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The branch of applied physics which deals with the motion of projectiles and the conditions governing their motion. Ballistics is, for practical purposes, subdivided into exterior and interior ballistics. Exterior ballistics begins at the instant a…

A burst of electromagnetic energy. In a military context—and the subject of this article—an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a transient electromagnetic signal produced by a nuclear explosion in or above Earth's atmosphere (Fig. 1). Though not…

An explosion whose energy is produced by a nuclear transformation, either fission or fusion. Nuclear explosions can be either natural or artificial, for example in the form of a star undergoing a supernova or the deliberate detonation of an…

An optical instrument that permits viewing along a displaced or deflected axis, providing an observer with the view from a position which may be inaccessible or dangerous. Periscopes range in complexity from the simple unit-power tank periscope to…

A ship that can operate completely submerged in the water. The term "submarine" formerly applied to any ship capable of operating completely underwater, but now usually describes a ship built for military purposes (Fig. 1). The expected military…