UN-Consistent: A Comparison of Australia's Military Interventions in Somalia and Rwanda

This article seeks to compare Australia's involvement in two key 1990s peace missions: those to Somalia in 1992–93 and Rwanda in 1994–95. While there are many similarities between the two missions in terms of time, scale and theatre, the differences are more important. Both missions are usually recalled as failures despite the Australian troops having been extremely successful in their roles during both deployments. Moreover the experiences with intervention in Africa seem to have forever blighted Australian participation in peace missions on that continent.     

‘Fighting for peace’

In Africa, most of the present conflicts are civil, intra-state wars where belligerent groups use guerrilla tactics to achieve various political, economic or ideological objectives. The atrocities and the effect of these on-going wars on innocent civilians, human suffering, poverty and development are beyond comprehension. Not surprisingly, the majority of current peace operations are in Africa, with more than 70 countries contributing forces to these conflict zones. On the continent, South Africa has come to assume a leading role in peace operations and is now a major troop-contributing country to UN and AU missions. In the past 11 years, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has taken part in no fewer than 14 peace missions. This article provides a brief background of the conflicts in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan, the different United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) mandates under which peacekeepers had to operate as well as their objectives, and the extent of South Africa's involvement in the various missions. In the last section, the major challenges, that these operations have posed are highlighted.     

Tipping the scales: short-term interventions and counterinsurgency

Particularly in African operations, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces have faced significant problems in restoring stability. In at least a few situations, unilateral national military interventions have been launched in the same countries. In the cases of Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, the British and French interventions respectively played a significant role in re-establishing stability. Lessons from these operations suggest that if effective coordination and liaison channels are established, such hybrid unilateral-UN missions can in fact be more successful than “pure” peace operations.     

Past as prologue: USMC small wars doctrine

Africa is arguably the most important regional setting for United Nations peacekeeping challenges. In the 1990s, extensive efforts have been made by the United Nations in the fleld of peacekeeping with the speciflc aim of reducing the levels of conflicts on the continent. Another significant development relates to the fact that organisations in Africa have started to feature as important peacekeeping instruments in recent years as it is increasingly being accepted that there is a need for such institutions to take care of their own security requirements. However, a key issue at stake is the need to achieve greater consistency with regard to third-party intervention in African conflicts. A look at the more glaring examples of multinational operations in the name of peace and security gives a sense of the magnitude and difficulties often experienced during such endeavours. In addition, both past and current operations have brought to light certain perspectives and lessons that require careful analysis and study. In this article, an overview is given of some of the perils and challenges associated with multinational operations in the realm of peace and security. Specifically, the focus is on Africa and on key issues and challenges regarding the strategic and operational management of such operations in view of the need to consider a more integrated approach towards multinational operations in support of peace and security in Africa.     

从建设和平的视角看联合匡维和行动的困境

联合国维和行动目前面临着日益严峻的困难和挑战。其中的一个重要原因在于维和人员被赋予了过多的建设和平的职责,使得维和行动处于两难的境地。要缓解这一困境,国际社会需重新审视和定义维和行动的职责范围,大力加强和平委员会的能力建设,并给予更多的授权。在实现这些长期目标之前,维和特派团将继续代替建和委履行建设和平协调员的职责。     

驱护舰编队对海作战中舰载无人机任务规划

任务规划是舰载无人机作战使用的基础。根据舰载无人机作战性能特点,从作战使用的角度对舰载无人机任务规划的概念进行了诠释,提出将舰载无人机的任务规划区分为战术规划和航迹规划,给出了舰载无人机任务规划应遵循的原则以及任务规划的内容和步骤,提出了舰载无人机在驱护舰编队对海作战中可遂行的战术任务。     

基于UML的作战视图描述

作战视图是进行系统顶层设计的体系结构技术中的重要组成部分.为提高设计效率,用面向对象语言来设计美国国防部体系结构框架中作战视图的方法,实现描述完成使命所需要的任务和行动、作战要素和信息交换.并给出了UML (统一建模语言)的实例,用以指导产品开发.     

When the Going Gets Tough… Monitoring Missions and a Changing Conflict Environment in Sri Lanka, 2002–2008

This article analyzes how the conflict environment in which a civilian monitoring mission is deployed influences the monitors' assessment of the operation. It draws on unique empirical material from the experience of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), deployed to oversee a ceasefire agreement in Sri Lanka 2002–2008. With material from a survey and in-depth interviews, experiences of the monitors are analyzed and changes over time are traced in relation to the monitors' assessment of the mandate and organizational set-up of the mission. The study points to the difficulty of monitoring missions to address escalation during an ongoing peace process. Its function is dependent on the goodwill of the parties. In essence, monitoring missions have the potential to strengthen peace when there is momentum in favor of progress, but when relations between the parties turn sour and the conflict escalates a civilian monitoring mission basically loses its potential. During the final stages of the war, which saw a very large number of civilian casualties, the war-torn areas were closed to international observers. Moreover, international pressure for a short-term ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian situation was dismissed by the Sri Lankan government, which also saw the backing of several important actors, not the least China.     

试论联合国维和行动的理念演变

联合国维持和平行动的指导理念随着国际局势的发展而不断变化,其中既有自身的发展与完善,也折射时代的演进和各种政治力量的对比。联合国维和行动产生初期遵循绝对中立理念,冷战后准军事介入阶段带有明显的隐性强权理念,反恐时代则对维和理念演变产生了新的影响。     

基于作战任务的武器装备保障性研究综述

现代战争对装备保障的依赖性越来越大,以作战任务为出发点的武器装备保障性研究成为武器装备执行任务能力正常发挥的前瞻性问题。在对目前国内外武器装备保障性研究现状广泛深入研究的基础上,展望了未来基于作战任务的武器装备保障性研究的发展方向。     

The Nepalese Army: From counterinsurgency to peacekeeping?

Can peacekeeping participation help reform military institutions in democratizing states? Drawing on evidence from Nepal – one of the world's largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations – this essay illustrates that participation in peace missions can sometimes undermine security sector reform and deteriorate civil–military relations. Furthermore, this analysis shows that peacekeeping participation will not necessarily reorient troops away from their conventional internal roles (such as counterinsurgency) or improve civilian control over the armed forces. Hence, civilians can lose control over soldiers just as frequently when they are deployed overseas as when they are at home.     

The long and winding road … to success? Unit peace operation effectiveness and its effect on mission success

Why does peacekeeping sometimes fail? How can effective peacekeepers increase the likelihood of success of a mission? The two main flaws in the current evaluations of peace operations are that they mainly rely on already concluded missions and that they make use of indicators that do not reveal micro-level dynamics. This article introduces an analytical framework relating the effectiveness of soldiers to their actual impact in their area of operation in a peace operation. The framework is called “unit peace operation effectiveness” (UPOE). Focusing on soldiers in peace operations, this article shows that: different units behave differently; emphasize different aspects of the mandate; and are effective in different ways. Ultimately, this has an actual impact on the end-state of the mission. It relies on and adapts classic security studies works to theoretically enrich the peacekeeping literature. The model is tested in an illustrative case study based on ethnographic work on French and Italian units in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2010.     

驱护舰编队对海作战中舰载无人机任务规划

摘 要：任务规划是舰载无人机作战使用的基础。根据舰载无人机作战性能特点,从作战使用的角度对舰载无人机任务规划的概念进行了诠释,提出将舰载无人机的任务规划区分为战术规划和航迹规划,给出了舰载无人机任务规划应遵循的原则以及任务规划的内容和步骤,提出了舰载无人机在驱护舰编队对海作战中可遂行的战术任务。     

着眼建设现代化武警需要创新新型指挥人才培养模式

胡主席关于“建设一支能够有效维护国家安全和社会稳定、保障人民安居乐业的现代化武装警察力量”的战略思想,深刻揭示了建设现代化武警与履行职责使命的内在关系。要建设现代化武警,有效履行职责使命,就需要新型的指挥人才。因此,我们必须高瞻远瞩,站在当今世界军事人才培养的“制高点”,注重实效,切实培养出大批高素质的新型军事指挥人才。     

透视德军心理战部队

历经第二次世界大战和冷战时期后,德军心理战部队朝量小、质精的目标发展。冷战结束东、西德统一后,德军配合北约组织执行索马里、波斯尼亚及阿富汗等国维和任务,心理战部队一方面以实务经验精进其作业能力,另一方面在多国维和任务中汲取他国长处,以传播科技增进其执行效能。     

数字化装甲装备基本作战单元整体性能试验需求分析

数字化装甲装备基本作战单元整体性能试验,是数字化部队建设进程中常规武器装备试验所面临的一个现实而紧迫的新课题。从分析数字化装甲装备基本作战单元典型使命任务和功能需求入手,提出数字化装甲装备基本作战单元整体性能试验需要重点关注的问题:地面突击能力与所担负任务的匹配;建制内各装备的远程机动能力的匹配;野战防护能力与典型作战任务、火力威胁的匹配。指出主要试验内容为通信联通性能试验、指挥控制性能试验、协同打击性能试验和使用性能试验。为整体性能评估指标体系构建和整体性能试验设计奠定了基础。     

Smart Power and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces

Abstract

From Iraq to the Gulf of Aden and the South Pacific, this paper evaluates how far theoretical ideas about smart power manifest in operational missions of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). To function within a ‘smart’ power context, this paper suggests that JSDF operates in ‘assisting’ mode, rather than the ‘threatening’ behavior of ‘hard’ power. JSDF also deployed alongside other Japanese ‘soft’ power tools – diplomatic, cultural, developmental, and NGOs, using tailored programs for different cultural and geographical contexts. Given constitutional constraints and public sensitivity towards coercive force, JSDF missions could be integrated more into a ‘whole-of-government’ approach advancing foreign policy goals through ‘smart power’.     

Military deployment and international terrorism: do location and mission type matter?

Extant literature documents a relationship between military deployment and the risk of an international terrorist attack against citizens of the deploying country. It appears that deployment significantly increases the possibility of terrorist actions in the home country. In particular, if country A decides to send troops to nation B, then citizens of the former country are more likely to fall victim of an attack carried out by a terrorist organisation originating from the latter country. Contributing to this line of literature, we further refine this relationship by distinguishing between regions where the troops are sent as well as by introducing differences between types of deployment. Our results indicate that missions to Asia and the Middle East are more dangerous than missions to other regions as reflected by the terrorist threat in the home country. Robustness tests do however show that the significance of the location variable Asia is predominantly attributed to the mission to Afghanistan. As for types of deployment, only ad hoc missions seem to increase the risk of an attack, whereas no significant results are found for other missions such as operations under UN and NATO flag. Leaving out the missions to Iraq and Afghanistan however also increases the danger resulting from missions by fixed coalitions. Our results find however no evidence that ‘wearing a blue helmet’ increases the probability of a terrorist attack at home.     

大椭圆轨道航天器编队飞行相对运动分析

大椭圆轨道航天器在较长轨道周期内运行于远地点上空,因而该轨道多应用于卫星通信、天体观测、空间磁场探测等。上述空间任务所需的多航天器协同运动理论亟待解决。利用运动学方法推导了大椭圆轨道编队的相对运动模型,简要证明了实现长期近距离编队的必要条件,分析了相对轨道根数对线性化模型精度及其动力学特性的影响。仿真结果表明,相对运动模型在轨道远地点处精度较高,适当选择相对轨道根数可设计出满足任务要求的编队轨道。     

Securitising humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa: A critical review of South Africa's new defence policy

The South African Defence Review 2014 is the country's new defence policy. The Review, which is expected to steer South African defence policymaking for the next few decades, discusses in detail the role of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in peace missions in Africa and proposes the direct involvement of the country's soldiers in both military and civilian tasks, from peacekeeping to humanitarian assistance, post-conflict reconstruction and development. This paper contains a critical review of the Review with regard to South Africa's envisaged contribution to regional and continental peace and stability. It is argued that humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction should not be securitised and that the SANDF should only be tasked with peacekeeping and the establishment of stability and security in fragile in-conflict and post-conflict settings. The humanitarian work should be left to humanitarian and aid agencies, while reconstruction and development should be left to organisations such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development, continental and international development organisations, and local actors.