Euronaval notes, #1

Just back from a week at the Euronaval naval defence show in Paris. Here are some notes and observations of passing relevance (or note) to this blog.

• English-language terms of note (and listed for more detailed analysis on this blog) include:

• autonomy & autonomous

• DCNS's 'autonomy boosting sections' (also the video here) is a good example of the problem posed by the word 'autonomy'.

• mine warfare & MCM. See my post here.

• UAV, UAS, RPCA and a host of related terms and acronyms. See my post here.

Interesting, for a technical writer and translator, to observe that:

• while I didn't notice any 'howlers' like those observed at Euronaval and Paris Air Show events a couple of decades or more ago, it is still surprising to see how many signs, slogans, web sites, videos, brochures and more still use wobbly or plodding English.... and often by the biggest and best funded companies too
• the verb 'prep' (from 'prepare') is increasingly popular with English-language defence industry journalists
• iXBlue, a spectacular rising star in the French defence and high tech sectors, boasts, in addition to cutting-edge technologies, products and marketing:

• arguably best-in-industry English-language web site and product documentation
• a management team that includes (and this is rare indeed among French defence contractors) foreign-trained and English-speaking executives who, I suspect, keep a close eye on the just-mentioned web site and product documentation.