The BIKINI state is an indication of an alert state as used by the British government, specifically the Ministry of Defence, to warn of non-specific forms of terrorist activity. In addition, the TESSERAL system is used to warn of a specific threat of terrorist use of surface to air missiles and/or anti-aircraft guns.
The BIKINI Alert States are defined as follows (most serious at top):
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| Information has been received about an attack on a specific target.
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| There has been specific information received and there is a substantial threat to government targets.
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| There is an increased likelihood of an attack, but no defined target.
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| There has been an assessment made that there is the possibility of an attack, but no defined target.
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| No information available about a specific threat.
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These alert states are also posted at the entrance to government buildings in respect to security and terrorism conditions. Whilst similar to the DEFCON alert states used in the United States, the BIKINI levels are defined by the section of the military or organisation rather than UK-wide. The highest levels of alert, RED and AMBER, are only intended to be maintained for limited times.
The same definitions apply to the TESSERAL alert states except that they are applied to a specific threat to military aircraft. Since TESSERAL applies to specific threats, the WHITE state is not used.
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