![]() adopted the Joint Army/Navy radiotelephony alphabet (or Able Baker) for all its armed forces. Developed by the CCIR (later the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)), it was adopted by various national and international communications, military and transport organizations between 19, including the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN) (later the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)), the US Federal Government and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).Īs World War II began, the various military forces were using different spelling alphabets. The first non-military international spelling alphabet featured global city names, beginning with Amsterdam and ending with Zurich. The history of the NATO phonetic alphabet However, its roots lie in pre-World War I alphabets to improve communication on low-quality and long-distance telephone circuits. Its official name is the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet.įrom watching thrillers or war films, you may think of it as a pilots’ alphabet, and it’s sometimes called the aviation or military alphabet. The ‘Alpha, Bravo’ alphabet isn’t actually a phonetic alphabet but a spelling alphabet, designed not for correct pronunciation but for spelling out information consistently and understandably. ![]() Today, it’s used in commercial and private jet aviation, the military and shipping, and by anyone who needs to ensure they’re understood over a phone or radio. When giving my postcode over the phone, I start with “Papa Echo.” If these words sound familiar, you’re aware of the phonetic alphabet, even if you rarely use it. Do you know the international phonetic alphabet? No?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |