# "Kinetic military action"? Seriously? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 18, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908 "2011-06-18T03:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/21 "2011-06-18T17:47:09Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Why don’t we just declare war against the entire Middle East and get it over with. We’re halfway there already. MENA. Libya is NA, not ME. Be we might as well expand it to South Asia as well, so we can include Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. We’ll leave India alone, at least for the time being. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/22 "2011-06-18T21:07:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I haven’t seen an official definition of what “kinetic” means as a military term. But for its usage, it appears to mean “a military action where no American troops get killed”. > > I’ve seen threatening to use force described as kinetic. I’ve seen cyberwarfare described as kinetic. But I’ve also seen firing artillery or launching missiles called kinetic. Even flying a bombing mission can be kinetic if the other side doesn’t have anti-aircraft. > > The term apparently began being used back during the Clinton administration in reference to American actions in the Balkans. As far as I can tell, President Clinton himself never used the term. But it was used by Presidents Bush so it’s a bipartisan euphemism. “Kinetic” refers to the employment of bombs, bullets, rockets, etc., the traditional weapons of war. Non-kinetic refers to other uses, like jammers and psychological operations and the like where nothing is being “fired” but electrons. If you’ve seen cyberwarfare described as kinetic the term was misused. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/23 "2011-06-18T21:16:08Z")
Wouldn’t it be simpler then to refer to “kinetic military actions” as, err, _war_, and reserve the distinctions for things that _are_ distinct, such as electronic warfare\* ? - Yeah, I’m also against the use of the word “cyberwarfare”. This isn’t fucking Tron, it’s not even Shadowrun ! There’s no cyber component to it whatsoever outside of retarded 90s marketroid lingo ! Cut that shit. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/24 "2011-06-18T22:31:59Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > “Kinetic” refers to the employment of bombs, bullets, rockets, etc., the traditional weapons of war. Non-kinetic refers to other uses, like jammers and psychological operations and the like where nothing is being “fired” but electrons. If you’ve seen cyberwarfare described as kinetic the term was misused. As a military professional, is there some real distinction about calling something a kinetic action, other than the legal one of avoiding the use of the word war? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/25 "2011-06-18T23:13:42Z")
As a non-military amateur, the difference to me is that non-kinetic apparently means no firing weapons that kill people. Of course, using ECM means the opposition is easier to kill, but I do find the difference to be significant. And once we get to the point where we are using laser weapons, the distinction will need to be reconsidered. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/26 "2011-06-18T23:56:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As a military professional, is there some real distinction about calling something a kinetic action, other than the legal one of avoiding the use of the word war? No. It’s just a buzzword, right up there with “police action”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/27 "2011-06-19T03:09:21Z")
Is my interpretation of the word wrong, are are you saying it doesn’t really matter whether our participation in an international effort includes killing people or not? On edit: Oops, I see where I went astray. Somehow I mentally added “Non-” to “kinetic” thinking that the claim was we weren’t at war because we weren’t using kinetic energy weapons. I don’t now how I came up with that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/28 "2011-06-19T03:32:55Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > “Kinetic” refers to the employment of bombs, bullets, rockets, etc., the traditional weapons of war. Non-kinetic refers to other uses, like jammers and psychological operations and the like where nothing is being “fired” but electrons. If you’ve seen cyberwarfare described as kinetic the term was misused. So the troops on the ground in Afghanistan are conducting a kinetic action? Because I got the impression from the uses of the term I’ve read that they wouldn’t be considered “kinetic”. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/29 "2011-06-19T04:17:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So the troops on the ground in Afghanistan are conducting a kinetic action? Because I got the impression from the uses of the term I’ve read that they wouldn’t be considered “kinetic”. If they are using a weapon, any weapon, that fires a projectile or explodes, it is “kinetic”. It’s that simple. It really is. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/30 "2011-06-19T10:47:49Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > If they are using a weapon, any weapon, that fires a projectile or explodes, it is “kinetic”. It’s that simple. It really is. Yeah, Obama was just reassuring us he hasn’t sent in the laser cannons…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/31 "2011-06-19T14:30:04Z")
That’s a relief! I have a number of friends who are working as contractors on the Death Star II. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/32 "2011-06-19T17:33:13Z")
“Kinetic military action” sounds like something you’d read on the side of a G.I. Joe box. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/33 "2011-06-19T19:09:35Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > If they are using a weapon, any weapon, that fires a projectile or explodes, it is “kinetic”. It’s that simple. It really is. Back in March, Ben Rhodes said: _“I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone. Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end. But again, the nature of our commitment is that we are not getting into an open-ended war, a land invasion in Libya. What we are doing is offering a unique set of capabilities over a period of days that can shape the environment for a no-fly zone.”_ The implication I got was that Rhodes was saying a land invasion in Libya wouldn’t be kinetic. Kinetic was something like setting up a no-fly zone. So it appears the Obama administration’s attempts to confuse me succeeded. I misunderstood what was being implied. Thanks for clearing this up for me. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/34 "2011-06-22T04:18:38Z")
I remember someone called this kinetic military action a shit sandwich a few weeks ago. I mentioned to a friend that should be a “carbohydrate-based fiber and feces containing food item”. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908/35 "2011-06-22T06:09:01Z")
I kinda **like** the idea of a military policy based on a Calder mobile! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-military-action-seriously/585908.md?page=1)