Emergency transshipment in decentralized dealer networks: When to send and accept transshipment requests

While there has been significant previous literature on inventory transshipment, most research has focused on the dealers' demand filling decision (when to fill transshipment requests from other dealers), ignoring the requesting decision (when to send transshipment requests to other dealers). In this paper we develop optimal inventory transshipment policies that incorporate both types of decisions. We consider a decentralized system in which the dealers are independent of the manufacturer and of each other. We first study a network consisting of a very large number of dealers. We prove that the optimal inventory and transshipment decisions for an individual dealer are controlled by threshold rationing and requesting levels. Then, in order to study the impact of transshipment among independent dealers in a smaller dealer network, we consider a decentralized two‐dealer network and use a game theoretic approach to characterize the equilibrium inventory strategies of the individual dealers. An extensive numerical study highlights the impact of the requesting decision on the dealers' equilibrium behavior in a decentralized setting. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006     

Transient analysis of Markov models of fault‐tolerant systems with deferred repair using split regenerative randomization

The (standard) randomization method is an attractive alternative for the transient analysis of continuous time Markov models. The main advantages of the method are numerical stability, well‐controlled computation error, and ability to specify the computation error in advance. However, the fact that the method can be computationally very expensive limits its applicability. In this paper, we develop a new method called split regenerative randomization, which, having the same good properties as standard randomization, can be significantly more efficient. The method covers reliability‐like models with a particular but quite general structure and requires the selection of a subset of states and a regenerative state satisfying some conditions. For a class of continuous time Markov models, model class C₂, including typical failure/repair reliability‐like models with exponential failure and repair time distributions and deferred repair, natural selections are available for both the subset of states and the regenerative state and, for those natural selections, theoretical results are available assessing the efficiency of the method in terms of “visible” model characteristics. Those results can be used to anticipate when the method can be expected to be competitive. We illustrate the application of the method using a large class C₂ model and show that for models in that class the method can indeed be significantly more efficient than previously available randomization‐based methods. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006     

South Africa's arsenal of terrorism legislation

After only ten years in existence, the African Union (AU) has already made its mark on the landscape of peace and security in Africa. This paper seeks to explore the relationship between the AU's leading collaborative interstate security policy, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), and sustainable peace in the Horn of Africa. It examines four countries – Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya – and how engaging with the APSA through early warning systems can contribute to developing the elements necessary for sustainable peace, namely regional stability, conflict management, and good governance.     

Countering the effects of IED systems in Afghanistan: an integral approach

The current approach to countering the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan has met with limited success. The relative lack of success may be in part because the current approach is not holistic and discounts the social systems that foster the IEDs. Insurgents are using IEDs as a tool to further their strategic aims, but the coalition and to a lesser extent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) are attacking the IEDs as if they are an end in and of themselves. Combining network disruption with information change maximizes the opportunities for mitigating the IED threat. More specifically, to mitigate the IED threat requires disrupting the social and economic systems associated with IEDs, and at the same time providing alternative economic opportunities and improving rule of law and governance at the local level. In other words, counter-IED (C-IED) must be Counter-Insurgency (COIN) centric to be successful. This paper reviews the current state of C-IED efforts, identifies five main problems with the current approach, and suggests changes to reduce or mitigate the IED threat in Afghanistan.     

目标毁伤效果评估技术研究进展

目标毁伤效果评估作为目标保障的一项重要内容,对精确打击作战情报保障起到了核心作用,是现代精确打击体系的一个重要环节和关键步骤。文章从评估方法、评估模型和评估系统三个方面入手,梳理了国内外目标毁伤效果评估技术的最新研究进展,并对目前各类评估方法、模型及系统的优缺点分别进行了评述。最后,指出了该领域今后的研究方向。     

海军装备体系技术构成探析

在剖析海军装备体系与体系技术概念的基础上,分析了海军装备体系技术的特点与作用,提出了海军装备体系技术的基本构成,为海军装备体系技术的应用研究提供理论指导。     

加强海军航空军械器材信息化建设的对策研究

面对现代空战时域、空域广阔,发生时机不确定性强,航空军械装备战损消耗大的局面,为达到海军航空军械器材保障"快速反应"和"精确保障"目的,必须进一步加强海军航空军械器材信息化建设的研究。首先从总体上规划了海军航空军械器材信息管理系统功能;然后研究了信息化管理的主要技术;最后,提出推行海军航空军械器材"全资可视化"管理,为海军航空军械器材信息化保障提供了一种建设思路和技术指导。     

C4ISR中基于XML的标准化作战文书与数据库的映射

基于XML的标准化作战文书有利于C4ISR应用或仿真系统中作战文书的网络动态数据传输;而要实现C4ISR中作战文书自动化处理的其他功能,还需把XML文档和成熟的关系数据库的互补功能结合起来.通过对作战文书标准化系统整体流程的分析,提出了用标准化作战文书的DTD文档作为连接关系数据库和XML文档的中间件,并给出了XML文档结构和关系数据库结构相互之间的转换机制.     

营房管理可视化系统设计方案

利用地理信息技术、数据库技术以及办公自动化技术提出了营房可视化管理系统设计方案,实现了空间数据的上传下载以及与营地实力系统数据的导入导出;并根据面向对象技术实现了对空间图层类、信息窗体类和属性数据维护类的封装,为改变传统的营房管理模式,实现营房的信息化、可视化管理作了一定的探讨。     

防空兵武器装备发展论证专家系统的开发

首先阐明了防空兵武器装备发展论证专家系统开发的目标任务和建造原则,然后建立了专家系统的一般结构,并论述了系统开发过程中的问题定义与系统分析、知识获取、知识表示、软件实现、系统测试与评价等各个环节所应完成的任务,指出了在专家系统开发过程中潜在的主要问题。对于建立一个完备的、权威的防空兵武器装备发展论证专家系统有一定的指导意义。