ABL

airborne laser

AEDC

Arnold Engineering Development Center

AFB

Air Force Base

AFIT

Air Force Institute of Technology

AFMC

Air Force Materiel Command

AFRL

Air Force Research Laboratory

CAS

cost-accounting standards

CEO

chief executive officer

CFD

computational fluid dynamics

COTS

commercial off-the-shelf

DARPA

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DASA

DaimlerChrysler Aerospace

DCS

deputy chief of staff

DoD

U.S. Department of Defense

DSB

Defense Science Board

EMD

engineering and manufacturing development

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FAR

Federal Acquisition Regulations

FFRDC

Federally Funded Research and Development Center

FSA

Future Strike Aircraft

FY

fiscal year

GOCO

government-owned, contractor-operated

GPS

global positioning system

IHPTET

Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology

IR&D

independent research and development

ITAR

International Traffic in Arms Regulations

JPL

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JSF

Joint Strike Fighter

LAI

Lean Aerospace Initiative

Mil-Spec

military specification

MOSA

modular open systems architecture

NAE

National Academy of Engineering

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NMD

National Missile Defense

NRC

National Research Council

O&M

operations and maintenance

ODTC

Office of Defense Trade Controls

OPM

Office of Personnel Management

OSD

Office of the Secretary of Defense

QDR

Quadrennial Defense Review

R&D

research and development

RDT&E

research, development, test, and evaluation

RLV

reusable launch vehicle

ROI

return on investment

S&T

science and technology

SBL

Space-Based Laser

TINA

Truth in Negotiations Act

UAV

unmanned air vehicle

UCAV

unmanned combat air vehicle

USAF

U.S. Air Force