plutoon

Plutoon is a term used primarily in speculative fiction and gaming to describe a small military unit or squad. The term appears as a portmanteau of Pluto and platoon, intended to evoke spacefaring operations or planetary exploration, though it has no standard definition across media. In most fictional contexts, a plutoon denotes a unit ranging from a few to a couple dozen personnel or vehicles tasked with reconnaissance, security, or assault within a larger planetary or space fleet. The concept often features specialized equipment or training suited to space environments, such as grav-suits, compact propulsion, or rapid-deployment tactics, but the specifics vary by work.

In usage, plutoons may operate independently on a patrol or as components of larger detachments, sometimes reporting directly to a captain or fleet commander. Some writers use the term to suggest a colonial or frontier stance, whereas others employ it for high-mobility squads. The term is largely informal and not part of formal military nomenclature; it is mostly encountered in fiction, fan content, and certain game universes.

Because Plutoon is not a standard term, readers should rely on the in-universe definitions provided by each work. See also platoon, unit, squad, detachment, military organization, Pluto.