Training exercise in the context of Suppressive fire

Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems. Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic warfare.

There is significant debate among experts regarding the definition of cyberwarfare, and even if such a thing exists. One view is that the term is a misnomer since no cyber attacks to date could be described as a war. An alternative view is that it is a suitable label for cyber attacks which cause physical damage to people and objects in the real world.

A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, or refrain from acting, in a certain way, often under threat of serious physical harm or death to the hostage(s) after expiration of an ultimatum. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition defines a hostage as "a person who is handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war."

A party who seizes one or more hostages is known as a hostage-taker; if the hostages are present voluntarily, then the receiver is known as a host.

Crisis negotiation is a law enforcement technique used to communicate with people who are threatening violence (workplace violence, domestic violence, suicide, or terrorism), including barricaded subjects, stalkers, criminals attempting to escape or evade arrest, and hostage-takers. Crisis negotiation is often initiated by the first officer(s) on the scene.

Riot control is a form of public order policing used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, or arrest people who are involved in a riot, demonstration or protest.

If a riot is spontaneous, then actions which cause people to stop and think (e.g. loud noises or issuing instructions in a calm tone) can be enough to stop it. However, these methods usually fail when there is severe anger, or the riot was planned or organized. Riot control personnel have long used less lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds and detain rioters. Since the 1980s, riot control officers have also used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and electric tasers. In some cases, riot squads may also use Long Range Acoustic Devices, water cannons, armoured fighting vehicles, aerial surveillance, police dogs or mounted police on horses. Persons performing riot control typically wear protective equipment such as riot helmets, face visors, body armor (vests, neck protectors, knee pads, etc.), gas masks and riot shields. Even though riot tactics are effective in controlling crowds, they can also lead to significant psychological effects on both the rioters and the police. Exposure to intense fear, stress, and violence during these confrontations can result in long-term mental health issues, like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and heightened aggression, which can impact the well-being of protesters and police officers.

A SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations.

SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to resolve "high-risk situations", often those regular police units are not trained or equipped to handle, such as shootouts, standoffs, raids, hostage-takings, and terrorism. SWAT units are equipped with specialized weapons and equipment not normally issued to regular police units, such as automatic firearms, high-caliber sniper rifles, stun grenades, body armor, ballistic shields, night-vision devices, and armored vehicles, among others. SWAT units are often trained in special tactics such as close-quarters combat, door breaching, crisis negotiation, and de-escalation.

Nuclear terrorism is the use of a nuclear weapon or radiological weapon as an act of terrorism. There are many possible terror incidents, ranging in feasibility and scope. These include the sabotage of a nuclear facility, the intentional irradiation of citizens, or the detonation of a radiological device, colloquially termed a dirty bomb, but consensus is lacking. According to the 2005 United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism nuclear terrorism is an offense committed if a person unlawfully and intentionally "uses in any way radioactive material … with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury; or with the intent to cause substantial damage to property or to the environment; or with the intent to compel a natural or legal person, an international organization or a State to do or refrain from doing an act."

The possibility of terrorist organizations using nuclear weapons has been identified by nuclear powers and considered since the conception of nuclear weapons and the rise of global terrorism. Nuclear powers collaborate to prevent terror organizations from acquiring nuclear weapons and fuel.

In military parlance, the rear is the part of concentration of military forces that is furthest from the enemy (compare its antonym, the front). The rear typically contains all logistic and management elements of the force necessary to support the front line forces, and generally constitutes supply depots, ammunition dumps, field hospitals, machine shops, planning/communication facilities, command headquarters, and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airfields, dockyards, and railway depots.

Military personnel in the rear are usually called the rear detachment, and they are responsible for staffing, supplying, and maintaining the rear elements. The rear is considered a crucial part of military organization, and it can sometimes outnumber the unit's front line force by several times.

A ballistic shield, also called a tactical shield or bulletproof shield, is a protection device deployed by police, paramilitaries, and armed forces that are designed to stop or deflect bullets and other projectiles fired at their carrier. Ballistic shields also protect from less serious threats such as thrown items. Ballistic shields are similar to riot shields, but offer greater protection and are typically used by special units or in situations where riot shields would not offer adequate protection.