Military

Officer: roles, ranks, and distinctions in military, police, and organizations Officer An officer is a person holding authority in uniformed services or organizations; article explains types (commissioned, warrant, non‑commissioned), duties, rank examples, history, a…

Officer Candidate School (OCS): Training and commissioning for military officers Officer candidate school Officer Candidate School (OCS) trains civilians and enlisted personnel to become commissioned officers, emphasizing leadership, military skills, and service-specific professional k…

Officer of Arms An officer of arms is an official appointed by a sovereign or state to oversee heraldry, genealogical records, and ceremonial functions, including granting arms, researching pedigr…

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (piloted rocket attack aircraft) Ohka The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a Japanese piloted rocket-powered attack aircraft used in late World War II as a manned flying bomb. It was carried to launch range by a bomber and rele…

Open-bolt firing mechanism Open bolt A firearm action in which the bolt is held rearward until the trigger releases it to chamber and fire a round; common in automatic weapons and associated with cooling, safety and a…

Operation Barbarossa: the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was Nazi Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, the largest land offensive in history. It aimed to destroy Soviet power, seize resources and territory, a…

Operation Cornflakes: Allied mail‑based propaganda campaign, February–March 1945 Operation Cornflakes Operation Cornflakes was a late‑WWII Allied psychological‑warfare effort that forged German mail and stamps to place anti‑Nazi leaflets into the Reich’s postal system during Feb–Ma…

Operation Downfall: Planned Allied invasion of Japan in 1945–46 Operation Downfall Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for invading Japan at the end of World War II, consisting of two major phases (Olympic and Coronet). The plan was canceled after Japan's surr…

Operation Mincemeat A 1943 British deception operation in World War II that used a dead body and false documents to mislead German planners about Allied invasion plans, contributing to the success of…

Operation Nickel Grass — 1973 US strategic airlift to Israel Operation Nickel Grass US strategic airlift during the 1973 Yom Kippur War delivering weapons and equipment to Israel; a key Cold War episode with lasting military and geopolitical effects.

Operation Overlord: the 1944 Allied invasion of Western Europe Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the Allied military campaign that began with the Normandy landings (D-Day) in June 1944 to liberate German-occupied Western Europe.

Operation Sea Lion: Nazi Germany’s 1940 plan to invade Britain Operation Sea Lion Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelöwe) was Nazi Germany’s contingency plan to cross the English Channel and invade the United Kingdom in 1940. It was never carried out after Germ…

Operation Searchlight: 1971 Pakistani military campaign in East Pakistan Operation Searchlight A 1971 Pakistani military operation to suppress Bengali nationalism in East Pakistan; it triggered widespread violence, mass displacement, and the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Ordinary Seaman (naval rank) Ordinary seaman (rank) Entry-level deck rank in navies and merchant fleets; performs basic seamanship tasks, stands watches under supervision, and progresses to able seaman with experience and certificat…

Overland Campaign (May–June 1864): Grant vs. Lee in the Eastern Theater Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign was a sequence of brutal, continuous battles in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War (May–June 1864) in which Ulysses S. Grant pressed Robert E. Lee’…

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is Pakistan's air arm, responsible for air defence, offensive and support air operations, training, and national security since 1947.

Pakistan Armed Forces Overview of the Pakistan Armed Forces, its branches, history, roles, organization, nuclear command, and notable facts including size, deployments, and political influence.

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army is the land service branch of Pakistan's armed forces, responsible for territorial defense, internal security, disaster response and overseas peacekeeping since 1…

Pakistan Coast Guards Paramilitary maritime law-enforcement force responsible for coastal security, anti-smuggling, seamark maintenance and border control, operating mainly in rivers, estuaries and the…

Pakistan Military Academy (PMA Kakul) Pakistan Military Academy The Pakistan Military Academy (PMA Kakul) is the principal officer-training institution of the Pakistan Army, located at Kakul near Abbottabad. It prepares cadets for commission th…

Pakistan Navy The naval branch of Pakistan's armed forces, responsible for maritime defence, coastal security, fleet operations and humanitarian missions along Pakistan's Arabian Sea coastline.

Instrument of Surrender (1971) — Pakistan's capitulation in East Pakistan Pakistani Instrument of Surrender The 1971 formal written surrender by Pakistan's Eastern Command at Dacca (Dhaka), signed on 16 December, ending the Bangladesh Liberation War and producing some 93,000 prisoners of…

Panavia Tornado A tri-national, twin‑engine, variable‑sweep multirole combat aircraft introduced in 1979, used for strike, reconnaissance, SEAD and air defence by several European and allied air f…

Panzer — German armoured vehicle and armoured formation Panzer Panzer refers to German armoured fighting vehicles (tanks) and the armoured units that employed them, especially during the interwar period and World War II.

Panzer I (Panzerkampfwagen I) — German light tank of the 1930s Panzer I A compact guide to the Panzer I: its origins as a training light tank, design and variants, combat use in 1930s conflicts and World War II, and its legacy in armoured warfare.

Panzerfaust — German single‑use anti‑tank weapon of World War II Panzerfaust Disposable German shoulder‑fired anti‑tank launcher used late in World War II. Simple, cheap and effective at short range, it used a shaped‑charge warhead and influenced later infa…

Panzerschreck (RPzB) — German WWII infantry rocket launcher Panzerschreck The Panzerschreck (Raketenpanzerbüchse, RPzB) was a reusable German infantry anti-tank rocket launcher of World War II, firing an 88 mm shaped-charge rocket and used primarily in t…

Paramilitary forces Paramilitary Organized armed groups structured like militaries but outside the formal armed forces; includes state-controlled units (gendarmerie, border guards) and non-state militias, with var…

Paramilitary forces of Pakistan Overview of Pakistan's paramilitary and civil armed forces: organization, roles, history, major units, command arrangements, and notable distinctions in internal and border securit…

Paratrooper: airborne infantry trained for parachute insertion Paratrooper Paratroopers are military personnel trained to parachute into operational areas. This article outlines their roles, training, equipment, history, typical missions, and how they dif…

Partisan (irregular combatant) Partisan An armed irregular fighter unaffiliated with regular armed forces; the term covers resistance fighters, guerrillas and militias and has specific legal implications under the law of…

Patrouille de France (PAF): France’s national aerobatic team Patrouille de France The Patrouille de France is the precision aerobatic demonstration unit of the French Air Force, known for its tricolour Alpha Jet displays at national ceremonies and international…

Peninsula Campaign (March–July 1862): Union advance on Richmond Peninsula Campaign An overview of the 1862 Peninsula Campaign in the American Civil War: objectives, commanders, major actions including Seven Pines and the Seven Days, and the campaign's consequence…

Pennsylvania rifle (Kentucky rifle): design, history, and legacy Pennsylvania rifle A long-barreled American flintlock rifle developed by Pennsylvania German gunsmiths, famed for its accuracy on the frontier and later called the Kentucky rifle.

Pentagon Papers: the Vietnam study that reshaped U.S. public debate Pentagon Papers The Pentagon Papers were a classified Department of Defense history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam (1945–1967) leaked in 1971. Their publication revealed internal doubts, policy de…

People's Liberation Army (PLA) People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army is the armed force of the Communist Party of China and the principal military organization of the People's Republic of China, responsible for defense,…

Personal defense weapon (PDW): definitions, design, history and use Personal defense weapon A PDW is a compact, easy-to-carry firearm intended for self-protection and close-quarters combat. This article explains its characteristics, history, roles, examples, and legal dis…

Peshmerga — Kurdish military forces of Iraqi Kurdistan Peshmerga Peshmerga are the armed forces responsible for security in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. This article explains their name, structure, history, roles, and key distinctions in politics…

Petty officer (naval non-commissioned rank) Petty officer A petty officer is a non-commissioned naval rank found in many countries. They serve as technical specialists, supervisors and first-line managers between enlisted sailors and comm…

Pfalz D.III: German World War I Single-Seat Fighter Pfalz D.III The Pfalz D.III was a German single-seat biplane fighter of WWI, noted for its plywood semi-monocoque fuselage, strong diving ability, and service in several Jagdstaffeln; often us…

Phalanx formation Dense infantry formation used by ancient Greek city-states and later Macedonians; a tactical block of shields and spears whose design, strengths and limits shaped classical warfare…

Pike (weapon): long infantry spear, design, tactics and historical role Pike (weapon) A pike is a very long, non‑throwing pole weapon used by infantry in dense formations to thrust at enemies and repel cavalry; central from ancient phalanxes through the pike‑and‑sho…

Pilum: the Roman heavy javelin Pilum Pilum, a heavy Roman javelin, was a primary thrown weapon of legionaries. It combined a wooden shaft and an iron head designed to penetrate and disable enemy shields before close c…

Pincer movement (double envelopment): tactic, history, and modern use Pincer movement A military maneuver in which forces strike both sides of an opponent to surround or cut it off. Covers execution, history, examples, variations, and tactical limits.

Pipe bomb (improvised explosive device) Pipe bomb A pipe bomb is a simple improvised explosive device consisting of a closed metal tube that causes fragmentation and blast hazards. It is illegal in many jurisdictions and poses sev…

Piracy in the Caribbean: history, practices, and legacy Piracy in the Caribbean Comprehensive overview of Caribbean piracy from early colonial times through the so-called Golden Age: origins, types (privateers, buccaneers, pirates), life aboard, notable figure…

Pistol: definition, parts, history, operation and uses Pistol A pistol is a handheld firearm, commonly a magazine-fed semiautomatic or, more broadly, any handgun. Covers parts, operation, history, uses, and distinctions from revolvers and oth…

PK (Kalashnikov) general-purpose machine gun PK machine gun Soviet-designed 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun by Mikhail Kalashnikov, developed in the 1960s and widely used in many armed forces; notable variants include the PKM, PKT an…