Top Gun

Top Gun Glossary

MiG-28

A twin-engine Soviet fighter jet.

Bogey

An unknown radar contact.

missile lock

a feature of many radar systems that allow it to automatically follow a selected target.

combat

fighting between armed forces.

target-rich

Having numerous sites regarded as potential targets for attack.

carnal knowledge

sexual intercourse.

callsign

a message, code, or tune that is broadcast by radio to identify the broadcaster or transmitter.

bird

CAG bird is a specially-painted aircraft, officially flown by the commanding officer of United States Navy Carrier Air Groups.

inverted

When a plane flies upside down.

The Pentagon

The headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

security clearance

official permission for someone to have access to classified information.

ballistic

relating to projectiles or their flight.

jet wash

Wake turbulence, turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air.

flat spin

a spin in which an aircraft descends in tight circles while remaining almost horizontal.

RIO

Radar Intercept Officer.

yaw rate

Rate of movement around the yaw axis of a rigid body that changes the direction it is pointing, to the left or right of its direction of motion.

hemlock

a highly poisonous European plant of the parsley family, with a purple-spotted stem, fernlike leaves, small white flowers, and an unpleasant smell.

Mach

the ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. It is often used with a numeral (as Mach 1, Mach 2, etc.) to indicate the speed of sound, twice the speed of sound, etc.

dog tag

identification tag worn by military personnel.

classified

officially secret.

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