C-5 -
The gigantic C-5 Galaxy, with its tremendous payload capability, provides the Air Mobility Command intertheater airlift in support of United States national defense. The C-5, the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-141 Starlifter are partners of AMC's strategic airlift concept. The aircraft carry fully equipped combat-ready military units to any point in the world on short notice then provide field support required to help sustain the fighting force.

Speed: 518 mph

Range: 6,320 nautical miles

Crew: 7

C4 –
A high quality, very high velocity (that means it goes boom loudly) explosive used for convention al and covert targets. It can be molded in any shape, is quite stable until a detonator is ignited and has excellent mechanical and adhesive properties.

Cali Cartel –
One of the major Colombian drug cartels extremely active during the 1980s. These are brutal people who rule parts of Colombia as if they were monarchs. In Reap the Whirlwind, there are all sorts of people trying to pick up the pieces of the cartels, and in Firewall, Bridger and Layne set up a side business with cartel members.

CANNIBAL –
A fictional system (at least when I thought it up) that shreds Internet packets to determine various attributes. It was developed by one of the Phreaks wunderkinds.

CAP –
Combat Air Patrol is the practice of making sure no one makes a close inspection of one of the United States Navy’s carriers. Traditionally, these have been Tomcats armed with Phoenix missiles.

CAR-15 -
The first carbine version of the M16 assault rifle appeared under the name of CAR-15 in 1965, an was intended for US Special Forces who fought in Vietnam. The original M16 was simply shortened by cutting the half of the length of the barrel (from original 20 inches to 10 inches) and by shortening the butt stock by another 3 inches. The butt was plastic and retractable, the hand guards were of triangular shape and the flash hider was of original three-prong type. The experimental designation was XM-177. (This entry is for Dallas.)

CARNIVORE –
Official FBI system that plugs into an ISP network. It is a Dragonware Suite component. It uses a packet sniffing technology to trace and evaluate email worldwide. While Constitutional prohibitions prevent Carnivore from being broadly deployed inside the United States, there are friendly countries (read Great Britain) who have fewer scruples when it comes to personal liberties. Once inside a network (read something like AOL), it becomes a free fire zone.

CBU-52B –
Popularly called cluster bombs. A canister holds up to 220 anti-personnel/anti-material bomblets. They can be used with a variety of proximity fuses or mechanically timed fuse.

CENTCOM –
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is based at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. CENTCOM’s area of responsibility stretched from the Horn of Africa to Central Africa, including the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea. President Ronald Reagan established the command in January 1983 as the evolutionary successor to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force.

Central Intelligence Agency –
Espionage writers usually call the CIA the Company or Agency. The CIA never recovered from Director Stansfield Turner’s reckless slash and burn policy. He eliminated 802 positions (read field men), placed excessive reliance on ELINT (read he turned analysts into accountants) and basically missed the Fall of the Shah, the take over of the Tehran Embassy, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and few other problems. The Company recovered to some extent under Bill Casey (probably the best Director since Dulles), but went back into the tank due to Iran/Contra and the Clinton apathy. There are signs that the Company is beginning to turn the corner back to what we need (some really bad mothers). In reality the Company needs shooters (like Jim Harper), analysts (like Kyle Sonn and Jonas Benjamin) and spymasters (like Louis Edwards). Finally, espionage involves dealing with less-than-desirable types (traitors, pimps, drug dealers, mass murderers). September 11 was a wakeup call that the first purpose of any agency is to protect American citizens.

CEP –
Circular error probability (CEP) is a radius measurement that describes a missile’s accuracy. A large number indicates an inaccurate missile (e.g. SCUD which can be up to 2000 meters). Generally, inaccurate missiles require bigger bomb to make sure they effectively disable the target.

CIA –
See Central Intelligence Agency.

CIC –
The Combat Information Center (CIC) exists on most naval war ships to some extent. The movie Behind Enemy Lines depicts the CIC very accurately. This is the place where the battle group or ship’s war-fighting takes place. It is crammed full of electronic, communications and fire control gear. Admiral Trevor Barnes in Point of Honor and Reap the Whirlwind spends most of his story time here.

CID –
Central Investigation Division is the predecessor agency to the MSS.

City Killer –
See VX-Beta.

Claymore –
The M18 Claymore is a directional fragmentation mine that weighs about 3.5 pounds and contains 700 anti-personnel ball bearings. These are extraordinarily nasty weapons that have an effective kill zone out to 50 meters. The blast pattern projects over a 60-degree arc. These weapons are used in groups, creating overlapping kill zones. Just to make sure you don’t screw up, engraved on each mine are the words “Front toward enemy.” This is good advice.

Contras –
Nicaraguan rebel group opposed to the communist Sandinista government during the 1980s. The Contras received covert support for their war from the Reagan administration, and further financed their efforts by selling cocaine for guns. There is credible evidence that the CIA participated in this effort.

CNO –
Chief of Naval Operations.

Colombian Air Cargo –
Bogus front company based at the Mena Intermountain Regional Airport. This is a fictional company used as part of the Firewall story line.

COMINT –
Communications Intelligence is gathered from intercepted e-mails, voice and telephone transmissions. These forms of intelligence are gathered through a variety of obvious (e.g. satellite) and subtle (e.g. packet sniffing web robots).

COMSUBGRP2 –
It is currently known as COMSUBGRU TWO. COMSUBGRU TWO has responsibility for oversight of all Atlantic Fleet attack submarine squadrons, which include Submarine Squadrons TWO, FOUR, and Submarine Development Squadron TWELVE in Groton; and Submarine Squadrons SIX and EIGHT in Norfolk. COMSUBGRU TWO also exercises responsibility for the training and certification of new construction and overhaul ships and crews at Electric Boat and Portsmouth Naval Shipyards.

CONUS –
Continental United States.

COSCO –
China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) is basically the PRC’s maritime arm and according to some experts under the direction of the PLA.

CPC –
Communist Party of China

CRE –
Chinese Resources Enterprise (CRE) owns a 10% interest in the Panama Ports Company. CRE is a business partner with Hutchinson Whampoa.

CSS-7 –
Mobile single stage missile similar to an improved SCUD. It is also known as DF-11.

Range: 300 kilometers

Payload: 500 – 800 (?) kilograms

CEP: 200 meters

CTF-70 –
Carrier Task Force 70 is the actual designation for the Kitty Hawk battle group referenced in Reap the Whirlwind.

CTF-70A –
Designation for the linked carrier task force referenced in Reap the Whirlwind. This task force was composed of the Kitty Hawk and John C. Stennis battle groups. I made this one up to represent the joint task force.

CW –
Chemical warfare (e.g. Sarin, VX).

CYCLOPS –
This started out as a fictional system that performed facial recognition based on security camera feeds. I needed the device to track down Harlequin in Blood Covenant. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable technological extrapolation. Imagine my surprise when I learned a system like this was used at the Super Bowl in 2001, or the fact that I worked on an image recognition system in the fall of 2002. By the way, my musings are pretty close to the current state of the art.

Douglas De Bono / DouglasDeBono.Com Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota E-Mail readermail@DouglasDeBono.Com