Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them (2026)
Chapter: Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations
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Appendix E: Committee Member Biographical Information
Appendix F
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
Appendix F
Acronyms and Abbreviations
| AFC | Army Futures Command |
| AI | artificial intelligence |
| AI/IA | artificial intelligence/intelligence augmentation |
| AIMM | Artificial Intelligence of Maneuver and Mobility |
| APAN | Mad Scientist All Partners Access Network |
| APC | Armored Personnel Carrier |
| ARCIC | Army Capability Integration Center |
| ARL | Army Research Laboratory |
| ATAK | Android Tactical Assault Kit |
| BAA | Broad Agency Announcement |
| C4ISR | Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance |
| CCA | Collaborative Combat Aircraft |
| CCD | charge-coupled device |
| CFT | cross functional team |
| CONOPS | concepts of operations |
| CUI | Controlled Unclassified Information |
| DARPA | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
| DE M-SHORAD | Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense |
| DEVCOM | Combat Capabilities Development Command |
| DEW | Directed Energy Weapon |
| DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
| DMZ | Demilitarized Zone |
| DNDO | Domestic Nuclear Detection Office |
| DOE | Department of Energy |
| DoW | Department of War |
| DTRA | Defense Threat Reduction Agency |
| EOT | Emerging Overmatch Technologies |
| ERP | Essential Research Program |
| ERSO | Adaptable, Flex Energy Generation and Distribution |
| ESA | European Space Agency |
| EW | electronic warfare |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
| FCC | Future Concepts Center |
| FE | focused excursion |
| FRA | Focused Research Area |
| FREEDOM | Foundational Research for Electronic Warfare in Multi-domain Operations |
| FSP | Future Studies Program |
| FY | fiscal year |
| GMP | Graduate Mathematics Program |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| HAT | Human Autonomy Teaming |
| HULC | Human Universal Load Carrier |
| IAI | Israel Aerospace Industries |
| ID | identification |
| IED | improvised explosive device |
| IFPC | Indirect Fire Protection Capability |
| INDOPACOM | U.S. Indo-Pacific Command |
| IOR | Individual Occupational Requirement |
| IR | infrared |
| ISR | Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance |
| IWTSD | Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate |
| LAM | Loitering Attack Munitions |
| LENR | Low Energy Nuclear Reactors |
| LRDCE | Long Range Distributed and Collaborative Engagements |
| MCLC | Mine Clearing Line Charge |
| MDP | Math Development Program |
| MMAC | Metamaterial Adaptive Camouflage |
| MOD | Global Ministries of Defense |
| MRF | Modular, Quickly Deployed, Deep Sensing Munitions |
| MSP | Mathematical Sciences Program |
| MURI | Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative |
| NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| NCO | Non-Commissioned Officer |
| NDSEG | National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate |
| NORAD | North American Aerospace Defense Command |
| NORTHCOM | U.S. Northern Command |
| NQI | National Quantum Initiative |
| NSA | National Security Agency |
| OCONUS | Outside of the Continental United States |
| ONR | Office of Naval Research |
| OPM | Office of Personnel Management |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
| OT&E | Operational Test and Evaluation |
| P2a2CE | Attritable, Networked, Autonomous, Modular UAS |
| PERC | Purdue Energetics Research Center |
| PLA | People’s Liberation Army (China) |
| PNT | positioning, navigation, and timing |
| POWER | Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay |
| PPBES | Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution |
| PPBES | Program Plan Budgeting and Execution System |
| PPE | personal protection equipment |
| PSPDET | Physics of Soldier Protection to Defeat Evolving Threats |
| PtL | prior to launch |
| PULSE | Full-Spectrum Short/Ultrashort Pulse Lasers for Counter Sensor/Counter Munition |
| QhE | Quantum Hydrogen Energy |
| QIS | Quantum Information Sciences |
| QIS-PNT | Quantum Information Sciences—Position, Navigation, and Timing |
| R&D | research and development |
| RAA | AI Network to Leverage Sensors and Autonomous Platforms in the Battlespace |
| RDER | Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve |
| RDTE | Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation |
| RF | radio frequency |
| ROC | Rehearsal of Concept |
| ROK | Republic of Korea |
| S&T | science and technology |
| SAMM | Science of Additive Manufacturing for Next Generation Munitions |
| SBIR | Small Business Innovation Research |
| SFS | Scholarship for Service |
| SLRC | Strategic Long-Range Cannon |
| SMART | Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation |
| SME | subject-matter expert |
| SO/LIC | Special Operations/Low-Interest Conflict Division |
| SOCOM | U.S. Special Operations Command |
| SOF | Special Operations Forces |
| SPACECOM | U.S. Space Command |
| STEM | science, technology, engineering, and mathematics |
| STRATCOM | U.S. Strategic Command |
| STRONG | Strengthening Teamwork for Robust Operations in Novel Groups |
| T-REX | Technology Readiness Experimentation |
| TALOS | Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit |
| TRADOC | U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
| TRANSCOM | U.S. Transportation Command |
| TRANSFORME | Transformational Symbio for Military Environments |
| TRL | technology readiness level |
| UAS | unmanned aerial system |
| UAV | unmanned aerial vehicle |
| UGV | unmanned ground vehicle |
| USAF | U.S. Air Force |
| USCYBERCOM | U.S. Cyber Command |
| USSF | U.S. Space Force |
| UxS | unmanned system |
| VICTOR | Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion |
| ZPMC | Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Preventing Technology Surprise: The Army's Leading-Edge Research Programs and the Subject-Matter Expertise That Fuels Them. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/28836.
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