Originally Posted by
havoc
Nap-of-the-earth (abbreviated NOE) is a type of very low-altitude flight course used by military aircraft to avoid enemy detection and attack in a high-threat environment. During NOE flight, geographical features are used as cover, exploiting valleys and folds in the terrain by flying in, rather than over, them.
just to clarify the gentleman did not make the term up, Been around for awhile.
You are correct, NOE has been around since the mid-70's. Calling it NAP has not.