• rbos@lemmy.ca
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      20 days ago

      Aviation term for an air attack. Out, hit, back.

      I think it’s also general military. A squad can sortie out to accomplish an objective.

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        20 days ago

        From the French sortir, “to go out”.

        So yeah, the “out” and “back” parts are important: if a unit is attaching while maneuvering in the field, it’s not a “sortie”. That’s also why it’s common in aviation, since airplanes inherently require a home runway that every attack begins and (ideally) ends at.