CO: Commanding Officer – Lieutenant Colonel in charge of a regiment, battalion or the JHF
Coalition: National Military Forces working together as one force
Collective Lever: The flying control to the left-hand side of the pilot’s seat; held in the left hand; when raised the Apache climbs and when lowered it descends
Combat Gas: Fuel that can be used at the target – this does not include transit fuel
Co-op: Co-operative rocket shoot – both of the Apaches’ crew working together to fire the rockets at the target
Cow: Taliban slang for the Chinook helicopter
CPG: Co-pilot Gunner – Front seat pilot in the Apache, known as ‘The Gunner’
Crow: Derogatory military slang for a very junior paratrooper
CRKT: CPG (Apache Gunner) has actioned the rocket system – CPG’s Rockets
CRV7: Canadian Rocket Vehicle 7 – the Apache’s rockets
Crypto: Cryptographic – Encoded information
Cyclic Stick: The flying control between the pilot’s legs, held by the right hand and used to speed up, slow down, dive and turn the Apache
Danger Close: The proximity to a weapon’s effect that is considered the last safe point when wearing body armour and combat helmets
Dasht-e-Margo: Desert of Death
DC: District Centre – the commercial/political/military centre of a particular area. Usually a building that once held power
Deep Raid: Striking the enemy deep within their own held territory without taking ground
Delta Hotel: Phonetic Alphabet for DH – air speak for Direct Hit – call made when a weapon system hits its intended target accurately
Desert Hawk: Small British UAV
DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross – awarded in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy in the air
DGSE: Direction Générale de la Sécurité – General Directorate for External Security – French Intelligence Agency
Dishdash: Loose kaftan-style outfit worn by many Afghan men
Doorman: Callsign for the British casevac Chinook
DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material – camouflaged print used on clothing and equipment
DTV: Day Television Camera – black and white TV image generated from the day camera in the TADS
DU: Depleted Uranium – kinetic bullets used by the A10
Dushka: Nickname of the DShK – Soviet built Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun – 12.7 mm (.50 cal)
Engine Power Levers: The throttles used for starting the Apache’s engines
ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival
EWO: Electronic Warfare Officer
F18: US Navy strike warplane called the Hornet – very similar cockpit to the Apache but less busy
Fast Air: Offensive military jet aircraft
FCR: Fire Control Radar – the Apache’s Longbow Radar
Firebase: Friendly Forces firing position used to cover an assault
Flanking: From the side
Flares: Hot flares fired to attract heat-seeking missiles, luring them away from the Apache
Flechette: Eighty-five-inch tungsten darts fired from a rocket travelling above Mach 2
FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Sights that generate a thermal picture – an image produced by an object’s heat source
Fly-by-wire: Flying the helicopter using sensors from the controls like a PlayStation control works. A Back Up flight Control System (BUCS) used when control runs are shot through
FM Radio: A Frequency Modulated secure radio in the Apache
Force 84: British Special Forces operating in Afghanistan
Formate: Aviation term for formation flying
Frag: Fragments of hot metal that break away from a shell when it explodes
Fragged: As published in the orders
Frago: Fragmented Orders – extracted part of a full set of orders
Fuselage: Main body of an aircraft
GAFA: Great Afghan Fuck All – Dasht-e-Margo – the Desert of Death
GAU8: Gatling gun fitted to an A10 ground attack aircraft
GBU: Guided Bomb Unit – smart bombs
GCHQ: British Government Communications Headquarters – Intelligence andSecurity Organisation
GPMG: British Forces General Purpose Machine Gun – 7.62 mm bipod machine gun
GPS: Global Positioning System – satellite navigation equipment
GR7: Harrier GR7 – Royal Air Force warplane capable of Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL)
Green Zone: Lush habitation of irrigated fields, hedgerows, trees and small woods on either side of the Helmand River, bordered by arid deserts
Groundcrew: People who work with aircraft when they are on the ground, not technicians
Ground school: Academic lessons on flying and all to do with flying; met, law, engines, etc.
Gunship: An aircraft that has the capability of firing its cannon/s from the side instead of having to strafe head-on
Gun tape: The video tape put into an Apache that records what the selected sight sees
Harrier: See GR7
H Hour: The moment offensive action begins – first bullet, bomb or the moment troops walk towards their intended target to attack
HEDP: High Explosive Dual Purpose – 30 mm cannon rounds
Height: The height above the ground
HEISAP: High Explosive Incendiary Semi-Armour Piercing – kinetic rocket fired by the Apache
Hellfire: AGM-114K SAL (Semi-Active Laser) Hellfire II is a laser-guided Hellfire missile fitted to the Apache and Predator
Hercules: See C130
Hesco Bastion: Square metal meshed cubes lined with Hessian and filled with rubble and/or sand. Used as defensive ramparts to protect bases and platoon houses from fire
HIDAS: Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aid System – protection from SAMs
HIG: Hezb-I Islami Gulbuddin – major group of the old Mujahideen with ties to Osama bin Laden referred to in this book as Taliban
HLS: Helicopter Landing Site
Hot: Air speak for clearance or acknowledgment that live bombs can be dropped
HQ: Headquarters – The nerve centre for planning and execution of operations
HRF: Helmand Reaction Force – 2 Apaches and a Chinook full of soldiers on standby at Bastion used to bolster any troops on the ground quickly
HumInt: Human Intelligence – intelligence provided by human sources; spies, snitches, etc.
I Bar: See Steering Cursor
ID: Identification
IED: Improvised Explosive Device – homemade bombs or multiple mines strapped together
IRA: Irish Republican Army – Northern Irish Para-military group
IRT: Incident Response Team – Apaches, Chinooks, doctors, medics and ATO responsible for the immediate recovery of personnel in danger or injured
ISAF: International Security Assistance Force – multi-national military force in Afghanistan
ISI: Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence – Pakistan’s Intelligence Agency
ISTAR: Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance
IX Battlegroup: The Information Exploitation Battlegroup – Magowan’s troops
JDAM: Joint Direct Attack Munition – Inertial Navigation and GPS guidance system bolted onto a 500 to 2000lb bomb to make it an accurate all-weather weapon
Joint Helicopter Command: The UK-based command headquarters and operating authority for all British military helicopters in the UK and abroad
JHF: JHF (A) – Joint Helicopter Force in Afghanistan – ‘Main’ at Kandahar and ‘Forward’ at Camp Bastion – the Afghanistan helicopter headquarters operating under authority for the JHC
JOC: Joint Operations Cell – the functioning control centre of operations in the Helmand province
JTAC: Joint Terminal Attack Controller – soldier responsible to his commander for the deliverance of air ordnance from combat aircraft onto a target. The airspace controller above a battle, normally
callsigns Widow or Knight Rider
Klicks: Military slang for kilometres
KIA: Killed in action
Knight Rider: Callsign for the BRF JTAC’s
Lance Bombardier: Artillery Rank – the second rung on the ladder after private/marine
LCpl: Lance Corporal – rank – the second rung on the ladder after private/marine
Leakers: Taliban that are attempting to escape (leak) from a target area
Lima Charlie: Phonetic alphabet for LC – air speak for Loud and Clear
Loadie: Loadmaster responsible for passengers and equipment in military troop-carrying helicopters or transport aircraft
Longbow: The Longbow Radar is the Apache’s Fire Control Radar. It looks like a large Swiss cheese and sits on top of the main rotor system
LS: Landing Site
LSJ: Life Support Jacket – survival waistcoat
Lynx: British Army Light Battlefield Helicopter – used for movement of small teams
M230: The cannon on the underside of the Apache; 30mm chain fed
ManPADS: Man Portable Aid Defence System – shoulder-launched heat-seeking missile
MC: Military Cross – awarded in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land.
MI6: Military Intelligence Section 6 – nickname for the British Government’s Secret Intelligence Service
MIA: Missing in action
MiD: Mentioned in Despatches – award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service
MIRC: Military Internet Relay Chat
MoD: Ministry of Defence
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
TOC: Tactical Operations Cell
TOT: Time On Target – the time until an aircraft is due over or weapon is due at the target
TOW: Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided anti-tank missile – fired from the British Army Lynx helicopter
TPF: Tactical Planning Facility – mobile planning room
TPM: Terrain Profile Mode – the Longbow’s terrain mapping mode
Tracer: Bullets that burn with a red, orange or green glow from 110m to 1100m so they can be seen
Tusk: Callsign for the A10 Thunderbolt aircraft
UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UFD: Up Front Display – an LED instrument that displays critical information to the Apache crews
Ugly: The callsign chosen by 656 Sqn for the British Apaches – ‘Ugly Five Zero to Ugly Five Seven’
USAF: United States Air Force
Viking: Armoured amphibious tracked vehicle
VIP: Very Important Person
VU Radio: A VHF and UHF capable secure radio in the Apache
Widow: Callsign for normal JTACs in Afghanistan
Wingman: The other aircraft in any pair of aircraft
Wizard: Callsign for the Nimrod MR2
WMIK: Weapons Mounted Installation Kit – an odd-looking Land Rover with bars all over it to which weapons can be attached
WO1: A soldier who holds a Royal Warrant is known as Warrant Officer – a WO1; Class one is the highest non-commissioned rank in the British Army
Wombat: Weapon Of Magnesium Battalion Anti-Tank – a huge wheeled or mounted rifle barrel
Zulu Company: A company of marines detached from 45 Commando to the Information Exploitation (IX) Battlegroup for this tour of Afghanistan
ZPU: Soviet Anti-Aircraft Gun – 14.5mm – ZPU 1 is single-barrelled, ZPU 2 has twin barrels and the ZPU 4 has quadruple barrels
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you, Emily, my soul mate, for the love and the freedom to catch my dream and for supporting me in my choice. Thank you also for finding and for pushing me in the direction of my friend and agent Mark Lucas.