Editing Military engineering (section)

{{short description|Building and maintaining structures and systems for armies}}
{{About||soldiers who perform construction and demolition tasks in battle|Combat engineer|engineering research and development conducted for the military|Military technology}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
[[File:MilitaryEngineerTraining in Ukraine 2017 08.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Military engineer training in Ukraine, 2017]]
{{War}}
'''Military engineering''' is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of [[military transport]] and [[military communications]]. Military engineers are also responsible for [[logistics]] behind military tactics. Modern military engineering differs from [[civil engineering]]. In the 20th and 21st centuries, military engineering also includes [[CBRN defense]] and other engineering disciplines such as mechanical and electrical engineering techniques.<ref name="military engineering">{{cite web|title=military engineering|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/382334/military-engineering|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Inc|access-date=13 February 2013|year=2013}}</ref>

According to [[NATO]], "military engineering is that engineer activity undertaken, regardless of component or service, to shape the physical operating environment. Military engineering incorporates support to maneuver and to the force as a whole, including military engineering functions such as engineer support to force protection, counter improvised explosive devices, environmental protection, engineer intelligence and military search. Military engineering does not encompass the activities undertaken by those 'engineers' who maintain, repair and operate vehicles, vessels, aircraft, weapon systems and equipment."<ref>{{Cite book|title=MC 0560 "MILITARY COMMITTEE POLICY FOR MILITARY ENGINEERING"|author=NATO publication|date=1 April 2008|publisher=NATO}}</ref>

Military engineering is an academic subject taught in [[military academies]] or [[School of Military Engineering (disambiguation)|schools of military engineering]]. The construction and demolition tasks related to military engineering are usually performed by military engineers including [[soldier]]s trained as [[sapper]]s or [[Pioneer (military)|pioneer]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|title=From Crossbow to H-bomb|author=Bernard Brodie, Fawn McKay Brodie|year=1973|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=0-253-20161-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/fromcrossbowtohb0000brod}}</ref> In modern armies, soldiers trained to perform such tasks while well forward in battle and under fire are often called [[combat engineer]]s.

In some countries, military engineers may also perform non-military construction tasks in peacetime such as [[flood control]] and river navigation works, but such activities do not fall within the scope of military engineering.