Soft target

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Soft target is a military term referring to an unarmored or otherwise unprotected object to be destroyed. For example, a soft target would be an automobile or a house while a hard target could be a main battle tank or a well defended installation. A soft target can generally be overcome from any direction with typical ordnance in use by line units, while a hard target may necessitate attack from a specific direction, with particular planning, en-masse, by special units or by ordnance made for the purpose. Hardening a soft target can be achieved by addition of armour or use of additional construction, camouflage, mobility, co-location with defenses or another defended location, or even a less humane approach such as utilizing a human shield or by placing in a sensitive location like a well-populated city.