A

action-enabling
The degree to which a strategic situational awareness capability enables new military options.
arms race stability
A phenomenon in which there is no quantitative or qualitative arms race between two or more states and no situations in which the numbers of weapons or state capabilities spiral to higher and higher levels without reaching an equilibrium. (Source: Intriligator and Brito, "Arms races and instability," 1986).

C

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clandestine
A technology or element of military power that depends on secrecy for its battlefield effectiveness. Once used, an adversary is able to develop countermeasures that negate the advantage conferred to the user of the technology. (Source: Long and Green, "Invisible Doomsday Machines: The Challenge of Clandestine Capabilities and Deterrence," 2017)
crisis stability
The condition under which relations among states are conducive to a reductions in incentives to escalate conflict and minimize the dangers posed by emotion, uncertainty, miscalculation, misperception of adversary capabilities and intentions. (Source: "Strategic Defenses: Two Reports by the Office of Technology Assessment," 1986)

D

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destructiveness
The extent to which a capability destroys/degrades an enemy system, either temporarily or permanently, in achieving its objective.
dual-use
1. Situational awareness capabilities that can be used for both conventional and nuclear purposes, and in fact cannot be used exclusively for one or the other.2. Situational awareness capabilities that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

F

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first-mover incentive
The notion that the first state to pursue an opportunity—an innovative weapon system or doctrine—enjoys an associated long-term competitive advantage. (Source: Sarin, "First-Mover Advantage," 2010)
first-strike stability
The absence of incentives to use a weapon first. This term is usually used in relation to the incentive to use a nuclear weapon first. (Source: Acton, "Reclaiming Strategic Stability," 2013)

I

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intrusiveness
The extent to which a strategic situational awareness capability must enter into an adversary’s territory, airspace or networks.

M

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miscalculation
Inaccurate inferences and misjudgments of consequences and reactions to one’s policies concerning the intentions of potential adversaries, adversary capabilities, the chances of favorable diplomatic settlement, and anticipated consequences of conflict. (Source: Jervis, "War and misperception," 1988)

N

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nuclear deterrence
Forcing an adversary not to act by threatening the use of nuclear force. This can be achieved through the threat of retaliation (deterrence by punishment) or by denying the opponent’s war aims (deterrence by denial). (Source: Ruhle, "Deterrence: what it can (and cannot) do," 2015)

P

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persistence
The extent to which a strategic situational awareness capability to continuously collect information.
precision
1. The level of detail and quality of the information collected. 2. A heightened degree of confidence in the information collected.
predictiveness
The degree to which a strategic situational awareness capability allows a state to anticipate adversary actions as opposed to merely reacting to them.
preemptive-ness
The extent to which a strategic situational awareness capability supports the ability to react to adversary actions before they can be completed.

R

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range
The distance from which new information can be ascertained.
reliability
(Alternatively, resiliency). The extent to which a strategic situational awareness capability can operate in a contested environment.
resiliency
(Alternatively, reliability) The extent to which a strategic situational awareness capability can operate in a contested environment.

S

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speed
A shortening in the time between an adversary's decision to act and the surveilling party detection of it (including the ability to act on that information).
strategic situational awareness
Acronym Strategic SA
The ability to characterize the operating environment including adversary capabilities and distribution of forces, detect attacks, and discern actual attacks from false alarms across the spectrum of conflict, both conventional and nuclear.
strategic stability
A combination of the absence of incentives to use nuclear weapons first (crisis stability) and the absence of incentives to build up a nuclear force (arms race stability). (Source: Acton, "Reclaiming Strategic Stability," 2013)

U

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undetectability
Describes the degree to which an adversary can ascertain that information is being collected by a strategic situational awareness capability.

V

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vantage
The position from which information can be ascertained.
vulnerability
The extent to which an adversary can easily deny the use of a strategic situational awareness capability.