Military

Landman (naval rank) Landman (rank) A historical naval rank for recruits with little or no sea experience, used in navies such as the Royal Navy and the United States Navy. It denoted the lowest enlisted rate and an…

Leander-class frigate (Type 12M) Leander-class frigate A versatile mid-20th-century Royal Navy frigate design (Type 12M) used for anti-submarine and general escort duties, widely exported and noted for its longevity and cultural presen…

Lee–Enfield — British bolt-action service rifle Lee-Enfield A concise encyclopedic overview of the Lee–Enfield family: design, service history, variants, performance, and legacy in British and Commonwealth forces.

Legionary (Roman professional soldier) Legionary A legionary was a Roman citizen serving as a full-time infantryman in a legion. This article explains recruitment, organization, training, equipment, discipline, and the historical…

Leirpollen concentration camp (Sør-Varanger, Norway) Leirpollen (concentration camp) Leirpollen was a small World War II detention site in Finnmark, Norway, where Soviet prisoners and suspected partisans were held; a 1998 Norwegian report called it an extermination…

Lieutenant (rank) Lieutenant Lieutenant is a common supervisory officer rank in military, police and fire services. The term denotes a deputy who acts in place of a superior and appears in many national rank s…

Lieutenant colonel: role, rank, history and duties Lieutenant colonel A senior field-grade officer rank in many armies, marine forces and some air forces, typically above major and below colonel and often in command of a battalion or similar unit.

Lieutenant commander (naval rank) Lieutenant commander A commissioned naval officer rank that sits between lieutenant and commander; common in many navies and equivalent to army major or air force squadron leader, with duties from smal…

Lieutenant General A senior military rank, typically a three-star officer (NATO OF-8) ranking below a full general and above a major general; used in many armed forces with national variations.

Light machine gun (LMG) Light machine gun A light machine gun (LMG) is a portable automatic firearm that provides mobile suppressive fire for small infantry units, often serving as a squad automatic weapon and carried by a…

Limited War: Definition, History, Characteristics, and Examples Limited war An overview of limited war: what it is, how it differs from total war, historical development, common strategies, and notable modern examples.

Line (military formation) Line (formation) A formation in which soldiers stand side-by-side in ranks to maximize frontage and coordinated fire; widely used by infantry from antiquity into the age of muskets and beyond.

List of Chief Military Rabbis (Israel): overview and notable holders List of Chief Military Rabbis Overview of the Chief Military Rabbi post in the Israel Defense Forces, its duties, rank, history and pointers to official lists of officeholders.

Field guns: types, characteristics and historical overview List of field guns Overview of field guns: design, mobility (towed or self-propelled), historical development, tactical roles (long-range and counter-battery) and how they differ from other artillery…

List of heavy mortars Overview and context for heavy mortars: large-calibre, high-angle weapons used for close support, trench and siege operations, their characteristics, history, uses and how they dif…

Howitzers: Types, History, and Notable Examples List of howitzers Overview of howitzers — high-angle artillery pieces — with characteristics, historical development, common types, and notable examples including towed and self-propelled models.

Infantry guns — direct-fire artillery for close infantry support List of infantry guns Infantry guns are light direct-fire artillery pieces used to support infantry with high-explosive and anti-structure fire. They differ from mortars, field guns and vehicle-mounted…

List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients Overview and context for U.S. Medal of Honor awards during the Korean War, including criteria, notable recipients, how lists are organized, and historical patterns.

Last surviving World War I veterans, by country List of last surviving World War I veterans by country An overview of how nations identified their last surviving World War I veterans, important examples, verification issues, and the historical significance of these final witnesses.

Medal of Honor recipients in peacetime (pre–World War II) List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime Overview and context of Medal of Honor awards given for non-combat acts before World War II, including typical incidents, organizational notes for lists, and how the practice chang…

Medal of Honor recipients of the Battle of Iwo Jima List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Iwo Jima Overview of the 27 Medals of Honor awarded for actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, with context on the battle, award criteria, distribution by service, and historical si…

Medal of Honor recipients in World War I List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War I Overview of United States Medal of Honor awards during World War I: context, numbers by service, notable recipients, dual awards and the award's legacy.

Medal of Honor recipients in World War II List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II An organized overview of the 464 United States Medal of Honor recipients in World War II, explaining the award's criteria, distribution by service, notable honorees, historical con…

Little Boy — first atomic bomb used in warfare Little Boy Little Boy was the uranium gun-type atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. It was the first nuclear weapon used in war and shaped the closing days of World War II a…

Lockheed C-130 Hercules Four-engine turboprop military transport introduced in 1957. Widely used for tactical airlift, airdrop, medevac and many special missions; notable for versatility, ruggedness and l…

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter Four-engine jet strategic transport built by Lockheed for the U.S. Air Force. Served 1965–2006 in airlift, aeromedical evacuation and humanitarian roles; 285 built and later replac…

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy: United States Strategic Airlifter Lockheed C-5 Galaxy The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a very large strategic military transport used by the United States Air Force since 1970. It hauls oversized cargo, supports global deployments and was m…

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor A fifth-generation stealth air superiority fighter developed by Lockheed Martin. Known for stealth, supercruise, thrust vectoring and advanced sensor fusion; entered U.S. service i…

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II An accessible overview of the F-35 Lightning II family: design, variants, capabilities, development history, uses, operators, and notable debates surrounding the program.

Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft Lockheed P-3 Orion Four‑engine turboprop maritime patrol and anti‑submarine aircraft developed by Lockheed in the late 1950s; long‑endurance platform used worldwide in surveillance, ASW, and special…

Lockheed P-38 Lightning Twin-boom, twin-engine American World War II fighter by Lockheed; long-range escort, interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft noted for concentrated nose armament and versatile serv…

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star Early American jet fighter developed at the end of WWII. Entered service postwar, flew in Korea, and was the basis for the T-33 trainer and the F-94 interceptor.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird The SR-71 Blackbird is a long-range, Mach‑3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works in the 1960s for the United States Air Force, noted for titanium…

Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star — two-seat jet trainer derived from the P-80 Lockheed T-33 Two-seat American jet trainer developed from the P-80 Shooting Star in the late 1940s. Widely exported, built under license in Canada and Japan, and preserved in museums worldwide.

Long March (1934–1935) Long March Strategic retreat of Chinese Communist forces during 1934–1935 that preserved their leadership and became a founding episode of the People's Republic of China.

Long-range shooting: principles, equipment, and applications Long range shooting Long-range shooting is making accurate shots at distances beyond ordinary engagement. Covers equipment, ballistics, technique, history, uses, safety, and distinctions between preci…

Longbow: design, history, and battlefield role Longbow A longbow is a powerful traditional weapon used from prehistory through the late medieval period; notable for its simple construction, rapid rate of fire, and profound military and…

Longsword (European two-handed sword) Longsword A European two-handed sword used mainly from the late medieval to the Renaissance era, notable for its long blade and grip, varied techniques, and a rich tradition of fencing treat…

Los Alamitos Army Airfield Military airfield within Los Alamitos, California (ICAO: KSLI, FAA LID: SLI). Supports training, National Guard and reserve operations, aviation support and logistics within an urb…

Louise Michel Battalions (French‑speaking units of the International Brigades) Louise Michel Battalions Two French‑speaking volunteer battalions in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War were named for Louise Michel, invoking the legacy of the 1871 Paris Commune and anti…

LTV A-7 Corsair II Carrier-capable subsonic attack aircraft by Ling-Temco-Vought, first flown in 1965 and introduced in 1967; designed for precision ground attack and close air support.

Luftwaffe: history, role, organization and notable aircraft Luftwaffe Luftwaffe — the German air force, historically the air arm of Nazi Germany (1935–1945) and re-established in 1955 — overview of its history, missions, organization and aircraft.

Luger pistol (Parabellum P08) Luger The Luger is an early 20th-century German semi-automatic pistol, noted for its toggle-lock action, association with the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, high craftsmanship, and service…

M60 machine gun M-60 machine gun American 7.62×51mm NATO belt‑fed general-purpose machine gun introduced in 1957, widely used by U.S. forces in Vietnam and later conflicts; gradually supplanted by the M240 in many…

M1 Abrams main battle tank M1 Abrams American main battle tank introduced in 1980, known for powerful turbine engine, layered armor and long service life; exported to several nations and continually upgraded.

M1 Garand: U.S. Semi-Automatic Service Rifle M1 Garand The M1 Garand is a gas-operated, .30-caliber semi-automatic rifle adopted as the U.S. service rifle in 1936; widely used in World War II and Korea and notable for its eight-round e…

M129 40 mm automatic grenade launcher M129 grenade launcher A helicopter-mounted American 40 mm automatic grenade launcher developed in 1966 as an improved, higher-rate-of-fire successor to the M75, used for aerial suppressive and offensive…

M16 rifle A lightweight 5.56×45mm NATO military rifle developed from the AR-15 in the 1950s–60s; widely used by the US military and many other countries in several variants.