MILITARY ENCYCLOPEDIA

Firearms that discharge one round per trigger pull and automatically chamber the next round, requiring manual operation of the bolt between shots.

A ship or submarine serving as the delivery platform for launching torpedoes against targets.

Surface ship from which a torpedo is launched, typically a destroyer, cruiser, or dedicated torpedo boat.

Ship-based Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) are rapid-fire, radar-guided autocannons or missiles designed to detect and destroy incoming anti-ship missiles, aircraft, and drones at short range.

Ship-launched: a torpedo designed to be deployed from surface warships using onboard launch tubes or deck-mounted launchers.

Anti-ship missiles launched from naval platforms, designed to strike other ships or maritime targets with guided warheads.

Ship-launched SAM/Naval AAW systems are ship-mounted surface-to-air missile systems designed to intercept aerial threats, integrating radar, fire control, and missile launchers for naval anti-aircraft defense.

Artillery tactic where a firing unit rapidly deploys, fires, and relocates to avoid counter-battery fire.

SHORAD: Short-Range Air Defense, a military air defense system.

Short Range Air Defense systems are mobile ground-based weapons designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats such as helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles within a range typically under 10 km.

Firearm operating mechanism where the barrel and breech recoil together a short distance before unlocking, extracting, and ejecting the spent casing.

Short recoil is a firearm operating mechanism where the barrel and slide move together for a short distance after firing, then separate to complete extraction, ejection, and chambering.

Air-to-air missiles designed for engagements within visual range, typically under 20 nautical miles, using infrared or radar guidance for close combat.

Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM) are ballistic missiles with a range of less than 1,000 km, typically used for land-attack missions. They are launched from a mobile or fixed platform and follow a parabolic trajectory.

Short-range nuclear missiles are ballistic or cruise missiles with a range typically under 1,000 km, designed to deliver nuclear warheads for battlefield or tactical use.

A portable rocket or missile launcher designed to be operated by a single soldier from the shoulder.

SIGINT/ELINT satellites are reconnaissance satellites that intercept and collect signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electronic intelligence (ELINT) data, such as radar emissions and communications signals.

Military equipment designed to intercept, identify, and locate foreign communications and electronic signals for intelligence purposes.

Silo-based: a launch configuration in which an intercontinental ballistic missile is stored and launched from a hardened underground silo.

Firearm mechanism requiring manual cocking of the hammer before each shot, firing only when the trigger is pulled.

Firearm or weapon designed to be loaded and fired once before reloading.

A firearm feed system where only one round is chambered and fired per cycle, requiring manual reloading.

A single-use or disposable underbarrel grenade launcher is a type that is intended to be used once and then discarded, often due to its low cost or limited functionality.

Slat or cage armour is an external protective grid designed to detonate incoming anti-tank projectiles before they strike the main vehicle armour.

Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, a ballistic missile launched from a submarine.

Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM): a ballistic missile capable of being launched from a submarine, typically carrying nuclear warheads.

A breech mechanism in artillery where a solid block slides horizontally to open and close the breech for loading.

A recoil system where the gun barrel slides backward within the cradle during firing, absorbing recoil energy before returning to battery.

Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) are compact, precision-guided munitions designed for use in various military aircraft. They are typically smaller and lighter than standard bombs, allowing for increased payload capacity and versatility.

Smoke grenades are pyrotechnic devices deployed by infantry fighting vehicles to create a visual screen, obscuring movement or positions from enemy observation or targeting.

Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.

A smoothbore gun is a firearm with an unrifled barrel, allowing projectiles to travel without spin; it is commonly used in modern tank main guns for firing fin‑stabilized ammunition.

A gun with a barrel having a smooth interior surface, without rifling.

Long-range, high-precision rifles designed for engagements requiring accuracy beyond typical infantry weapons, often equipped with optical scopes.

Propellant consisting of a solid mixture of fuel and oxidizer, enabling long-term storage and immediate launch readiness.

Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) is an acoustic system that emits and receives sound pulses to detect, locate, and classify objects or terrain underwater.

A sonobuoy is a expendable, self‑contained buoy equipped with acoustic or other sensors, deployed from aircraft to detect and track submarines or surface vessels.

Space-based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) are a network of satellites detecting and tracking missile launches and other heat signatures. They provide early warning and targeting information.

Armour with gaps to increase effectiveness against anti-tank projectiles.

A spall liner is an interior armor layer in armored vehicles, such as IFVs, designed to catch or reduce high‑velocity fragments (spall) generated when the vehicle's outer armor is penetrated.

Special Purpose Vehicles are military vehicles designed or modified for specialized missions beyond standard combat roles, including command, logistics, or technical support functions.

A towed artillery carriage configuration where the gun is transported with its two wheels separated, allowing for easier deployment and lower profile when in firing position.

A recoil system component that absorbs and returns energy from firing, reducing stress on the carriage by using compressed springs to cushion recoil.

A nuclear-powered submarine designed to carry and launch submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

SSN: a nuclear-powered attack submarine (hunter-killer), distinct from the ballistic-missile-carrying SSBN.

Fire control system generation using gyroscopically stabilized optics to improve accuracy during vehicle movement.

A firearm or automatic weapon mounted on a vehicle and equipped with a gyroscopic or hydraulic system to reduce recoil and maintain aim during movement.