| S/L or s/l |
Sea level |
| SAAHS |
Stability augmentation and altitude hold system |
| SAC |
Strategic Air Command (USAF) |
| SACEUR |
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO) |
| SACLOS |
Semi-automatic command to line-of-sight (GW
guidance method) |
| safe life |
Time, after which a part should be replaced,
even if not apparently defective |
| SAHRS |
Standard attitude & heading reference system |
| SALT |
Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty |
| SAM |
Surface-to-air missile |
| SAR |
Search and rescue; also:
synthetic aperture radar; also: semi-active
radar |
| SARH |
Semi-active radar homing |
| SAS |
Stability augmentation system;
also: Special Air Service (UK) |
| satcom |
Satellite communications |
| satnav |
Satellite navigation |
| saw-tooth |
re: dog-tooth |
| SBAC |
Society of British Aerospace Companies |
| SCAS |
Stability and control augmentation system |
| SDI |
Strategic Defence Initiative (US);
aka 'Star Wars' |
| SEAD |
Suppression of enemy air defenses |
| seat pitch |
Distance between back of one seat and the same
point on back of seat in front |
| semi-active |
Missile guidance system; missiles homes on
radiation reflected by the target but |
| |
emitted from the launch aircraft |
| semi-monocoque |
Construction in which most of the structural
strength is in the skin and directly |
| |
underlying stringers and frames |
| senso |
Sensor operator |
| SEP |
Specific excess power |
| service ceiling |
Altitude at which maximum rate of climb is 100
ft/min |
| servo |
Device augmenting pilot input, usually to move a
control surface |
| SFAR |
Special federal aviation regulations (FAA) |
| SFC |
Specific fuel consumption; amount of fuel used
per unit of power per unit of time |
| SFW |
Sensor fused weapon |
| SHAPE |
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (NATO) |
| SHF |
Super high frequency |
| Shorad |
Short range air defence |
| shp |
Shaft horsepower; power at engine output shaft |
| SI |
Specific impulse (rocker performance parameter) |
| side-arm controller |
re: sidestick |
| sidestick |
Primary aircraft control; replacing traditional
control stick or control column with a |
| |
short handgrip beside the pilot(s) |
| sigint |
Signals intelligence |
| single shaft |
Gas-turbine powerplant in which all compressor
and turbine stages are mounted on |
| |
a single shaft |
| SIP |
Systems Improvement Programme |
| SITA |
Société Internationale de Télécommunications
Aéronautiques; airlines worldwide |
| |
telecommunications and information services |
| SLAR |
Side looking airborne radar |
| slat |
Auxiliary aerofoil device; prevents airflow
breakaway on wing or tail |
| SLEP |
Service life extension programme (US);
also: service life enhancement programme |
| slew wing |
re: oblique wing |
| SLR |
Side-looking radar |
| SLRR |
Side-looking reconnaissance radar |
| SMS |
Stores management system |
| SMTI |
Selective moving target indicator |
| SMTS |
Space and Missile Training Squadron (USAF) |
| snap-down |
Ability to intercept a low flying target from a
significantly higher altitude |
| SOF |
Special Operations Forces (US) |
| soft target |
Target which is not hardened or armoured |
| SOG |
Special Operations Group (US) |
| SOM |
Stand-off missile |
| sonar |
Sound navigation and ranging |
| SOP |
Standard operating procedure |
| SOR |
Specific operational requirement |
| SOS |
Stabilised optical sight; also:
Special Operations Squadron (USAF) |
| SOW |
Stand-off weapon; also:
Special Operations Wing (USAF) |
| splitter |
Plate dividing airflow (usually engine inlet) |
| spoiler |
Moveable surface on wing; when open reduces lift
and increases drag |
| SPTW |
Support Wing (USAF) |
| SR |
Short range; also:
strategic reconnaissance (US) |
| SR(A) |
Staff requirement (Air) (UK) |
| SRA |
Surveillance radar approach |
| SRAAM |
Short range air-to-air missile |
| SRW |
Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (USAF) |
| SRZ |
Special Rules Zone |
| SSB |
Single sideband |
| SSR |
Secundary surveillance radar |
| SST |
Supersonic transport |
| st |
Static thrust; thrust of jet or rocket engine
when stationary |
| STA |
Supplementary Type Approval |
| stabiliser |
Any fixed tail surface |
| stalling speed |
Airspeed at which lift of wing suddenly
decreases |
| stall strips |
Strips on wing leading edge to induce stall at
that specific point |
| starboard |
Right side, while looking forward |
| START |
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty;
also: Strategic Arms Reduction Talks |
| STC |
Supplementary Type Certificate |
| STD or:
std |
Standard |
| STE |
Special test equipment |
| stick-pusher |
Stall-prevention device; forces the control
stick forward when stalling Angle of Attack |
| |
is approached, reducing the Angle of Attack |
| stick-shaker |
Stall-warning device; shakes the control stick
quickly fore&aft through small angle |
| |
when stalling Angle of Attack is approached, as
a warning to the pilot |
| STOL |
Short take-off and landing |
| store |
Any weapon or equipment not permanently attached
to aircraft |
| STOVL |
Short take-off and vertical landing |
| strake |
Long narrow surface, aligned with airflow and
perpendicular to fuselage skin |
| strobe |
Flashing anti-collision beacon |
| supercritical |
A wing which has an unusually high critical Mach
No. for its sweep angle and t/c; |
| |
special highly advanced aerofoil |
| SUU |
Suspension Unit Underwing (USAF) |
| SW |
Strategic Wing (USAF) |
| sweep back |
Backward inclination of wing relative to
fuselage; usually measured at quarter chord |
| swing wing |
Variable geometry wing |
| SWIP |
Systems weapons integration programme |