Defense Industry Acronym Glossary

Essential terms for Redstone Arsenal and defense contracting

Agencies & Organizations

Government agencies and military organizations you'll encounter in defense work.

Acronym Full Name Description
DoD Department of Defense The federal department overseeing all military branches and defense activities.
DA Department of the Army The Army's civilian-led department within DoD.
PEO Program Executive Office Organizations that manage major acquisition programs. Huntsville hosts PEO Missiles & Space, PEO Aviation, and others.
PM Program Manager / Project Manager Office or individual responsible for a specific weapon system or program.
MDA Missile Defense Agency DoD agency responsible for ballistic missile defense. Major Huntsville presence.
SMDC Space & Missile Defense Command Army command for space and missile defense operations. Headquartered at Redstone.
AMC Army Materiel Command Manages Army logistics and materiel readiness. Headquartered at Redstone.
ACC Army Contracting Command Handles Army contract awards and administration.
AMCOM Aviation & Missile Command Army command for aviation and missile systems lifecycle management.
NASA National Aeronautics & Space Administration Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is a major NASA facility.
USSF United States Space Force Newest military branch, growing presence in Huntsville.
DCSA Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency Handles security clearance investigations (formerly NBIB/OPM).

Contracting & Acquisition

Contract vehicles, acquisition processes, and procurement terminology.

Acronym Full Name Description
FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation The rules governing federal government procurement.
DFARS Defense FAR Supplement DoD-specific additions to the FAR.
RFP Request for Proposal Solicitation document requesting contractor proposals.
RFI Request for Information Pre-solicitation request to gather market information.
SOW Statement of Work Document defining the work to be performed under contract.
PWS Performance Work Statement Outcome-based work statement (vs. prescriptive SOW).
IDIQ Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract type with task orders issued over time.
CPFF Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract type where costs are reimbursed plus a fixed profit.
FFP Firm Fixed Price Contract with a set price regardless of actual costs.
T&M Time & Materials Contract paying for labor hours plus materials at cost.
GFE/GFP Government Furnished Equipment/Property Equipment or property provided by the government to contractors.
CDRLs Contract Data Requirements List List of deliverables required under a contract.
COR/COTR Contracting Officer Representative Government employee who monitors contractor performance.
KO/CO Contracting Officer Government official with authority to award and modify contracts.

Common Contract Vehicles

Major contract vehicles used in Huntsville defense contracting.

Acronym Full Name Description
ITES-3S IT Enterprise Solutions - 3 Services Major Army IT services contract. Common at Redstone Arsenal.
RS3 RSSSC Solutions for Sensors, Simulation & Software AMCOM contract for modeling, simulation, and software.
OASIS One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services GSA GWAC for complex professional services.
SEWP Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement NASA GWAC for IT products and services.
Alliant 2 Alliant 2 GWAC GSA contract for IT solutions and services.
CIO-SP3 Chief Information Officer - Solutions and Partners 3 NIH GWAC for IT solutions.
GWAC Government-Wide Acquisition Contract Multi-agency contract vehicle for IT products/services.
GSA Schedule GSA Multiple Award Schedule Pre-negotiated contract for products and services.
BPA Blanket Purchase Agreement Simplified acquisition method for recurring purchases.
OTA Other Transaction Authority Flexible acquisition authority outside FAR (used for R&D).

Security Clearances & Access

Clearance levels, access types, and security terminology.

Acronym Full Name Description
TS/SCI Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information Highest common clearance level with compartmented access.
TS Top Secret Clearance for information causing exceptionally grave damage if disclosed.
S Secret Clearance for information causing serious damage if disclosed.
C Confidential Lowest classification level (less common).
CI Poly Counterintelligence Polygraph Polygraph focused on espionage and foreign intelligence.
FS Poly Full Scope Polygraph Comprehensive polygraph including lifestyle questions.
SCIF Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility Secure room for accessing classified information.
SAP Special Access Program Highly restricted programs with additional access controls.
SF-86 Standard Form 86 Questionnaire for National Security Positions (clearance application).
e-QIP Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing Online system for submitting SF-86.
JPAS Joint Personnel Adjudication System Legacy system for clearance verification (being replaced by DISS).
DISS Defense Information System for Security New system replacing JPAS for clearance management.
CAC Common Access Card Smart card used for building and network access.

Technical & Engineering

Systems engineering, testing, and technical terminology.

Acronym Full Name Description
MBSE Model-Based Systems Engineering Using models as primary artifact for systems engineering.
SysML Systems Modeling Language Graphical modeling language for systems engineering.
V&V Verification & Validation Confirming system meets requirements and user needs.
DT&E Developmental Test & Evaluation Testing during system development phase.
OT&E Operational Test & Evaluation Testing under realistic operational conditions.
IOT&E Initial Operational Test & Evaluation First major operational test before full production.
SRR System Requirements Review Milestone review of system-level requirements.
PDR Preliminary Design Review Review of design approach before detailed design.
CDR Critical Design Review Review of detailed design before fabrication.
TRR Test Readiness Review Review confirming system ready for testing.
FRD Functional Requirements Document Document specifying system functional requirements.
ICD Interface Control Document Document defining system interfaces.
CONOPS Concept of Operations Document describing how system will be used operationally.
TEMP Test & Evaluation Master Plan Comprehensive plan for system testing.
SEMP Systems Engineering Management Plan Plan governing systems engineering activities.

IT & Cybersecurity

Information technology, networks, and cybersecurity terminology.

Acronym Full Name Description
RMF Risk Management Framework DoD framework for cybersecurity authorization.
ATO Authority to Operate Approval to operate an IT system on DoD networks.
IATT Interim Authority to Test Temporary approval for testing before full ATO.
CMMC Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification DoD cybersecurity certification for contractors.
NIST National Institute of Standards & Technology Agency providing cybersecurity frameworks and standards.
STIG Security Technical Implementation Guide Configuration standards for securing IT systems.
ISSO Information System Security Officer Person responsible for system security posture.
ISSM Information System Security Manager Manager overseeing multiple ISSOs/systems.
DevSecOps Development, Security, Operations Integrating security into DevOps practices.
CI/CD Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery Automated software build and deployment practices.
SIPRNet Secret Internet Protocol Router Network DoD network for Secret-level information.
NIPRNet Non-classified IP Router Network DoD unclassified network.
JWICS Joint Worldwide Intelligence Comm System Network for TS/SCI information.

Workplace & General Terms

Common terms you'll hear in defense workplace settings.

Acronym Full Name Description
CONUS Continental United States The 48 contiguous states.
OCONUS Outside Continental United States Locations outside the lower 48 (including Alaska, Hawaii).
TDY Temporary Duty Short-term assignment away from normal work location.
PCS Permanent Change of Station Relocation to a new duty station (military term).
9/80 9/80 Work Schedule 80 hours over 9 days; every other Friday off.
4/10 4/10 Work Schedule Four 10-hour days per week.
AWS Alternate Work Schedule Non-standard work schedule (9/80, 4/10, etc.).
SME Subject Matter Expert Person with deep expertise in a specific area.
IPT Integrated Product Team Cross-functional team working on a product/system.
WBS Work Breakdown Structure Hierarchical decomposition of project work.
EVM Earned Value Management Project performance measurement technique.
IMS Integrated Master Schedule Comprehensive project schedule.
POC Point of Contact Primary person for a specific topic or area.
OPR Office of Primary Responsibility Organization responsible for an action or task.

Quick Reference: Huntsville-Specific Terms