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Military & Defence vocabulary · Command, Orders & Communication

Call sign

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˈkɔːl saɪn/nounCommon term

In military & defence, call sign means: A short name or code that identifies a person, unit, vehicle or aircraft on the radio instead of their real name.

In Turkish: çağrı işareti, çağrı adı

How it is used

Radio messages start with call signs: first the station you are calling, then your own. Call signs are assigned for an exercise or operation and changed regularly. Also written as one word, 'callsign'.

Example sentences

  1. Our call sign for the exercise is Delta Four One.

  2. Check the new call sign list before you go on the radio.

Common collocations

  • call sign list
  • assign a call sign
  • radio call sign
  • use a call sign
  • phonetic alphabetA set of code words used on the radio and telephone to spell letters clearly, such as Alfa for A, Bravo for B and Charlie for C.
  • situation report (SITREP)A short, regular report that tells a higher headquarters the current status of a unit: where it is, what it is doing, its problems and its needs.
  • unitAny organised group of military personnel with its own commander and role, from a small team up to a large formation.
  • orderAn official instruction from a superior that must be carried out; also a formal written document that sets out a plan or task.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Command, Orders & Communication

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