Military structure - Definition

A military unit is an organisation within an armed force. It may consist of any number of soldiers, ships, vehicles, or aircraft. Armies, navies, and air forces, are organised hierarchically into groups of various sizes for functional, tactical and administrative purposes. This organisation is sometimes called an "Order of Battle" or Orbat for short.

This article gives an overview of some of the terms used to describe military units in armed forces across the world. Whilst it is recognised that there will be differences between armies of different nations, it seems that a large proportion are modelled on the British and/or American models. Readers interested in the detailed specifics of a national army (including the British and American) should consult the relevant entry for that country. Note that units larger than battalion size are usually referred to as "formations".

Army, Army group and Theater are all large units which vary significantly between armed forces in size and hierarchy position.

See Also

• Comparative military ranks
• Military rank
• Structure of the United States Armed Forces
• Structure of the British Army