AEROSPACE ACRONYM & Abbreviation Guide

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December 2010

Avionics Magazine proudly presents the fifth edition of our biennial Aerospace Acronym & Abbreviation Guide. Updated with the latest terms from the magazine’s pages, this comprehensive guide has grown to more than 3,000 civil and military acronyms.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

  • M mach number

  • M2K Mobility 2000 (U.S. Air Force)

  • M-SNDCF mobile-subnetwork dependent convergence function

  • M-TADS Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight

  • M/ASI mach/airspeed indicator

  • M/S meters per second

  • M&S merging & spacing

  • MA message assurance

  • MAA maximum authorized IFR altitude

  • MAB Military ATM Board (Europe)

  • MAC medium access controller

  • MACC military area control center

  • MACS multiple access communication system

  • MADARS malfunction detection, analysis and recording system

  • MAGIC manager of air-ground interface communications

  • MAHWP missed approach holding waypoint

  • MALDT mean administrative and logistics delay time

  • MALE medium-altitude, long-endurance

  • MALSR Medium-Intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicator

  • MAN metropolitan area network

  • MANPADS man portable air defense system

  • MAP missed alert parameter

  • MAP missed approach

  • MAP missed approach procedure

  • MAP monitor alert parameter

  • MAPt missed approach point

  • MAR mobile access router

  • MARSA military assumes responsibility for separation

  • MASPS minimum aviation system perfor­mance standard

  • MAST multiaircraft simulation terminal

  • MAT maintenance access terminal

  • MAV micro air vehicle

  • MAWP missed approached waypoint

  • MAX maximum

  • mb millibars

  • MB marker beacon

  • MBE multiple bit error

  • MBER minimum bit error rate

  • MBPS megabytes per second

  • MC master change

  • MCA minimum crossing altitude

  • MCAP Manned/Unmanned Common Architecture Processor

  • MCB microwave circuit board

  • MCC maintenance control computer

  • MCDP maintenance control display panel

  • MCDU multifunctional control display unit

  • MCI mode C intruder

  • MCN manufacturing control number

  • MCOS multi-computing operating system

  • MCP maintenance control panel

  • MCP mode control panel

  • MCT max continuous thrust

  • MCU modular concept unit

  • MCU multifunction concept unit

  • MDA minimum descent altitude

  • MDA Missile Defense Agency (U.S.)

  • MDAH minimum descent altitude/height

  • MDAU maintenance data acquisition unit

  • MDC maintenance diagnostic computer

  • MDCRS Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting Service

  • MDD mission data debrief

  • MDH minimum decent height

  • MDL multipurpose data link

  • MDMP military decision making process (U.S. Army)

  • MDR mode digital radio

  • MDS minimum discernible signal

  • MDT maintenance display terminal

  • MDT mean downtime

  • MEA minimum en route altitude

  • MEARTS Microprocessor En Route Automation Radar Tracking System

  • MEC main equipment center

  • MEL minimum equipment list

  • MEO medium earth orbit

  • MEOT multiple-expert opinion team

  • MES main engine start

  • MET meteorology

  • METAR meteorological aviation routine weather report

  • METL mission essential task list (U.S. Army)

  • METOC meteorological and oceanographic condition

  • MF medium frequency

  • MFCP multifunction control display panel

  • MFD multifunction display

  • MFDS multifunction display system

  • MFDU multifunction display unit

  • MFDUA miscellaneous flight data acquisi­tion unit

  • MFIT mean fault isolation time

  • MFM maintenance fault memory

  • MGSCU main gear steering control unit

  • MGR manager

  • MHD magnetic hard drive

  • MHD multi-hazard display

  • MHRS magnetic heading reference system

  • MHS message handling service

  • MHz megahertz

  • MIB management information base

  • MIC microphone

  • MicroEARTS Micro Enroute Automated Radar Tracking System

  • MIDS multifunction information distri­bution system

  • MIDS-J Multifunctional Information Distri­bution System-JTRS

  • MIDS-LVT Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal

  • MIDU multi-purpose interactive display unit

  • MILS multiple independent levels of security

  • MILSPEC military specification

  • MIL-STD military standard

  • MIMO multi-input/multi-output

  • MIN minimum/minute

  • MIPS management interface protocol specification

  • MIPS million instructions per second

  • MKR marker

  • MLA maneuver limited altitude

  • MLM mid-level management

  • MLS microwave landing system

  • MLW maximum landing weight

  • MM mass memory

  • MM middle marker (glideslope)

  • MMI man-machine interface

  • MMIC monolithic microwave integrated circuit

  • MMR multimode receiver

  • MMS maintenance management system

  • MMS metering, merging and spacing

  • MMSI miniature munitions system interface

  • MMU memory management unit

  • MMW millimeter wave

  • MNCID management network category interaction diagram

  • MNPS minimum navigation performance specification

  • MNS managed network service

  • MO managed object

  • MO magneto-optical

  • MOA memorandum of agreement

  • MOA military operation area

  • MOC memorandum of cooperation

  • MOCA minimum obstacle clearance altitude

  • MOD magneto-optical drive

  • MOD modification

  • MODEM modulator/demodulator

  • MOPR minimum operational perfor­mance requirements

  • MOPS minimum operational perfor­mance standards

  • MOQA maintenance operations quality assurance

  • MORA minimum off-route altitude

  • MOS metal oxide semiconductor

  • MOS military occupational specialty

  • MOSA modular open systems approach

  • MOSP multi-mission optronic stabilized payload (U.S. Army)

  • MOU memorandum of understanding

  • MOV metal oxide varsitor

  • MP-CDL Multi-Platform-Common Data Link

  • MPAR multipurpose airport radar

  • MPEG Moving Picture Expert Group

  • MPCU multiport protocol converter unit

  • MPDS mobile packet data service

  • MPEL maximum permissible exposure level

  • MPM microwave power module

  • MPP materials, processes and parts

  • MPS maintenance processor system/subsystem

  • MRA minimum reception altitude

  • MRO maintenance, repair and overhaul

  • MRR manufacturing revision request

  • MRT mean repair time

  • MRT multi-remote terminal

  • Ms millisecond

  • MSB most significant bit

  • MSC message sequence chart

  • MSCP mobile satellite service provider

  • MSD mass storage device

  • MSG message

  • MSI medium scale integration

  • MSK minimum shift keying

  • MSL mean sea level

  • MSP Mode S specific protocol

  • MSSR monopulse secondary surveil­lance radar

  • MSSS Mode S specific services

  • MSU mode select unit

  • MT minimum time

  • MTA message transfer agent

  • MTBF mean time between failure

  • MTBO mean time between outages

  • MTBR mean time between removal/repairs

  • MTBUR mean time between unscheduled removal

  • MTBUR mean time between unit replacements

  • MTC maintenance terminal cabinet

  • MTD maintenance terminal display

  • MTF maintenance terminal function

  • MTI moving target indicator

  • MTM module test and maintenance

  • MTMBIU MTM bus interface unit

  • MTOW maximum takeoff weight

  • MTR military training route

  • MTS multi-spectral targeting system

  • MTSAT Multifunction Transport Satellite

  • MTTDA mean time to dispatch alert

  • MTTF mean time to failure

  • MTTM mean time to maintenance

  • MTTMA mean time to maintenance alert

  • MTTR mean time to repair

  • MTTRS mean time to restore service

  • MTTUR mean time to unscheduled removal

  • MU management unit

  • MUE modernized user equipment

  • MUM manned unmanned teaming

  • MUOS Mobile User Objective System

  • MUS minimum use specification

  • MUSE multi-user system environment

  • MUX multiplexer

  • mV millivolts

  • MVA minimum vectoring altitude

  • MVMC marginal visual meteorological conditions

  • MWARA major world air route area

  • MWP meteorological weather processor

  • MWS missile warning system