tactical weapons
Battlefield military equipment
Tactical weapons are military arms designed for use in direct combat operations rather than strategic purposes.
The term often distinguishes battlefield nuclear weapons—shorter-range missiles, artillery shells, bombs—from strategic nuclear weapons aimed at distant targets like cities or industrial centers.
More broadly, tactical weapons include any armaments meant for immediate battlefield advantage: The battalion deployed tactical weapons to secure the perimeter.
The tactical/strategic distinction matters in arms control negotiations, where limits on one category may not apply to the other.
- stun gunsElectroshock weapons for incapacitation
- riflesLong-barreled shoulder firearms
- assault rifleAutomatic infantry combat weapon
- dronesUnmanned aerial vehicles
- grenadesSmall thrown explosive devices
pepper spray · flashbangs · flash grenades · tear gas · smoke grenades · rubber bullets · less lethal · riot gear · machine guns · shotguns · tasers · mortars · rocket launchers · cyberweapons · sniper rifles · water cannons · tranquilizer darts · body armor
- arms controlarms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, arms deals, arms reduction
tactical weaponsintercontinental ballistic missiles
Nuclear weapons spanning continents
ICBMs · strategic bombers · nuclear triad · weapons of mass destruction · doomsday weapons
tactical weaponshumanitarian aid
Crisis relief for sufferers
medical supplies · plowshares · construction equipment · agricultural tools
tactical weaponsdefensive systems
Countermeasures against threats
missile defense · shields · fortifications · armor · bunkers
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