUX Multiplex, multiplexer

mV Millivolt

MV Motor Vessel

MVDS Multipoint Video Distribution System

MVS Multiple Virtual Storage (large IBM computers)

MW (1) Medium Wave (typically 530-1710 kHz)

(2) MegaWatt

mW MilliWatt

MWARA Major World Air Route Area

MWP Meteorologist Weather Processor

MWR Morale, welfare, and recreation

MX Mail Exchange Record

mx Music

MYA Myanmar (Burma;country code)

MYM My Mailbox (packet)

MYP Personal Mailbox (packet)

N No Change

N north

N/A not applicable

N0N Unmodulated, steady carrier, old "A0"

NA (1) North America

(2) Not applicable, N/A

(3) Not authorized

NAAS Naval Auxiliary Air Station

NAB (1) National Assn of Broadcasters

(2) Naval Amphibious Base, USN, Coronado, CA (SEALs train there)

NABA North American Broadcasters Assn.

NABER National Association of Business/Emergency Radio

NAC Network Access Code

NACES Naval Aircrew Common Escape System

NAD 83 North American Datum of 1983

NADC (1) North American Dual-mode Cellular

(2) Naval Air Development Center

NADEP Naval Air Depot

NADGE NATO Air Defence Ground Environment

NAEC Naval Air Engineering Center

NAF Naval Air Facility (US)

NAFB National Assn of Farm Broadcasters

NAIS Nationwide Automatic Identification System (USCG)

NAK Negative Acknowledgment (error in received data, ASCII 21d)

NAL Notice of Apparent Liability (FCC)

NALF Naval Auxiliary Landing Field

NALO Naval Air Logistics Office

NAM (1) Number Assignment Module (Cellular)

(2) North American Mesoscale (wx model)

N-AMPS (1) Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service

(2) Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone System

NANP North American Numbering Plan (telco)

NAOC National Airborne Operations Center, aka Nightwatch, old NEACP

NAR Not According to Routine

NARTE Natl Assn of Radio & Telecommunications Engineers

NARTEL North Atlantic Radiotelephone

NAS (1) Naval Air Station

(2) National Academy of Sciences (US)

(3) National Airspace System

(4) Network Access Server

NASA (1) National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(2) National Acronym Slinging Agency

NASTD National Association of State Telecommunications Directors

NAT (1) North Atlantic (MWARA)

(2) Network Address Translation

NATC Naval Air Test Center

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATOPS Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization

NAV Navigation

NAV/COMM Airplane Navigation/Communication radio

NAVAID Navigational aid

NAVAIR Naval Air Systems Command

NAVAREA Navigational Area (IMO/IHO)

NAVCEN USCG Navigation Center, VA

NAVCOMMAREA Naval Communication Area

NAVCOMMSTA Naval Communications Station

NAVCOMPARS Naval Communications Processing and Routing System

NAVCOMTELCOM Naval Computer and Telecommunications Command

NAVMARCORMARS Navy/Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio Service (US)

NAVMTO Navy Material Transportation Office

NAVRADTRANSFAC Navy Radio Transmitter Facility

NAVSAT NAVigation SATellite

NAVTEX Navigational Telex, Navigational Text (518 kHz SITOR-B)

NAWAS National Warning System

NAWC Naval Air Warfare Center

NAWCAD Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division

NAWC-WPN Naval Air Warfare Center

NAWIP From Russian for "Navigational Warning" [~]

NAWS (1) Naval Air Weapons Station

(2) Old group call: Notice to Allied Warships

NB (1) Narrowband

(2) Noise blanker

NBC (1) Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (warfare)

(2) National Broadcasting Company

NBDP Narrowband direct printing (RTTY)

NBDPT Narrowband direct printing telegraphy

NBF NetBIOS Frames

NBFM Narrowband frequency modulation

NBR Narrowband Receiver

NBS National Bureau of Standards, now NIST

NBSV Narrowband Secure Voice

NBSVS Narrowband Secure Voice System

NC (1) No Connection

(2) Normally Closed

(3) National Center

NC3A NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (Nested acronym!)

NCA (1) North Central Asia (MWARA)

(2) National Command Authorities, US nuclear "button"

NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research, CO

NCC National Coordinating Center for Communications (US DHS)

NCCIC National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (DHS)

NCCOSC Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center

NCCS Navy Command and Control System

NCDC National Climatic Data Center

NCEM National Coordinating Council for Emergency Management, now IAEM

NCEP National Center for Environmental Prediction

NCFSK Non-Coherent Frequency Shift Keying

NCG Nicaragua (country code)

NCIC National Crime Information Center, US database of police records

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service

NCO Non-Commissioned Officer

NCPi Netware Core Protocol

NCR (1) National Capital Region (US)

(2) National Cash Register

NCRAD National Capital Region Air Defense (US)

NCS (1) National Communications System, US government, obsolete

(2) Net Control Station

(3) Naval Communications Station

(4) Network Coordinating Station

NCSA National Centre for Supercomputing Applications, developed Mosaic

web browser, which became Netscape (Mozilla)

NCTAMS Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station

NCTS Naval Computer and Telecommunications System

NCTSI Navy Center for Tactical Systems Interoperability (US)

NCWF National Convective Weather Forecast

ND Nondirectional

NDB Nondirectional beacon

NDGPS Nationwide DGPS (US)

NDIS Network Driver Interface Specification

NDMS National Disaster Medical System

NDRS National Distress and Response System (USCG, obsolescent)

NDRSMP National Distress and Response System Modernization Project

NDS NUDET Detection System, see NUDET

NE Northeast

NEACP National Emergency Airborne Command Post, "kneecap," now NAOC

NECC National Emergency Coordination Center (FEMA)

NECN National Emergency Coordination Network

NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NERC North American Electric Reliability Council (bulk power delivery)

NERK Old CW group call, obsolete

NESDIS National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service

NESP Navy EHF Satellite Program

NEST Nuclear Emergency Search Team ("Flynest")

NET/ROM Network packet radio protocol

NetBEUI NetBIOS Extended User Interface

NetBIOS Network Basic Input/Output System

NEXRAD Next generation of (weather) Radar

NextGen Next Generation (FAA)

NFCB National Federation of Community Broadcasters (US)

NFCC National Frequency Coordinators' Council

NFD No Further Details

NFET N-type FET

NFO Naval Flight Officer (same as RIO)

NFR Navy Fleet Relay (USN secure satcom)

NFS Network File System

NFWS Navy Fighter Weapons School

NGA (1) Noise Gain Analyzer

(2) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (ex-NIMA)

NGLT Next Generation Launch Technology

NGO (1) NonGovernmental Organization

(2) Near-Geosynchronous Orbit

(3) Naval Gunnery Officer

NGSO Non-GeoStationary Orbit

NGT New Generation Transceiver (Codan)

NHC National Hurricane Center, i.e. TPC

NHK Nihon Hoso Kyokai , Japanese public broadcast co.

NHS (1) National Hydrological Service

(2) National Health Service (UK)

NIC (1) Network Interface Card

(2) Network Information Center

NiCad Nickel Cadmium (battery)

NiCd Nickel Cadmium (battery)

NICP National inventory control point

NIEX No-Notice Interoperability Exercise (NATO)

NIFC National Interagency Fire Center (US forest fire resources)

NIFOG National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (DHS)

NIFTP Network Independent File Transfer Protocol

NIL CW prosign: "No traffic" or "I copy nothing"

NILE NATO Improved Link Eleven (Link-22/STANAG 5522)

NIMA National Imagery and Mapping Agency (now NGA)

NIMBY Not In My Back Yard (place people want radio towers)

NiMH Nickel-metal hydride (battery)

NiMh Nickel-Metal-Hydride (battery)

NIMS Naval Ionospheric Measuring System (UK)

Niner Number nine, to distinguish from five [~]

NIPRNET Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (military's own Internet,

with SIPRNET)

NIS (1) Network Information System

(2) Newly Independent States

(3) Norton Intetnet Security

N-ISDN Narrow Band Integrated Services Digital Network

NISO National Information Standards Organisation (US)

NISP Networked Information Services Project (UK)

NISS National Information on Software and Services (UK)

NIST National Institute of Standards & Technology (old NBS)

NITZ Network Identity and Time Zone (part of GSM)

N-JFET N-type JFET

NLSP Netware Link Services Protocol

NLT No Later Than

Nm (1) Nautical Mile(s); about 1.24 statute miles(1.85 km)

(2) Nanometer

NM Nautical Mile(s)

nm Nautical Mile(s)

NMA US Coast Guard COMMSTA, Miami, now controlled from NMN

NMC (1) Network Management Center

(2) National Meteorological Center

(3) National Maritime Center

(4) Call of US Coast Guard, Pt Reyes, CA

(5) Naval Missile Center

NMEA National Marine Electronics Assn

NMF US Coast Guard COMMSTA, Boston (call sign)

NMG US Coast Guard COMMSTA, New Orleans (call sign)

NMN US Coast Guard Communications, Chesapeake, VA (call sign)

NMO US Coast Guard COMMSTA, Honolulu (call sign)

NMOC (1) National Maritime rescue Operations Center (UK)

(2) Network Manager Operations Centre (Eurocontrol)

NNCC National Network Control Center (FAA)

NNE North-northeast

NNNN RTTY/Telex ending characters

NNR National Nature Reserve

NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol (USENET)

NNW North-northwest

NO Normally Open

NOAA National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

NOC (1) Network Operation Center

(2) Non-Official Cover (now "OGA")

NODS Near Obstacle Detection System

NOE Nap-Of-the-Earth (low altitude attack)

NOFORN No FOReign Nationals (security)

NOGAPS Navy Operational Global Atmospherics Prediction System

NOI Notice Of Inquiry (FCC rulemaking)

NOIWON National Operations Intelligence Watch Officers Net

NOJ US Coast Guard COMMSTA, Kodiak

NOMTS Naval Ordnance Missile Test Center

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command

NORAPS Navy Operational Regional Atmospherics Prediction System

NORDO (1) No Radio

(2) Aircraft has no radio (uses visual signals to tower)

NORLANT North Atlantic

norm normal

NOS (1) Amateur version of TCP/IP (Internet protocols)

(2) National Ocean Service

(3) Network Operating System

(4) New, Old-Stock (wine or vacuum tubes)

NOSC Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA, now NCCOSC

NOSIG No Significent Weather

NOSPECI no SPECI reports are taken at the station

NOTAM Notice to Airmen

NOUO Notice Of Unlicensed Operation (FCC)

NOV Notice Of Violation (FCC)

NP North Pacific (MWARA)

NPA Notice of Proposed Amendment

NPC Numerical Prediction Centre

NPN Negative/Positive/Negative; transistor type

NPR (1) Noise/Power Ratio

(2) National Public Radio (US)

NPRM Notice of Proposed Rule Making (FCC)

NPS National Park Service (US)

NPSC National Process Serving Center (FEMA)

NPSTC National Public Safety Telecommunications Council

NRA Non-Radar Airspace

NRaD Naval Research and Development (US)

NRAO National Radio Astronomy Observatory

NRC (1) National Radio Club