identification friend or foe

noun

In a civilian aircraft: a transponder that responds by sending a code identifying itself.

Similar
IFF
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Meanings

nounidentification friend or foe (uncountable)
  1. An identification system designed for command and control. It enables military and national (civilian air traffic control) interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and their range from the interrogator.
    1. uncountableIn a civilian aircraft: a transponder that responds by sending a code identifying itself.
    2. uncountableIn a military aircraft: a transponder that responds by sending a similarly coded signal, only when detecting a code indicating the radar is part of the friendly forces' network.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
IFF
Broader
combat identification

Translations

Finnish omatunnuslaite
  • omatunnuslaiteidentification friend or foe (IFF)
German Freund-Feind-Erkennung
  • Freund-Feind-Erkennungidentification friend or foe (IFF)
Italian identificazione amico o nemico
  • identificazione amico o nemicoidentification friend or foe (IFF)
Cite this entry
APA

identification friend or foe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/identification%20friend%20or%20foe

MLA

“identification friend or foe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/identification%20friend%20or%20foe. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “identification friend or foe,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/identification%20friend%20or%20foe.

Source: identification friend or foe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.