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Mobility (military)
 
 
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Mobility in military terms refers to the ability of a weapon system
Weapon system

Weapon System was a United States military term, along with a weapon system number , to designate proposed military systems prior to official naming....
, combat unit or armed force to move toward a military objective. Combat forces with a higher mobility are able to move more quickly, and/or across more hostile terrain
Terrain

Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used....
, than forces with lower mobility.

Mobility is regarded as a vital component of the modern battlefield, as the ability to deliver weapon systems or combat units to their objective quickly can often mean the difference between victory and defeat.






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Mobility in military terms refers to the ability of a weapon system
Weapon system

Weapon System was a United States military term, along with a weapon system number , to designate proposed military systems prior to official naming....
, combat unit or armed force to move toward a military objective. Combat forces with a higher mobility are able to move more quickly, and/or across more hostile terrain
Terrain

Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used....
, than forces with lower mobility.

Mobility is regarded as a vital component of the modern battlefield, as the ability to deliver weapon systems or combat units to their objective quickly can often mean the difference between victory and defeat. Armies around the world have massively increased their mobility over the last one hundred years. In World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, for example, most combat units could only move on the battlefield as fast as a soldier could walk, resulting in stalemate and an inability to outmaneouvre the enemy. By World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, battlefield mobility had greatly improved with the development of the tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
, and with tracked and other mechanized vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
s to move forces to and from the battlefront.

Since the end of World War II, armies have continued to develop their mobility. By the 1980s, for example, intercontinental travel shifted from sea to air transport, enabling military forces to move from one part of the world to another within hours or days instead of weeks.