| BMD | ballistic missile defense |
| CBA | capability based assessments |
| DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
| DNDO | Domestic Nuclear Detection Office |
| DNI | Director of National Intelligence |
| DOD | U.S. Department of Defense |
| DODAF | Department of Defense Architecture Framework |
| DOE | U.S. Department of Energy |
| DOJ | U.S. Department of Justice |
| DOS | U.S. Department of State |
| DTRA | Defense Threat Reduction Agency |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| FAA | functional area analysis |
| FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| FNA | functional needs analysis |
| FY | fiscal year |
| GAO | Government Accountability Office |
| GNDA | Global Nuclear Detection Architecture |
| GPRA | Government Performance and Results Act |
| HEU | highly enriched uranium |
| IND | improvised nuclear device |
| NCT | nuclear counterterrorism |
| NLE | national-level exercises |
| NNSA | National Nuclear Security Administration |
| NRC | National Research Council |
| OMB | Office of Management and Budget |
| OSD | Operations Support Directorates |
| OUO | Official Use Only |
| OV | operational view |
| PRND | preventive radiation and nuclear detection |
| RDD | radiological dispersal device |
| RN | radiological and nuclear |
| RNTRA | radiological and nuclear threat risk assessment |
| SAFE Port | Security and Accountability for Every Port |
| SOP | standard operating procedure |
| V&V | validation and verification |
| WMD | weapon of mass destruction |