AA6 (avenue of approach)

AA6 expands to avenue of approach. In NATO terminology, an avenue of approach is a route or axis that a force uses to approach an objective. The NATO glossary of acronyms and abbreviations lists the entry as "AA6, avenue of approach" and attributes the term to AJP-2.

The term belongs to NATO military planning and intelligence vocabulary. AJP-2 is NATO's joint intelligence doctrine, so the phrase sits in the language used to describe how a force might move toward a location. Canadian suppliers who work with defence buyers, or who read NATO-aligned documents, may come across the code in glossaries and reference lists.

What the NATO glossary says about AA6

The entry comes from AAP-15 (2013), the Glossary of NATO acronyms and abbreviations. That document is published in English and French. It gives three pieces of information for this term: the expansion, which is avenue of approach; the source publication, which is AJP-2; and the preferred abbreviation, which is A/A.

AA6 is therefore a glossary identifier for the term. It is not the abbreviation most writers use in running text.

AA6 and A/A: two labels for one term

The NATO glossary lists A/A as the preferred abbreviation for avenue of approach. AA6 identifies the same entry within the glossary. A reader who sees either label is looking at the same concept.

• AA6: the glossary identifier for the entry.
• A/A: the preferred abbreviation for avenue of approach.
• AJP-2: the NATO joint intelligence doctrine the glossary associates with the term.

Because the labels differ, check which form a document uses before assuming it follows NATO's preferred style.

NATOTerm and the NATO Terminology Office

NATO's official terminology database is NATOTerm. It holds non-classified military terminology as well as non-military terminology relevant to NATO. The NATO Terminology Office maintains it, and that office is part of the NATO Standardization Office. NATO makes its terminology available in both of its official languages, English and French.

For a supplier, NATOTerm is the place to confirm an official NATO definition. NATO also publishes official texts and related resources on its website for wider context.

What AA6 means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

The NATO meaning of AA6 is established. Its use as a term, clause, evaluation criterion, deliverable or requirement in a particular Canadian solicitation is not. A NATO glossary entry does not by itself create a contractual obligation.

If AA6 or A/A appears in a Canadian defence solicitation, read the term as the solicitation defines it. Check these parts of the bid documents:

• the definitions or abbreviations list;
• the statement of work;
• any referenced NATO publications, such as AJP-2;
• written answers from the contracting authority.

If the documents do not define the term clearly, ask the contracting authority through the question period before the bid closes, and keep the written answer with your bid file. That approach keeps your response tied to what the buyer actually requires.