Tango down is said to originate in military slang. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, established by the 1930s, the letter T is tango and became slang for target, or “enemy.” ... Tango down thus means the enemy has been defeated.

Why do they call bad guys tangos?

According to the Multiservice tactical brevity code , a Bandit is an aircraft identified as an enemy. Tango is the phonetic for the letter T, and stands for Target.

What does bandit mean in the military?

Bandit. An aircraft identified as enemy, in accordance with theater ID criteria. The term does not necessarily imply direction or authority to engage.