Mirv, Marv & Mad

Defense experts use so many acronyms and abbreviations that they sometimes seem to be talking in a secret language. The various cruise missiles, for example, are fondly called "alcoms," "slickems" and "glickems"--for the ALCM (air-launched cruise missile), SLCM (sea-launched) and GLCM (ground-launched).

The basic missile is still known by its initials, ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), but its systems for multiple warheads sound more like a team of comedians--MIRV and MARV (for multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle and the more advanced maneuverable reentry vehicle whose course can be adjusted after launch).

SALT, which is widely known as the name for Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, has now given birth to CAT, standing for talks on conventional arms transfers. "Aywax," meanwhile, is not used for polishing floors, but is the way AWACS is pronounced, signifying airborne warning and control system, a flying command post loaded with computers. Most descriptive of the terms in this arcane tongue is the acronym for the balance of terror concept known as "mutual assured destruction"; it, of course, is called MAD.

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