# Questions about fighter pilot aviation "language"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 12, 2016, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710 "2016-07-12T07:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/1 "2016-07-12T07:41:32Z")

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I have a couple of questions about the \*“Angels 21” “Mud Spike” “Bandits” “Bogeys” \*lingo used by American military aviators:

1. What’s the term for this “language,” for lack of a better way to put it?

2. Does anyone have any particular insight into how other countries do it? Does pretty much every air force in the world communicate in combat with their linguistic equivalent of, _“Vector \_\_\_\_ Engage \_\_\_\_ at \_\_\_\_, (numbers numbers) (jargon jargon)?”_

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/2 "2016-07-12T08:56:17Z")

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1. Jargon. Every profession has it, because they all need specialized terms to convey very specific information in the shortest amount of time/words.

2. AFAIK most NATO countries’ pilots (both military and civilian) speak in English over the comms regardless of nationality, and use NATO (i.e. US) terminology.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/3 "2016-07-12T11:31:28Z")

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The RAF called it [banter, maybe…](https://youtu.be/myIB1TrPpTE?t=8)😃

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/4 "2016-07-12T11:41:16Z")

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Isn’t the jargon originally English from WW1?

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/5 "2016-07-12T12:59:42Z")

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“Bogey’s in the weeds, not squawking.”

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-fighter-pilot-aviation-language/759710/6 "2016-07-12T13:41:03Z")

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They’re called “brevity codes” and are intended to be a way for military people to convey certain standard information in a short and clear fashion to minimize radio chatter. They also serve as standardizing terms- “bandit” is widely understood to mean hostile aircraft, for example.

So if Maverick was going to shoot the MIG down with a Sidewinder, he’d say “FOX 2” when he fires, rather than “Firing a Sidewinder now.”, for example.

Here’s a list of them- don’t know if it’s complete though.

> **[Multiservice tactical brevity code | F](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiservice_tactical_brevity_code#F)**
>
> Inbound torpedo.