List of established military terms


This is a list of established military terms which have been in use for at least 50 years. Since technology has changed, not all of them are in current use, or they may have been superseded by more modern terms. However, they are still in current use in articles about previous military periods. Some of them like camouflet have been adapted to describe modern versions of old techniques.

Administrative

These terms are used for talking about how armed forces are used.
Many of the terms below can be applied to combat in other environments although most often used in reference to land warfare.
These terms concern identification of means of combat to inflict damage on the opponent.

Edged

Weapons that inflict damage through cutting or stabbing.
Munitions are weapons and ordnance that inflict damage through impact.
Individual
Firearms
Crew-served, non-vehicle mounted weapons
Guns
Explosive ordnance causes damage through release of chemical energy.
Incendiary ordnance causes damage through release of heat.

Arms and services

These terms concern combat arms and supporting services of armed forces used in naval warfare.

Doctrinal

These terms concern the type of use of naval armed forces.

Air

Arms and services

These terms concern combat arms and supporting services of armed forces used in air warfare.

Operational

These terms concern the type of use of aviation armed forces.

Tactics