Early in 1977 a retired NATO general called together six of his collegues — including an admiral, an airman, an economist and a diplomat — to write a dramatized game-plan for the next world war.A sensational international bestseller, it is a vivid, detailed, and often blood-curdling on-the-spot report from the battle fronts of a "real war", from tank assaults to air clashes to ICBM launchings, based on an insider's knowledge of weaponry and actual NATO and Soviet battle strategies.In the light of changes in Eastern Europe the question now is: Could it ever have happened? Could it ever happen again?
AAFCE Allied Air Forces Central Europe
A/C aircraft
ACLANT Allied Command Atlantic
ADP automatic data processing
AEW airborne early warning
AFCENT Allied Forces Central Europe
AFNORTH Allied Forces Northern Europe
AFSOUTH Allied Forces Southern Europe
AFV armoured fighting vehicle(s)
AIRCENT Allied Air Forces Central Europe
AIRSOUTH Allied Air Forces Southern Europe
ALCM air-launched cruise missile(s)
AOC Air Officer Commanding
AOC-in-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
APC armoured personnel-carrier(s)
A/S anti-submarine
ASW anti-submarine warfare
ATAF Allied Tactical Air Force
ATGW anti-tank guided weapon(s)
AWACS airborne warning and control system
BAOR British Army of the Rhine
BMEWS ballistic missile early warning system
BMP
BREMCO Branscombe Emergency Committee
BREMPLAN Branscombe Emergency Plan
CAP combat air patrol(s)
CASPA Confederation of Africa South People’s Army
CD Civil Defence
CDU Christian Democratic Union
CENTAG Central Army Group
CINCHAN Commander-in-Chief, Channel
CINCENT Commander-in-Chief, Central Region
CINCNORTH Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Northern Europe
CINCSOUTH Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe
CINCUKAIR Commander-in-Chief, United Kingdom Air Forces
CLGP cannon-launched guided projectile
COMAAFCE Commander Allied Air Forces Central Europe
COMBALTAP Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
COMCENTAG Commander Central Army Group
COMNORTHAG Commander Northern Army Group
COMWAS Commander Western Approaches South
CPR Chinese People’s Republic
CPSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union
DEW distant early warning
DF direction-finding
EASTLANT Eastern Atlantic
ECM electronic counter-measures
ECCM electronic counter-counter- measures
ELINT electronic intelligence
EMP electro-magnetic pulse
ENG electronic newsgathering
EUROSAM European surface-to-air missile(s)
FEBA forward edge of the battle area
FLEETSATCOM Fleet satellite communications
FNLA Angolan National Liberation Front
FOSMEF Flag Officer Soviet Middle East Forces
FPB fast patrol boat(s)
FRELIMO Mozambique Liberation Front
FRG Federal Republic of Germany
FUMO Mozambique United Front
GAF German Air Force
GDR/DDR German Democratic Republic/Deutsche Demokratische Republik
GLCM ground-launched cruise missile(s)
GNP gross national product
GS General Staff
GSFG Group of Soviet Forces in Germany Group
HDG Home Defence Groups (of the Federal German Territorial Army)
HE high-explosive
I (or INT) Intelligence
ICBM inter-continental ballistic missile(s)
IRBM intermediate-range ballistic missile(s)
IRR Individual Ready Reserve
JACWA Joint Allied Command Western Approaches
JTIDS Joint Tactical Information Distribution System
LSI large-scale integration
MBFR mutual and balanced force reductions
MICV Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle(s)
MPLA Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
MR maritime reconnaissance
MRBM medium-range ballistic missile(s)
MRCA multi-role combat aircraft
MSI medium-scale integration
MT megaton
MTLB (Soviet universal combat vehicle)
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NBC nuclear, biological, chemical
NEV National Emergency Volunteers
NCO non-commissioned officer
NORSECA Northern Seas Environmental Control Agency
NORTHAG Northern Army Group
OAU Organization for African Unity
OP observation post
OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OSS Office of Strategic Services
OTC Officer Training Corps
PDRY People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen
PGM precision-guided missile(s)
QRA quick-reaction alert
RCRIP Reserve Component Readiness Improvement Package
RPG rounds per gun
RPV remotely-piloted vehicle(s)
SACEUR Supreme Allied Commander Europe
SACLANT Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
SALT Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
SAM surface-to-air missile(s)
SAS Special Air Service
SED Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschland
SHAPE Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe
Sigint signal intelligence
Sitrep situation report
SLBM submarine-launched ballistic missile(s)
SLCM submarine-launched cruise missile(s)
SNAF Soviet Naval Air Force
SOE Special Operations Executive
SOL soldier out of luck
SOSUS sonar surveillance system
