ABT (air-breathing threat)

ABT stands for air-breathing threat. It is NATO terminology, and NATO's glossary of acronyms and abbreviations lists it as "air-breathing threat" under the NATO Air and Surface Group. The term describes a threat in the air domain that is carried by an air-breathing vehicle or weapon.

Air-breathing threats are discussed alongside other air and missile threats, including ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Canadian suppliers will meet the term in NATO material and in the wider continental defence capability area that Canada's National Defence describes. This page explains the term, its NATO context and how it connects to Canadian defence procurement.

What the NATO glossary says about ABT

The entry appears in the NATO glossary of acronyms and abbreviations (AAP-15). The glossary expands the abbreviation and places it with the NATO Air and Surface Group. It is an abbreviation list, so it gives the expansion rather than a longer prose definition.

The words themselves carry the meaning. "Air-breathing" refers to vehicles and weapons that take in air to operate, and "threat" marks them as something air defence must deal with. Bid teams reading NATO-aligned requirements can read ABT as shorthand for that category.

How air-breathing threats fit into air and missile defence

NATO's demand signal for business and project opportunities describes the threat picture in broader terms. It states that air and missile threats include low, slow and small air-breathing targets. The same list covers uncrewed aerial systems, rocket, artillery and mortar attacks, ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles.

NATO also describes the defence problem this creates. Systems must be able to acquire, track, prioritize and engage threats at different ranges and in all-weather conditions. Related expressions in NATO and Canadian usage include air-domain threats, aerospace threats and air and missile defence.

Where ABT sits in Canada's continental defence work

Canada addresses air-domain threats mainly through NORAD. National Defence states that NORAD is responsible for detecting, deterring and, if necessary, defeating air-domain threats to Canada and the United States.

NORAD modernization, as described in National Defence mandate priorities material, includes enhanced surveillance, improved command, control and communications, and modernized air-weapons systems. Projects identified as relevant to continental defence include the F-35 and a new fleet of air-to-air refuelling aircraft, according to National Defence main estimates material.

Separate National Defence material on Arctic waters surveillance lists procurement of fighter jets, remotely piloted aircraft systems, Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and the replacement of the CP-140 Aurora as projects supporting Arctic capabilities.

What ABT means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

ABT is NATO vocabulary, and the Canadian material above describes the capability area in terms of surveillance, threat detection, command and control, and air weapons. Suppliers working in that area should recognize ABT when it appears in NATO documents and in requirements aligned with NATO.

• Check each solicitation on CanadaBuys for its own definitions of threat types, and answer to those definitions.
• Map your product to the specific functions NATO names: acquiring, tracking, prioritizing and engaging threats.
• Confirm whether a requirement treats air-breathing threats separately from ballistic or hypersonic missiles, since NATO lists them as distinct categories.