irregular forces
Non-standard combat units
Irregular forces are armed combatants operating outside conventional military structures.
Unlike regular armies with formal training, uniforms, and chains of command, irregular forces include guerrillas, partisans, militias, and insurgents who fight using unconventional tactics.
The government struggled to defeat irregular forces hiding in the mountains.
The term often implies fighters who don't follow standard rules of warfare.
- militiaNon-professional armed force
- insurgencyArmed uprising against authority
- guerrilla warfareIrregular combat using ambushes
- armed resistanceOrganized violent opposition
- paramilitaryUnofficial armed organization
ambush · French Resistance · freedom fighters · Viet Cong · maquis · underground movement · non-state actors · proxy war · sabotage · partisans · civil wars · asymmetric warfare · clandestine operations · revolutions · Zapatistas · regime changes · hit-and-run · rules of engagement
- military forcesarmy, soldiers, troops, militias, reserve army
- guerrilla warfareguerrilla, guerrilla tactics, guerrilla fighter, partisan, partisan warfare
- insurgentsinsurgent, guerrillas, guerrilla, rebel, resistance fighters
- Mercenariesmercenaries, mercenary, hired guns, hired gun, soldiers of fortune
- militiamilitia, citizen soldier, colonial militia, citizen soldiers, state militias
- uprisingsuprising, revolt, rebellion, insurrection, mutiny
irregular forcesstanding army
Continuously maintained military force
regular army · conventional forces · regulars · professional army · armed forces