AWST Glossary

A/A: Air-to-Air. Used with missiles as in A/A missiles.

ABORT: Failure to complete an action, operation or procedure for any reason. it may occur at any point between initiation of an operation and completion.
ACCESSORY: An item that is required to mate the weapon or store to the aircraft and that remains an integral part of the system. Examples: bomb-rack, launchers, etc.
A/C STRUCTURE TRADE: Trades which deals directly with the materials which the aircraft is made of such as metal tech, machinists, and refinisher.
ADAPTER BOOSTER: A device fitted into the fuze well of a bomb which allows a fuze of smaller diameter to be used. Adapter boosters contain explosive which transmits the firing train output of the fuze to the main explosive charge of the bomb.
ADU: AD stands for "Certain adaptive items" and U stands for "unit".
AFT: Towards the tail of the aircraft.
A/G: Air-to-Ground.
AGL: Above ground level.
AIM-7: A solid fuel, rocket-propelled, air-to-air missile with a high explosive warhead, using semi-active radar homing for guidance. Nicknamed Sparrow.
AIM-9: A solid fuel, rocket-propelled, air-to-air missile with a high explosive warhead using passive infra-red homing for guidance. Nicknamed Sidewinder.
AIR ARMING: The arming of a missile (projectile, bomb, etc) while it moves along its trajectory.
AIRBORNE STORES: Items that are not normally separated from the aircraft in flight.
AIRBORNE WEAPONS: All missiles, rockets, bombs, mines, torpedoes, pyrotechnics, ammunition, guns and gun pods, and all similar items intended for carriage internally or externally by aircraft. this definition applies to items which are normally separate from the aircraft in flight.
AIRBURST: An explosion of a weapon above the surface, caused either intentionally to maximize weapon fragmentation or to disperse canister-type ordnance, or unintentionally due to weapon malfunction or other cause.
AIRCRAFT ARMAMENT SYSTEM: Aircraft armament subsystems that, when interconnected, give the aircraft its airborne weapons/stores capability.
AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION: The systems and components required to carry or deliver a specific airborne weapon or store.
AIR WEAPONS PERSONNEL: MOC 571 WTA and 572 AWST personnel that has been trained and is qualified and certified to perform functions on air weapons or air weapons systems.
See "What's a Weapon's Tech" by Lee Day
AIR WEAPONS STORES: Any item of aircraft armament equipment, whether it is inert, explosive or pyrotechnic-filled, that is designed to be captive-carried, fired, released, projected or launched from the aircraft armament system.
ALL-ARM SPEED: That air speed at which all fuzes in a given group can be expected to arm.
AMMUNITION: A device charged with explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, initiating composition, or nuclear, biological, chemical material for use in connection with defence or offence, including demolitions. Certain ammunition can be used for training, ceremonial or non-operational purposes.
In this site, the term is restricted to conventional ammunition and the conventional explosive components of nuclear ammunition or ammunition containing toxic chemical agents. This site does not deal with nuclear or toxic hazards or their classification.
AMSE: Aircraft Maintenance Support Equipment.
APU: auxiliary Power Unit, which is used to drive either aircraft generator to perform functional check-out of the aircraft system or gun loading, when external electrical or hydraulic power is unavailable.
ARMED AIRCRAFT: An aircraft is armed when electrical leads and/or ammunition feed systems are connected, guns are charged as required and all ground safety devices are removed. To fire or release a weapon/weapons, personnel select the appropriate aircraft switches and active the final firing or release device.
ARMAMENT SYSTEM: Mechanical, electro-mechanical, and electronic components of an aircraft which are required to suspend, launch, release, or fire an aircraft store.
ARM, ARMING: The changing of weapons/aircraft from a safe condition to a state of readiness. Involves removing of safety devices to enable the weapons or weapons systems to function in their intended manners.
As applied to explosives, weapons or weapon systems, the changing from a safe condition to a state of readiness for initiation.
ARMING DELAY: The lapsed time between weapon release from the delivery aircraft and fuze arming. A fuze is armed when in-flight safety mechanisms are removed, the explosive train is aligned, and the fuze is ready to function.
ARMING PIN: A safety device which is inserted into a fuze to prevent the arming cycle from starting until the device is removed.
ARMING VANE: An air-driven mechanical device which arms a fuze by means of rotation when the fuze is released into the airstream.
ARMING WIRE: A metal wire inserted in a fuze or mechanism of a weapon to lock the fuze in the unarmed condition until the weapon is separated from the aircraft. the arming wire pulls out of the fuze or arming device when the weapon is dropped in the armed mode, thus putting the weapon into a functional condition and allowing the fuze arming sequence to begin.
ARMOUR-PIERCING: A weapon designed to penetrate armour prior to detonation or by means of detonation (shaped charge). This term will prefix the type of weapon designed such as armour-piercing bomb or armour-piercing projectile.
ASSEMBLED FUZE: The complete fuze of all component parts put together; a fuze requiring no added components or parts to prepare it for installation into the round (projectile, rocket, bomb, etc) in which it is to function. Assembling the fuze is the process of putting the parts and components together.
AVIATION TRADE: Basically everything else on the aircraft which is quite a lot. Such as engines (jet or propellers/blades), airframes (hydraulic lines and system, control surfaces, etc), electrician (the miles and miles of wires), Safety Systems (ejection seat, survival packs, parachute) and the AWST.
AVIONICS TRADE: Trades that handles the repair and maintenance of the aircraft electronics. Such as radar, communications, computer, instrumentation (dials and gages), black boxes and the divers armament computers. In order to become an avionics trade, a tradesman must undergo 6 months or more of advance electronics courses.
AIR WEAPONS SYSTEMS TECHNICIANS (AWST): Canadian Air Force trade dealing with the maintenance and repair of the aircraft weapons systems; suspension and release equipment; loading/unloading of armament on aircraft; arming/de-arming of weapons; convoying of weapons; maintenance, repair, assembly, disassembly of weapons; and other miscellaneous aircraft duties.
See "What's a Weapon's Tech" by Lee Day

BBU: BB stands for "Explosive items" and U stands for "unit".
BDU: Pronounced "bee dee you". Simulated bomb units, i.e.: BDU-33 practice bomb.
BIT: Built-in Test. Where computers will check their own circuitry and their systems circuitry to ensure that no fault is present to prevent it's good operation.
BLU: Pronounced "bee el you". Bombs & mines unit, i.e.: BLU-1/B fire bomb.
BOMB: 1. A generic term for an air weapon containing high explosives, toxic, smoke, incendiary or inert substances which are released from an aircraft in flight.
2. The act of releasing the above-defined air weapon from an aircraft.
BOMB SHACKLE: A generic term for a mechanical device employed in an aircraft to suspend a store. The bomb shackle carries and releases air weapons stores.
BOMB STATION: The position in an aircraft which carries bombs and from which they can be released.
BOMBLET: A generic term used to define any sub-weapon contained in a cluster or dispenser weapon which functions independently after release/dispersal from the dispenser.
BOOSTER: 1. A high-explosive element sufficiently sensitive to be actuated by small explosive elements in a fuze or primer and powerful enough to cause detonation of the main explosive filling.
2. An auxiliary or initial propulsion system that travels with a missile or aircraft and that may or may not separate from the parent craft when its impulse has been delivered. A booster system may contain, or consist of, one or more units.
BREAKOUT AND ASSEMBLY CREW: A crew of air weapons personnel who are qualified and certified to conduct air weapons breakout and assembly operations specific to the applicable air weapon.
BRISANCE: The ability of an explosive to shatter the medium which confines it; the shattering effect shown by an explosive.
BRU: Pronounced "brew". Bomb rack & shackles unit, i.e.: BRU-32 bomb rack.
BSU: Munition stabilizing & retarding devices unit.
BULK EXPLOSIVES: Loose explosive material removed from explosive stores or raw explosives designed for a specific purpose (TNT, plastic explosives, etc).
BURSTER: An explosive element used in pyrotechnic or chemical ammunition to open a projectile, warhead or container and disperse the contents.
BURSTING CHARGE: A small explosive charge designed to produce a smoke or flash effect, burst a container and disperse its contents, or eject and disperse cluster bombs from their casing.

CARTRIDGE: A round of ammunition wherein the propellant and primer are contained in a casing and in which propellant, primer and projectile (where present) are assembled, stored, shipped and issued as a complete unit. In impulse cartridges there is no projectile (no bullet). Cartridge may be electrically or mechanically fired.
CAUTION: An operating procedure, practice, etc. that, if not strictly observed, could result in damage to or destruction of equipment.
CBU: Pronounced "cee bee you". End item cluster bombs unit or dispenser munitions units, i.e.: CBU-2/A Cluster Bomb Unit.
CCU: Actuator Cartridge unit.
CDU: Clustered munitions unit (not an end item).
CHECKLIST: The term "checklist", as used by the armourer, refers to a publication that lists each individual sequence of procedures.
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVE STORE: An armament store in which a toxic, smoke or irritant chemical filling is dispersed by a bursting charge.
CLUSTER BOMB UNIT: An aircraft store composed of a dispenser and submunitions (see dispenser).
CONICAL FINS: A smoothly faired, detachable tail assembly which is assembled to the bomb body.
CONVOY COMMANDER: An air weapons systems technician at the rank of Corporal or higher, who is qualified and certified to supervise the on-base movement of specific air weapons.
CONVOY DRIVER: Air weapons personnel qualified and certified to operate vehicles used for moving specific air weapons about the wing/base.
COOK-OFF: The deflagration or detonation of ammunition caused by absorbing heat from its environment. In loaded guns, the accidental and spontaneous discharge of, or explosion in, the gun caused by an overheated chamber or barrel which ignites a fuze, propellant charge, or bursting charge is a cook-off. This deflagration/detonation may also occur in explosive-loaded components when they are exposed to excessive heat or flame-wash from any source, it, live steam, fire, rocket or gas turbine exhaust.
COOK-OFF TIME: The time required for a weapon to explode or deflagrate (go low-order) when exposed to heat or fire.
CORPORAL: A rank in the Canadian Air Force which is equivalent to up to E5 in the US Air Force. A corporal may be called from time to time to perform supervisory functions. In general the rank of corporal is a working rank.

DANGER AREA: An area into which admission is stringently controlled or prohibited due to the an inherent hazard.
DANGEROUS CONDITION: The condition of any explosive, incendiary or other dangerous store in which the state of the arming/firing mechanism is unknown and functioning could occur or it is known that arming/firing mechanisms have operated but the weapon has not functioned (however, functioning must be considered likely).
DEFENSE EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE: An explosive ordnance, live or inert, which is in the custody of, under the control of, transported by, issued to, acquired by, used by or abandoned by the Department of National Defence. This includes explosive ordnance of allied forces when in Canadian waters, areas of responsibility or on or over Canadian territory.
DEFLAGRATION: A chemical reaction proceeding at subsonic velocity along the surface of, and/or through an explosive, which produces hot gases at high pressures. A deflagration under confinement increases the pressure, the rate of reaction and the temperature which may cause a transition into detonation.
DESIGNATED AREA: A formally approved area used for arming, loading/unloading and/or parking combat aircraft, and/or loading/unloading/parking explosives-loaded cargo aircraft.
DESIGNATED ARMING AREA: A designated area, which has been approved for use by the required authorities, where an aircraft is transferred from the loaded to the armed state. This area is also the designated area where an aircraft is transferred from the armed state to the loaded state or the armed to the unloaded state (if it can be confirmed that all air weapons stores have been released or fired).
DESIGNATED LOADING AREA: A specific danger area, approved by the unit/base commander, where the operations necessary to bring an aircraft to the loaded state are conducted.
DETONATING WAVE: A high-speed shock wave generated within an explosive substance during detonation.
DETONATOR: An explosive device, sensitive to an electrical/mechanical impulse or heat, generally employed to detonate a larger quantity of less sensitive explosives.
DISPENSER: In air armament, a container or device which is used to carry and release submunitions, bomblets, or other items. One type of dispenser, sometimes referred to as a cluster or canister bomb, is designed to open in mid-air to provide dispersal of the dispenser contents over a wide area. (see cluster bomb unit).
DISPLAY AMMUNITION: Inert ammunition items that are representative of operational or practice items because they conform in size, shape and appearance, and are colour-coded and marked to simulate their operational or practice counterparts. They do not contain explosives. They may be full-section, cut-away or sectioned to expose internal arrangements of component parts. Display ammunition is used for instruction purposes and for display, eg, in museums, but is never used for drill. These items are marked conspicuously in black or white with the word INERT. This marking is generally at right angles to the other markings. Where appropriate, the word INERT may be metal stamped in lieu of being stenciled.
DUD: A weapon or fuze which for some reason fails to detonate. Dudding may be intentional to protect the delivery aircraft from a weapon released at too low an altitude or to protect handlers against a mishandled fuze by causing it to fail-safe.
DUMMY AMMUNITION: Inert ammunition items that are representative of operational or practice items in that they conform generally in size, shape and weight. They do not contain explosives. They may be empty or filled with inert material and may be constructed of materials different from those of the times they represent. Dummy ammunition is used for instruction and for training in assembly and disassembly, handling, loading and unloading weapons, cycling weapons feed systems, throwing grenades, laying mines, preparing demolition charges, placing booby traps, and other similar drills. It is not designed for projection by an explosive charge or be mechanical means. Dummy ammunition is coloured bronze and is marked conspicuously in two laces with the word "DUMMY" in black. Where it is not practicable to apply body colour or other means of positive identification, dummy items may have holes drilled or fluting placed in the areas normally containing explosives. When space permits, these items are also metal stamped or stencilled "DUMMY" in black or white lettering as appropriate for the particular background. Dummy ammunition was formerly classified as drill ammunition.

EARLY BURST: The term used to describe the detonation of a fuze at or after arming but prior to the time intended. For purposes of safe-separation calculation, the early burst is assumed to occur at the instant of fuze arming, although it may occur later.
ECM: Electronic countermeasures.
EJECTION: The forced separation of an aircraft store from an aircraft to achieve satisfactory separation.
ELECTRIC FUZING: A fuze in which arming and functioning power is supplied by electrical instead of mechanical means. fuzes presently in the Navy inventory are supplied by power from equipment in the delivery aircraft at weapon release.
EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal
EXPLOSIVE: A substance (or mixture of substances) which, through chemical reaction, produces a vast quantity of gas at temperatures and pressures which can cause damage to the surroundings. Included in this category are pyrotechnical substances even when they do not involves gases. The term explosive materials also refers to high explosives and propellants, together with igniter, primer, initiator and pyrotechnic compositions (eg, illuminants, smoke, delay, decoy, flare and incendiary).
EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE: Bombs, warheads, guided and ballistic missiles, artillery, mortar rocket and small arms ammunition, all mines, torpedoes and depth-charges, demolition charges, pyrotechnics, clusters and dispensers, cartridge and propellant-activated devices, electro explosive devices (EEDs), clandestine and improvised explosive devices and all similar or related items or components which are explosive in nature are explosives ordnance. This definition includes all munitions containing explosives and nuclear fusion or fusion materials and/or biological and/or chemical agents.
EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL: The detection, identification, field evaluation, rendering safe, recovery, handling, disarming and final disposal of unsafe bombs or other unexploded ordnance. EOD may also include the rendering safe and/or disposal of explosive ordnance which has become hazardous by damage or deterioration by an organization or Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit consisting of specialty trained personnel and specialized equipment tasked to dispose of military explosives or IEDs.
EXPLOSIVE TRAIN: A series of explosive elements arranged inside the fuze in order of decreasing sensitivity which transmits the firing pulse to the main charge to ensure the reliable detonation of the weapon. The explosive train consists of at least a detonator, a booster, and a main charge.