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2 Military Unit |
An army is a military organization. It can refer to
any armed force, or more specifically a force primarily designed for
land-based war.
Most (but not all) armed forces make considerable organizational distinction between the land-based warfare of an army, the sea-based warfare of a navy, and the air-based warfare of an air force - often splitting the three components into mostly independent forces.
This convention can vary widely between nations and can change over time. For example, the
People's Liberation Army of China controls the Chinese air force and navy, which are actually called
the People's Liberation Army Navy and the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The ancestor of the
United States Air Force was the United States Army Air Corps.
Modern armies use infantry, armoured fighting vehicles (e.g. tanks), artillery, and aircraft (usually helicopters).
An army can also be a large military unit. When used in this sense, the army is named or numbered to distinguish
it from military land forces in general - for example, 1st Army and The Army of Northern Virginia.
The hierarchy of large land force units is
Military Land Forces
Armies of the World
See also
Military Unit