Military

Naval Academy Mürwik: German Navy Officer Training School in Flensburg Mürwik Naval School Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg is the German Navy's officer school, housed in a red-brick, castle-like campus by Flensburg Fjord offering academic instruction, seamanship and le…

Musado: German martial art inspired by Korean traditions Musado Musado is a modern German martial art influenced by Korean systems. It includes a civilian traditional branch and a Military Combat System (MCS) for police and armed forces, emphas…

Musket: muzzleloading shoulder firearm and its historical evolution Musket A musket is a muzzleloading, shoulder-fired smoothbore firearm that dominated infantry warfare from the 16th to the mid-19th century before being superseded by rifles and cartridge…

Mustard gas (sulfur mustard) Mustard gas Sulfur mustard, commonly called mustard gas, is a blistering chemical warfare agent. This article summarizes its chemistry, effects on health, historical use, legal controls, and m…

Mutual Assured Destruction Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a Cold War-era nuclear deterrence doctrine in which two opponents possess the secure capacity to inflict unacceptable retaliation, discouraging…

Muzzleloader: definition, types, history, and modern uses Muzzleloader A muzzleloader is a firearm loaded from the front of the barrel. This article explains how muzzleloaders work, their key types and mechanisms, historical development, and contempor…

Nagamaki: the long-wrapped Japanese sword-glaive Nagamaki Nagamaki is a Japanese long-handled sword-like glaive used from the late Heian–Muromachi eras. It features a long blade and a cord-wrapped grip; used by infantry for sweeping cuts…

Naginata: Japanese polearm — design, history, tactics and cultural role Naginata Naginata is a traditional Japanese pole weapon with a curved blade on a long shaft. This article covers its construction, historical development, battlefield use, role in society,…

Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army The military force formed in 1992 by the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh). Ethnically Armenian in composition, its status and territory remain internationally di…

Nail bomb An improvised anti‑personnel explosive that uses small metal fragments to increase casualties; notable for its traumatic injuries, criminal use, and the public‑safety challenges it…

Napalm: composition, history, properties and military use Napalm Napalm is a thickened incendiary fuel used to create sticky, long-burning fire. This article summarizes its development, chemistry, historical use, effects, and distinctions from o…

Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815) Napoleonic Wars A series of European wars dominated by Napoleon Bonaparte after the French Revolution; reshaped armies, diplomacy and political boundaries and concluded with Waterloo and the Congr…

National Museum of the Marine Corps The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, presents the history, traditions, and artifacts of the U.S. Marine Corps through galleries, exhibits, education progr…

National Museum of the United States Air Force Official museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. Houses over 400 aircraft and missiles, with restoration, exhibits on aviation and space history, an…

National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee, NVA) National People's Army The National People's Army was the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), created in 1956, structured on Soviet principles and disbanded at German reunifica…

Naval Air Station Glenview Former U.S. Navy air base in Glenview, Illinois. Built as a naval reserve aviation field, it trained aviators, hosted reserve units, and was closed and redeveloped into mixed-use l…

Naval aviation Naval aviation is the branch of a navy that operates aircraft at sea. It includes shipborne fixed-wing planes, helicopters, and unmanned systems used for reconnaissance, strike, an…

Naval base (military port) Naval base A naval base is a secure military port that supports warships, submarines and naval aircraft—providing berthing, logistics, maintenance, training and command facilities for sea ope…

Naval ensign A naval ensign is the flag flown by a country's warships to show nationality and authority; it may be the national flag or a distinct design and differs from civil ensigns and jack…

Naval Fleet: Organization, Command Structure, and Operational Roles Naval fleet Examine naval fleets: how they’re organized, commanded and deployed. Covers fleet hierarchies, ranks of commanding officers, squadron composition, and modern versus historical oper…

Naval History & Heritage Command: U.S. Navy Historical Stewardship Naval History & Heritage Command Official U.S. Navy command that preserves, researches, and presents naval history through archives, museums, conservation, and public programs across multiple sites.

Naval mine A naval mine is an explosive device placed in water to damage or sink ships and submarines. This article explains types, deployment, history, legal issues, uses, and countermeasure…

Naval ship A naval ship is a warship or auxiliary vessel operated by a nation's navy. This article explains design, main types, historical development, roles, and legal distinctions of naval…

Naval warfare: overview, history, forces and modern roles Naval warfare Naval warfare is combat at sea involving ships, submarines, aircraft and amphibious forces. This article covers its characteristics, history, major platforms, tactics, and modern i…

Navy (Naval Forces) Navy A navy is a nation's maritime military service responsible for operations at sea, using warships, submarines, naval aviation and specialized forces to protect maritime interests an…

New York and New Jersey Campaign (1776–1777) New York and New Jersey Campaign A series of military operations in 1776–77 in which British forces captured New York City and occupied New Jersey, while Washington's army staged a retreat and later counterattacks…

New Zealand Defence Force The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is the country's unified armed services, responsible for national defence, disaster response and international peacekeeping through army, navy…

NH Industries NH90 multi-role military helicopter NH Industries NH90 Twin-engine, medium-sized multi-role helicopter by NHIndustries for troop transport, naval operations and anti-submarine warfare; produced as TTH and NFH variants and used by sever…

No. 3 Fighter Sector RAAF (3FS) — Townsville World War II Fighter Control No. 3 Fighter Sector RAAF No. 3 Fighter Sector (3FS) was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter control unit based at Townsville in World War II, coordinating detection, plotting and fighter responses from 19…

Non-commissioned officer (NCO) Non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted military leader promoted into positions of authority without a formal commission, responsible for training, discipline, and day-to-d…

North American F-82 Twin Mustang Twin-fuselage, long-range piston fighter developed from the P-51 Mustang late in WWII; served with the United States Air Force in the late 1940s and early Korean War as day and nig…

North American F-86 Sabre: Cold War Jet Fighter North American F-86 Sabre The F-86 Sabre was a pioneering American swept-wing jet fighter introduced in 1947. It became famous for its air combat role against the MiG-15 in the Korean War and influenced pos…

North American P-51 Mustang: design, history, and legacy North American P-51 Mustang Long-range American fighter of WWII, the P-51 Mustang combined a laminar-flow wing and Merlin power to escort bombers, excel in multiple roles, and remain iconic in postwar aviatio…

Northern Light Infantry (Pakistan) Northern Light Infantry A high‑altitude light infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army headquartered in Gilgit, responsible for mountain warfare, border security in the north, and operations in the Himalaya…

Northern Virginia military shootings (October–November 2010) Northern Virginia military shootings A series of rifle attacks on empty military buildings in Northern Virginia during October–November 2010. Ballistic evidence tied the incidents to a single weapon; investigations pr…

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (Stealth Bomber) Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit The B-2 Spirit is an American stealth strategic bomber with a flying‑wing design, low‑observable technology, and mixed conventional and nuclear payload capability used by the USAF…

Norwegian Heavy Water Sabotage (Vemork operations, WWII) Norwegian heavy water sabotage Allied sabotage against Nazi Germany’s heavy water production at Vemork, Norway (1942–1944). Operations disrupted German nuclear research and involved Norwegian commandos, British…

Nuclear arms race Cold War competition between the United States, the Soviet Union and allies to build nuclear arsenals, delivery systems, and doctrines that shaped international security and arms-c…

Nuclear deterrent A state's possession and posture of nuclear weapons intended to prevent attack by threatening unacceptable retaliation; covers concepts, components, history, doctrines, and contemp…

Nuclear espionage: theft and transfer of atomic weapons knowledge Nuclear espionage Nuclear espionage is the unauthorized transfer of information about nuclear weapons or programs. It has influenced proliferation, shaped Cold War politics, and remains a focus of n…

Nuclear missile A missile armed with a nuclear warhead used as a strategic or tactical delivery system; includes design, history, role in deterrence, and arms-control issues.

Nuclear proliferation: causes, pathways, and international responses Nuclear proliferation Overview of nuclear proliferation: definition, technical pathways, historical context, treaties and safeguards, examples, and the security implications of states acquiring nuclear…

Nuclear war Nuclear war: armed conflict in which participants use nuclear weapons, the effects, history, doctrines, arms control, and contemporary risks to global security.

Nuclear weapon A concise encyclopedia overview of nuclear weapons: how they work, types, effects, history, proliferation, and international controls.

Nuclear weapons states Overview of countries that possess nuclear weapons, distinctions between NPT-recognized and other nuclear-armed states, delivery systems, history, doctrines, and notable facts.

Nunchaku: design, history, use, and cultural impact Nunchaku Nunchaku are two sticks joined by a short chain or cord, used in Okinawan kobudō and many modern martial arts. This article covers construction, origins, practice, safety, and nota…

Oblique order (military tactic) Oblique order A battlefield maneuver that concentrates combat power on one enemy flank while fixing the remainder of the line; historically linked to 18th‑century European practice and continued…

Offensive (military): purpose, types, and historical role Offensive (military) An offensive is a planned, aggressive military operation to defeat, displace, or degrade an opponent. This article explains forms, aims, scales, historical development, and key dis…