Military Engineering, R-7-ŠKO

Military engineering, the art and practice of designing and building military works and of building and maintaining lines of military transport and communications. Military engineering is the oldest of the engineering skills and was the precursor of the profession of civil engineering.
Back To Military Engineering Page

Military Engineering Encyclopedia Articles By Title

R-7
R-7, Soviet/Russian missile and launch vehicle. Under the direction of the rocket pioneer Sergey Korolyov, the......
recoilless rifle
recoilless rifle, any of several antitank weapons developed during World War II. They are lightweight and can be......
Renard, Charles
Charles Renard was a French military engineer, chief builder of the first true dirigible; i.e., an airship that......
repeating rifle
repeating rifle, rifled shoulder arm typically designed with a spring-loaded tubular or box magazine holding metallic......
revolver
revolver, typically, a repeating pistol that utilizes a multichambered revolving cylinder behind one barrel. Some......
ricochet
ricochet, in gunnery, rebound of a projectile that strikes a hard surface, or the rebounding projectile itself.......
rifle
rifle, firearm with a rifled bore—i.e., having shallow spiral grooves cut inside the barrel to impart a spin to......
Robins, Benjamin
Benjamin Robins was a British mathematician and military engineer who laid the groundwork for modern ordnance (field-artillery)......
rocket and missile system
rocket and missile system, any of a variety of weapons systems that deliver explosive warheads to their targets......
sabre
sabre, heavy military sword with a long cutting edge and, often, a curved blade. Most commonly a cavalry weapon,......
sapper
sapper, military engineer. The name is derived from the French word sappe (“spadework,” or “trench”) and became......
sarin
sarin, synthetic organophosphate compound that is highly toxic to the nervous system. Exposure to sarin—which is......
Schneider, Eugène
Eugène Schneider was one of the great industrialists of the 19th century and a prominent figure in French politics.......
Schwarzlose machine gun
Schwarzlose machine gun, early Austrian water-cooled machine gun (q.v.) operating on the blowback principle. A......
semiautomatic pistol
semiautomatic pistol, handgun that utilizes either recoil or blowback to discharge the empty cartridge, reload,......
shell
shell, variously, an artillery projectile, a cartridge case, or a shotgun cartridge. The artillery shell was in......
Sherman tank
Sherman tank, main battle tank designed and built by the United States for the conduct of World War II. The M4......
Shimazu Nariakira
Shimazu Nariakira was a mid-19th century Japanese daimyo (lord) of the Satsuma han, or feudal fief. His adoption......
shotgun
shotgun, smoothbore shoulder weapon designed to fire a number of pellets, or shot, that spread in a diverging pattern......
shrapnel
shrapnel, originally a type of antipersonnel projectile named for its inventor, Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), an......
sling
sling, implement for propelling missiles, one of the first missile weapons used in warfare. It consisted of a small......
small arm
small arm, any handheld firearm. Since the introduction of the flintlock musket in the 17th century, military small......
smart bomb
smart bomb, type of precision-guided munition. Like a regular bomb, a smart bomb falls to the target solely by......
spear
spear, a pole weapon with a sharp point, either thrown or thrust at an enemy or prey. It appears in an infinite......
spear-thrower
spear-thrower, a device for throwing a spear (or dart) usually consisting of a rod or board with a groove on the......
Spencer carbine
Spencer carbine, any of a family of rim-fire repeating arms—both carbines and rifles—that were widely used in the......
Spitfire
Spitfire, the most widely produced and strategically important British single-seat fighter of World War II. The......
Springfield rifle
Springfield rifle, any of several rifles that were standard infantry weapons of the U.S. Army most of the time......
Sten gun
Sten gun, 9-millimetre submachine gun that became the standard such weapon in the British Commonwealth armed forces......
Stevin, Simon
Simon Stevin was a Flemish mathematician who helped standardize the use of decimal fractions and aided in refuting......
strategic missile
strategic missile, jet- or rocket-propelled weapon designed to strike targets far beyond the battle area. Strategic......
strategic weapons system
strategic weapons system, any weapons system designed to strike an enemy at the source of his military, economic,......
Stuka
Stuka, a low-wing, single-engine monoplane—especially the Junkers JU 87 dive-bomber—used by the German Luftwaffe......
submachine gun
submachine gun, lightweight automatic small-arms weapon chambered for relatively low-energy pistol cartridges and......
submarine mine
submarine mine, underwater weapon designed to explode when a target presents itself. See...
Sukhoi Su-27
Sukhoi Su-27, Russian air-superiority fighter plane, introduced into the air forces of the Soviet Union beginning......
surface-to-air missile
surface-to-air missile (SAM), radar or infrared guided missile fired from a ground position to intercept and destroy......
sword
sword, preeminent hand weapon through a long period of history. It consists of a metal blade varying in length,......
tactical nuclear weapons
tactical nuclear weapons, small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield or for......
tactical weapons system
tactical weapons system, system integrating tactical weapons with electronic equipment for target acquisition,......
tank
tank, any heavily armed and armoured combat vehicle that moves on two endless metal chains called tracks. Tanks......
tank destroyer
tank destroyer, a highly mobile lightly armoured tank-type vehicle that was used to fight tanks in World War II.......
Taser
Taser, handheld device that incapacitates a person by transmitting a 50,000-volt electric shock. The Taser fires......
tear gas
tear gas, any of a group of substances that irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, causing a stinging sensation......
thermonuclear bomb
thermonuclear bomb, weapon whose enormous explosive power results from an uncontrolled self-sustaining chain reaction......
thermonuclear warhead
thermonuclear warhead, thermonuclear (fusion) bomb designed to fit inside a missile. By the early 1950s both the......
Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun, submachine gun patented in 1920 by its American designer, John T. Thompson. It weighed......
Thor rocket
Thor rocket, missile initially developed by the U.S. Air Force as an intermediate-range ballistic missile. It was......
Titan rocket
Titan rocket, any of a series of U.S. rockets that were originally developed as intercontinental ballistic missiles......
Tomahawk
Tomahawk, American-made low-flying strategic guided missile that may be launched from naval ships or submarines......
tomahawk
tomahawk, war hatchet of the North American Indians. “Tomahawk” was derived from the Algonquian word otomahuk (“to......
torpedo
torpedo, cigar-shaped, self-propelled underwater missile, launched from a submarine, surface vessel, or airplane......
torpedo plane
torpedo plane, aircraft designed to launch torpedoes. In about 1910 the navies of several countries began to experiment......
trainer
trainer, in military aviation, an airplane that is designed and used to train pilots to operate advanced aircraft......
trebuchet
trebuchet, siege engine utilizing a long arm and the principles of leverage to launch projectiles. The trebuchet......
Trident missile
Trident missile, American-made submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that succeeded the Poseidon and Polaris......
Tu-16
Tu-16, one of the principal strategic bombers of the Soviet Union, designed by Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev (1888–1972)......
Typhoon
Typhoon, British fighter and ground-attack aircraft used in the latter half of World War II. Conceived as a replacement......
U-2
U-2, single-seat, high-altitude jet aircraft flown by the United States for intelligence gathering, surveillance,......
Uzi submachine gun
Uzi submachine gun, compact automatic weapon that is used throughout the world as a police and special-forces firearm.......
V-1 missile
V-1 missile, German jet-propelled missile of World War II, the forerunner of modern cruise missiles. More than......
V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket, German ballistic missile of World War II, the forerunner of modern space rockets and long-range missiles.......
Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre de
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban was a French military engineer who revolutionized the art of siege craft and defensive......
Vulcan automatic cannon
Vulcan automatic cannon, 20-millimetre (0.8-inch) weapon capable of firing at a rate of up to 7,200 rounds per......
VX
VX, synthetic chemical weapon, classified as a nerve agent, that is the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known......
Wallis, Sir Barnes
Sir Barnes Wallis was a British aeronautical designer and military engineer who invented the innovative “dambuster”......
warning system
warning system, in military science, any method used to detect the situation or intention of an enemy so that warning......
weapon
weapon, an instrument used in combat for the purpose of killing, injuring, or defeating an enemy. A weapon may......
weapon of mass destruction
weapon of mass destruction (WMD), weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale......
weapons system
weapons system, any integrated system, usually computerized, for the control and operation of weapons of a particular......
wheel lock
wheel lock, device for igniting the powder in a firearm such as a musket. It was developed in about 1515. The wheel......
yellow rain
yellow rain, airborne substance that was alleged to have been used in biological attacks in Southeast Asia from......
Zaharoff, Sir Basil
Sir Basil Zaharoff was an international armaments dealer and financier. Reputedly one of the richest men in the......
Zero
Zero, fighter aircraft, a single-seat, low-wing monoplane used with great effect by the Japanese during World War......
Zyklon-B
Zyklon-B, brand name for a hydrogen cyanide–based chemical compound initially created as a pesticide and rodenticide......
épée
épée, blunted sword developed in the 19th century for use in fencing practice and competition. The épée was patterned......
Škoda, Emil von
Emil von Škoda was a German engineer and industrialist who founded one of Europe’s greatest industrial complexes,......

Military Engineering Encyclopedia Articles By Title