Globalisation, coupled with the accessibility of the Internet in the modern world, can result in things meaning very different things to different people. Common terms can be misused too; we have seen some very interesting interpretations of meanings in our various lifetimes! We have decided to put a lexicon on the website so we can keep the pages tight to the usually defined and abbreviated form. Apologies if that makes them a little awkward to read. Rather than a straight glossary, herein is a lexicon to aid better the background as often a little more context is needed in this highly specialist field and easily stated, yet difficult to actually do set of technologies and problems.

This is not going to be exhaustive, but will list many of the acronyms and areas where an explanation is best served. We will assume most of the common Telecommunications and Military Signals terms are standard, for the avoidance of doubt we will always use the UK meaning. If we choose to alter that to a NATO or other jurisdiction then it will be listed below. Feel free to Contact Us to ask us to update this page with something we haven't yet put on here.

The common Electronic Warfare acronyms are excluded.

The following links are the various pages in alphabetic order for our site's use of various abbreviations and our intended meaning, {use the links to relevant pages}:

MEMS - Microelectromechanical Systems. In essence these are micro-machines or devices that are highly miniaturised and employ as part of the semiconductor, fabrication elements or actuators that can be moving parts. It is one of the methods to realise a design such as a 'lab on a chip'.

MIG - Metal Inert Gas. This is a type of welding which is essentially a metal arc welding technique using a wire-based feeding element and an inert gas of rich Argon and low Carbon Dioxide. This was developed primarily for non-ferrous metals and Aluminium, although due to its speed it is now commonly used on Steel.

mil(DSP) - Military - Defence Standards Programme.

MoD - Ministry of Defence. We exclusively mean that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, unless we clearly stipulate otherwise.

MOTS - Military Off The Shelf. See COTS.

MP - a democratically elected Member of Parliament, who is so representing the people and businesses of their elected local area.

MQ - Married Quarters. A quaint and old term meaning a house or other dwelling for a member of the Armed Forces and their family. See also SLA.

MT - Motor Transport. A military driver of many classes of civilian and specialist vehicles.

MTBF - Mean Time Before Failure.

MTMC(I) - Mission Training and Mobilisation Centre  (Individual). A Ministry of Defence pre-mobilisation centre to make ready skills and combat kit just prior to deployment into an operational environment.

MTO - Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US. The organisation has the specialist programmes of AEO {Adaptive Execution Office}, DSO {Defence Sciences Office}, I2O {Information Innovation Office}, MTO {Microsystems Technology Office}, STO {Strategic Technology Office}, TTO {Tactical Technology Office} and BTO {Biological Technologies Office}.

MTTF - Mean Time To Failure.

NANO - Nano(technologies). Components and devices on the billionth of a metre scale. Hence the use of the SI prefix nano.

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The precursor to this treaty was the Treaty of Brussels signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the UK on 17th March 1948. Six months later this led to a Western European Union defence organisation and the US was seen as key to that stability, seven months later in Washington D.C. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed on 4th April 1949. There are now 28 Member States of NATO who all agree to a collective defence system to come to the aid of any other. It is this treaty from which each member agrees to invest 2% of GDP on defence spending.

NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement.

NED - Non-Executive Director. This is a Board member that is a part-timer.

NEMA - National Electrical Manufacturers Association. This is the Association of Electrical Equipment and Medical Imaging Manufacturers.

NEMS - Nano-Electromechanical Systems.

NFF - Navy Families Federation.

NMA - National Memorial Arboretum. See Security & Remembrance pages for more details.

NSS - National Security Strategy. This is a high level policy document of the UK Government.

NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board. US safety organisation for the investigation and policies for aviation, rail, sea and certain road accidents. They also have the same responsibilities for pipelines.