scope:

PREFACE

1. This glossary is compiled by the direction of the Military Committee and with the approval of the NATO Council.

Its purpose is to standardize (i) general terminology with a specific military meaning; (ii) specialist terminology that needs to be widely understood throughout NATO, as well as (iii) terms that are not adequately defined in the NATO Terminology Programme (NTP)'s reference dictionaries¹, thus promoting mutual understanding and strengthening the Alliance's defence capabilities.

The definitions contained herein do not establish or modify NATO policy and doctrine, but help to express them more clearly.

2. The glossary is available in electronic form in the two official languages of NATO, English and French. These versions are updated and made available annually through the Internet (http://www.nato.int/docu/stanag/aap006/aa p6.htm) and the intranet (MINERVA and CRONOS): NATO HQ Sites›NSA› Terminology›Military Committee Terminology Conference Documents›MCTC Documents› AAP-6.

3. In accordance with STANAG 3680 and C-M (2005)0023, Directive on the NATO Terminology Programme, the terms and definitions contained herein have been approved by all NATO nations.

4. The glossary is divided into four main parts:

Part 1.Organization and Procedures.

Part 2.NATO Agreed terms and definitions of military significance in English. The corresponding French preferred terms are shown immediately following the English entry term e.g., nominal weapon / arme de puissance nominale.

Part 3.NATO Agreed terms and definitions of military significance in French. The corresponding English preferred terms are shown immediately following the French entry term e.g. arme de puissance nominale / nominal weapon

Part 4. List of Abbreviations

5. After the introduction of abbreviations in AAP-6(2008) to comply with the layout for NATO glossaries prescribed by CM( 2007)0023, Guidance for the Development and Publication of NATO Terminology, the Office of NATO Terminology Coordination (ONTC), which is responsible for issuing AAP-6, decided to change the abbreviations list to a unilingual format (with some exceptions) in the 2009 edition of AAP-6. Upon reflection, the ONTC considered that the bilingual presentation prescribed by the Guidance led to confusion in a number of cases. As a result, the second edition of the Guidance will be adapted accordingly.

After having looked up the term corresponding to an abbreviation, users of this NATO glossary may look up further information, including the translation of the term in the other language, in the full entries listed in Parts 2 and 3.

6. The ONTC would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Australian Defence College, for having identified all incorrect related terms in AAP-6. The introduction of these changes has enhanced the coherence between the various entries in this glossary.

7. Proposals for new terms and definitions or changes to or deletion of existing terms and definitions are to be made in accordance with C-M(2005)0023, Directive on the NATO Terminology Programme and C-M(2007)0023, Guidance for the Development and Publication of NATO Terminology and using a terminology tracking form, which can be downloaded from the NSA's protected Internet site.

8. All suggestions and inquiries concerning this glossary should be directed to the:

NATO Terminology Coordinator

¹ The reference dictionaries for the NTP are the Concise Oxford English Dictionary and le Petit Robert.