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Military & Defence vocabulary · Defence Industry & Procurement

Capability

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˌkeɪpəˈbɪləti/nounCommon term

In military & defence, capability means: The ability of a force or system to carry out a particular task, which depends on equipment, trained people, procedures and support together.

In Turkish: kabiliyet, yetenek

How it is used

A key word in defence planning and industry: capability gap, capability development, capability requirement. Countries acquire, develop, maintain or lose capabilities; a new system is said to 'deliver a capability', not just a product.

Example sentences

  1. The new transport aircraft will give the air force a long-range airlift capability.

  2. The study identified a capability gap in night-time search and rescue.

Common collocations

  • capability gap
  • capability development
  • deliver a capability
  • military capability
  • capability requirement
  • requirementA clear statement of what a system, product or service must do or achieve, used to guide its design, procurement and testing.
  • readinessThe state of being prepared to carry out a task at short notice, which depends on trained personnel, working equipment and sufficient supplies.
  • procurementThe whole process of obtaining equipment, services or works, from defining the need and running a competition to signing and managing the contract.
  • interoperabilityThe ability of forces, units or systems from different countries or services to work together effectively, using shared procedures and compatible equipment.

More terms: Defence Industry & Procurement

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