The Bambini-Code was a
brevity code used for tactical
radio voice communications by the
Swiss Air Force (SAF).
It was developed by the SAF during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and was used until 1998.
It is sometimes referred to as the "fifth national language" of Switzerland.
[Schindi's Sky, V5_kommunikation_frame.htm]
(self-published)
History
The code was developed from the need to communicate via poor-quality radio links in the noisy environment of the aircraft then in service with the SAF. It was used by the SAF from around the start of the Second World War until 1998.
As the SAF started to have regular communications with foreign air forces in
Switzerland and abroad, the Bambini-Code was no longer suitable. For example, with the retirement of the
Hawker Hunter from SAF service in 1994, SAF pilots in the United States learning to fly its replacement the
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
found they could not be understood when using the Bambini-code.
So in 1998 the SAF changed to the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
standard
multiservice tactical brevity code
Multiservice tactical brevity codes are codes used by various military forces. The codes' procedure words, a type of voice procedure, are designed to convey complex information with a few words.
American/NATO codes
This is a list of American ...
. This was also at the time the SAF switched from using the
metric system
The metric system is a system of measurement that succeeded the decimalised system based on the metre that had been introduced in France in the 1790s. The historical development of these systems culminated in the definition of the Interna ...
of measurement to the
Imperial units
The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units (also known as British Imperial or Exchequer Standards of 1826) is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed th ...
of feet and miles per hour, although it kept the use of litres rather than gallons as the measurement unit for fuel. The NATO Brevity Code is now the standard code for the SAF at any time.
Code words
The Bambini-code comprised a vocabulary of about 500 words.
The code words were chosen so that they were phonetically as clear and distinct as possible. Vowel-rich words meet this requirement best and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
words tend to have this characteristic, so many of the codewords sound Italian. For example, ''"Bambini"'' is the Italian for ''"Children"''.
Examples of code words
Some of the words are given below with their meanings in English.
*Addio = Dispersal, disengagement
*ALA = Flaps
*Alarme = Alarm
*Altezza = Altitude above sea level in hectometers
*Alto = Top, high
*Angeli = Friendly aircraft (Angeli is Swiss German for little angel)
*Atlanta = West
*Attaco ident numero = Tactical attack to read the aircraft Serial No.
*Attaco ident Timonella = Tactical attack to force an aircraft to land
*Attaco Siwa = Attack with Sidewinder missile
*Attendez = Wait
*Attendez campo = Wait on the airfield
*Avanti = Start attack, attack curve
*Aviso = Message, information
*Bambini = All our aircraft
*Basso = Below
*Bello = Friendly aircraft are safe
*Bibi = Fighter
*Bingo = Fuel remaining on reserve
*Camille = Fuel at 1000 lbs / l
*Campari = Fuel (
Campari
Campari () is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif (20.5%, 21%, 24%, 25%, or 28.5% ABV, depending on the country where it is sold), obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit (including chinotto and cascarilla) in alcohol a ...
is an Italian
apéritif).
*Campo = Airfield, base
*Capito = Understood
*Carello = Landing gear (''caRrello'' is Italian both for shopping trolley and
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
)
*Casino = Home base
*Clearance = Release, authorization
*Colonna = Column
*Color = Landing lights
*Condor = Unidentified aircraft
*Conditione = Weather conditions
*Corso = Compascurs
*Demitour = Reverse curve
*Descenze = Descent
*Diaboli = Enemy aircraft
*Domanda = Request
*Finale = Final approach
*Finito = End of the radio traffic, closed end
*Formazione grande = Wide formation
*Formazione picco = Close formation
*Gardez = Watch it, watch
*Inferno = Rain
*In posizione = In position
*In siesta = In peace
*Lago = Lake, water
*Libero = Not used, free
*Lili = Left
*Lilitour = Turn 90° left
*Mekka = East
*Meteo = Weather
*Montare Pece = Maximum afterburner climb
*Montare sec = Climb at full throttle
*Nase = straight ahead (Nase is German for nose)
*Nobis = No
*Nobis capitonnage = Not understood
*Norwega = North
*Partenza = Start, departure
*Pece =
Afterburner
An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and co ...
*Piano = Slow, slower
*Piccolo = Little, small
*Positione = Location
* = Probably
*Positione = Partenza location
*Pressione = Speed
*Presto = Fast, faster
*Pronto = Ready
*Rendezvous = Meeting time
*Repetez = Repeat the message
*Rera = Right
*Reratour = Turn 90° right
*Reravolte = right turn
*Riposo = Land
*Riposo direkt = Direct approach
*Risponde = Reply
*Ritorno = Return
*Sec = Full throttle
*Silencium = Radio silence
*Siwa =
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prove ...
missile
*Sopra = Over
*Stabilo = Back
*Stuka =
Dive brake
Dive brakes or dive flaps are deployed to slow down an aircraft when in a dive. They often consist of a metal flap that is lowered against the air flow, thus creating drag and reducing dive speed.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
s ("Stuka" is an abbreviation of ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', the German term for a
dive bomber)
*Subito = Immediately
*Sudan = South
*Timo Ella = Call for landing
*Tiralto = Pull command
*Touchez Repartenza =
Touch-and-go landing
*Vista = View, sight
References
Citations
Bibliography
*{{citation , url=http://www.wings-aviation.ch/16-SAF/100-Flugwaffe/Bambini-e.htm , title=Der Bambini-Code , trans-title=The Bambini-code , publisher=Wings-Aviation.ch , language=de , date=1 January 2007 , access-date=2013-06-23 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223060644/http://www.wings-aviation.ch/16-SAF/100-Flugwaffe/Bambini-e.htm , archive-date=2014-02-23 , url-status=dead
External links
*Bambini-code in use between a
Dassault Mirage III
The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach number, Mach 2 ...
and a TFC on the Florida Radar System at 5:35 on YouTub
Swiss Air Force
Military history of Switzerland
Brevity codes