Battleshort (sometimes "battle short") is a condition in which some

military equipment A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

can be placed so it does not shut down when circumstances would be damaging to the equipment or

personnel Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

. The origin of the term is to bridge or " short" the fuses of an electrical apparatus before entering combat, so that the fuse blowing will not stop the equipment from operating. According to Allied Ordnance Publication AOP-38-3,AOP-38
Allied Ordnance Publication 38, Edition 3, ''Glossary of terms and definitions concerning the safety and suitability for service of munitions, explosives and related products'', April 2002. a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

publication, a battleshort is "The capability to bypass certain safety features in a system to ensure completion of the mission without interruption due to the safety feature." It also says, "Examples of bypassed safety features are circuit overload protection, and protection against overheating". In peaceful situations one would want equipment to shut down so it is not damaged. In a

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

or emergency, where the survival of the vessel (or other protected asset) is dependent upon the continued operation of the equipment, it is sometimes wiser to risk equipment damage than have the equipment shut down when it is needed. For example, the electrical drives to elevate and traverse the guns of a combat warship may have "battleshort" fuses, which are simply copper bars of the correct size to fit the fuse holders, as failure to return fire in a combat situation is a greater threat to the ship and crew than damaging or overheating the electrical motors. Battleshorts have been used in some non-combat situations as well, including the Firing Room/Mission Control spaces at NASA during the crewed Apollo missions – specifically the Moon landings. Similar measures can be used on the pumps for

fire sprinkler A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively used ...

systems, with protective devices bypassed when alarms are activated. The justification is that any damage to the pumps is less than the potential loss of the building.

References

{{reflist Military technology

See also

References