Overview: Units

What are units?

Units are official state or state-sanctioned organizations responsible for the internal security or external defence of a country. They include police, army, navy, air force and other security and defence forces, as well as those civilian institutions linked to security forces through the chain of command or other linkages. Units refer to any part of the hierarchy of a security force, ranging from a national defense ministry to a police post in a small town. Units can also be groupings of other units, including joint operations, task forces or peacekeeping missions.

Data about units are described by three claim types:

• Unit Identity: the existence and identity of the unit, such as its names, aliases, branch, dates of foundation and dissolution.

• Unit Relation: the unit’s position in the hierarchy of a security force, as well as their memberships in joint operations or international peacekeeping missions.

• Unit Positioning: geographic footprint including the unit’s areas of operation and physical infrastructure like posts, bases and camps.