Battleshort is a condition in which some military equipment can be placed so it does not shut down when circumstances would be damaging to the equipment or personnel.

According to Allied Ordnance Publication AOP-38, a NATO publication, a battleshort is "The capability to bypass certain safety features in a system to ensure completion of the mission without interruption due to the safety feature." It also says, "Examples of bypassed safety features are circuit overload protection and thermal protection." (i.e. overheating)

In peaceful situations you would want equipment to shut down so it is not damaged. In a battle or emergency, where the survival of the vessel (or other vehicle) is dependent upon the continued operation of the equipment, it is sometimes wiser to risk equipment rather than have the equipment shut down when it is needed in battle or an emergency situation.