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Well, NATO standardisation. Imperial measurements are not the norm - Metric measurements are, so since pretty much all of the NATO allies, except for the US and UK (at the time) used the Metric system, the militaries of the US and UK did the same. Klick is simply a kilometre, which is what grid squares on military topographical maps are drawn at (four sides @ 1km per side). The term itself... there is no certain source which can pinpoint the origin of it. It's been in use since the 1950s. Most likely, someone didn't feel like saying "kilometre", and a shortened form - "klick" - came to be and caught on. There is one story that it comes from the odometers of military vehicles, which would click whenever the next number turned over. However, since US Military vehicles used (and still use) gauges which show English System measurements (miles, gallons, etc), I personally find it a little unlikely, since the odometer would be clicking at every mile, rather than at every kilometre.

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14y ago

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