Military

Dassault Mirage F1 A French single‑engine, supersonic fighter and attack aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation in the 1960s; exported widely and used in air‑defence, ground‑attack and reconnaissance…

Dassault Mirage III A French single‑engine, delta‑wing supersonic fighter‑interceptor developed by Dassault in the 1950s; widely exported and notable for its role in the 1967 Six‑Day War.

Dassault Mirage IV French twin‑engine supersonic strategic bomber developed by Dassault for nuclear deterrence; later adapted for reconnaissance and retired from service in 2009.

Deal barracks bombing (1989) Deal barracks bombing On 22 September 1989 a timed bomb exploded at the Royal Marine Depot in Deal, Kent, England, killing 11 military bandsmen. The attack, claimed by the Provisional IRA, had lasting l…

Death squad Armed, clandestine groups that carry out extrajudicial killings—often targeting political opponents or civilians—used in political repression, conflict, and criminal campaigns worl…

Deathmatch: competitive free-for-all game mode in shooters and simulations Deathmatch Deathmatch is a competitive game mode—commonly in shooters, RTS titles and mil-sim—where players score by eliminating opponents. Variants, rules, history, and cultural impact are c…

Decimation Decimation: originally a Roman military punishment of killing one in ten; now also a figurative term for large-scale destruction and a technical term in signal processing for reduc…

Decisive victory (warfare) Decisive victory A decisive victory is a military win that settles a conflict’s outcome and produces a lasting political effect. This article outlines its features, history, operational types, limi…

Declaration of War: Meaning, History, Legal Context, and Modern Practice Declaration of war A formal announcement by a government that a state of war exists. Covers definition, historical evolution, legal limits under the UN, changes in practice since the 20th century, an…

Defense in Depth: layered military strategy and its applications Defence in depth Defense in depth is a deliberate military approach that delays and degrades an attacker through successive layers of defenses; it yields space to gain time, impose attrition, and e…

Defence Intelligence (United Kingdom) Defence Intelligence Defence Intelligence (DI) is the Ministry of Defence element of the UK intelligence community, providing all‑source analysis and military intelligence to support defence policy, op…

Defense: concepts, types, and social roles Defense Defense comprises measures, institutions, and strategies used to protect people, states, systems, or ideas from harm, attack, or loss. It includes military, legal, biological, cybe…

Delta Force (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta) Delta Force 1st SFOD‑D, commonly called Delta Force, is a U.S. Army special operations unit focused on counter‑terrorism, hostage rescue and high‑risk direct action. Selection, structure and m…

Demilitarized zone: definition, purpose, history and notable examples Demilitarized zone A demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a land or maritime area from which military forces are excluded to reduce conflict, create buffers, or implement treaties; it has legal, environmental…

Desertion — willful abandonment of military duty Desertion Desertion is the willful abandonment of a military post or duty with no intention to return. This article covers definitions, legal consequences, history, motives, notable cases, a…

Despatch Rider: Military Messengers on Horse and Motorcycle Despatch rider A despatch rider is a military courier who delivers written or verbal messages by horse or motorcycle. Essential in pre-digital warfare, their role evolved through World Wars and d…

Destrier: the medieval warhorse of knights Destrier A comprehensive overview of the destrier — the medieval knight's warhorse — covering name origin, traits, history, battlefield and tournament roles, training, and how it differed f…

Destroyer (naval warship) Destroyer A destroyer is a fast, maneuverable warship used to escort larger vessels and perform antisurface, antisubmarine, and antiaircraft roles from the late 19th century to modern navies…

Detachment (military) A detachment is a military subunit separated from a parent formation for a specific mission or maintained permanently as a smaller organizational element; sizes, roles, and command…

Directed-energy weapon A weapon that projects focused energy (laser, microwave, or particle beam) to damage, disable, or destroy targets at a distance; used for anti-personnel, anti-material and counter-…

Dive bomber A military aircraft that attacks by making steep dives to deliver bombs with high accuracy. Prominent in the 1930s–1940s, later replaced by multi-role attack aircraft and guided mu…

Military Division: Organization, Roles, and Naval Usage Division (military) A division is a large military formation, typically 10,000–20,000 troops under a two‑star commander; it also denotes a ship sub‑unit in naval organizations.

Dogfight: close-range aerial combat and its evolution Dogfight Dogfight refers to close-range aerial combat between fighter aircraft, characterized by maneuvering, energy tactics and guns. It arose in WWI and evolved with machine guns, autocan…

Double agent (espionage) Double agent A double agent is a person who appears to spy for one side while secretly reporting to another. This article explains roles, methods, history, risks, and distinctions from related…

Douglas A-26 Invader Twin‑engined light attack and bomber aircraft used by the US and allied forces from World War II through Vietnam, later redesignated B‑26 and converted for civilian uses such as fi…

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk — carrier-capable light attack jet Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Compact, single-seat, carrier-capable attack jet introduced in the 1950s. Served with the US Navy and many foreign air forces in Vietnam, the Falklands and later upgrade programs.

Douglas B-66 Destroyer: USAF bomber, reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft Douglas B-66 Destroyer Twin‑jet American medium bomber adapted from the A‑3 Skywarrior. Served 1956–1975 with roles in nuclear deterrence, reconnaissance and electronic warfare during the Cold War and Vi…

Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig British senior commander in World War I who led the British Expeditionary Force; a controversial figure credited with modernising the army and criticised for high casualties in maj…

Douglas MacArthur American general (1880–1964) who led U.S. and allied forces in the Pacific in World War II, directed the occupation of Japan, and commanded UN forces early in the Korean War.

Douglas SBD Dauntless American World War II carrier-based scout/dive bomber by Douglas, noted for its perforated dive brakes and decisive role at Midway; twin‑crew, SBD‑5 common variant, retired after t…

Dragoon: mounted infantry and cavalry soldiers Dragoon Dragoons were soldiers trained to ride and fight on foot or horseback. Originating in early modern Europe, they combined infantry firepower with cavalry mobility and later evolved…

Dreadnought (early 20th-century battleship) Dreadnought A dreadnought is a type of large, heavily armed battleship introduced in the early 1900s; its innovations reshaped naval strategy and triggered a global arms race before being supe…

Drone strike (armed unmanned aerial attack) Drone strike An attack carried out by weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles against a target. Covers technology, typical munitions, history, uses in counterterrorism, and legal and ethical issues…

Drumhead court-martial: battlefield tribunals and their legacy Drumhead court-martial A drumhead court-martial is an improvised military trial held close to combat. This article explains its purpose, features, origins, legal context, and the criticisms and legacy of…

Durham Light Infantry Former county regiment of the British Army (1881–1968), raised in County Durham as a light infantry unit; served in colonial campaigns and both World Wars before amalgamation into…

EADS Harfang (French reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle) EADS Harfang The EADS Harfang is a French medium-altitude reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by the French Air Force, adapted from lic…

East Bengal Regiment Principal infantry regiment of the Bangladesh Army, formed from Bengali units after 1948 and reorganized after 1971; commonly called “E Bengal” and active in national defence and U…

Eastern Front (World War II) The Eastern Front was the vast, decisive theatre of WWII where Axis forces and the Soviet Union clashed from 1941 to 1945, producing enormous military, civilian and political conse…

Eastern Theater of the American Civil War The Eastern Theater was the main Atlantic seaboard battleground of the U.S. Civil War, centered on Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., where strategic campaigns…

École de l'air et de l'espace (French Air and Space Officer School) École de l'air et de l'espace France's national military academy for air and space officers, combining academic engineering education, flight and leadership training, and research at Salon-de-Provence Air Base.

Edward "Tug" Wilson (1921–2009), founder of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force Edward "Tug" Wilson British colonel Edward "Tug" Wilson (1921–2009) is credited with helping to establish the Abu Dhabi Defence Force and acted as a close military adviser and friend to Sheikh Zayed.

Edwin Bramall, Baron Bramall — British Army officer and senior defence leader Edwin Bramall British Field Marshal Edwin Bramall (1923–2019) was Chief of the General Staff (1979–82) and Chief of the Defence Staff (1982–85), later a life peer who sat in the House of Lords u…

Egyptian Armed Forces: organization, history, and roles Egyptian Armed Forces Overview of the Egyptian Armed Forces: composition, history, constitutional role, missions, and regional significance including size, branches, and notable facts.

Egyptian Army The Egyptian Army is the land warfare branch of Egypt's military, founded in the early 19th century; it has played a central role in national defense, regional wars, internal polit…

Egyptian Military Academy Egypt's principal officer-training institution, the Egyptian Military Academy prepares cadets for commissioning through combined military and academic instruction and has played a…

Electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is the use of electromagnetic and directed energy techniques to detect, degrade, deny or exploit enemy use of the electromagnetic spectrum in military opera…

English Electric Canberra British twin‑jet bomber developed after WWII; adapted for reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Served with many air forces worldwide and inspired the US-built Martin B‑57.

English Electric Lightning — British Cold War interceptor English Electric Lightning A compact overview of the English Electric Lightning: its design, operational role with the RAF and exports, technical characteristics, history and legacy as a high‑performance Bri…