The Freudian trap in combat motivation theory

Theories of group, and individual, motivation to fight have shown little real advancement since World War II. The lively debate between the proponents of ‘primary group’ and ideological theories has tended to preclude any other analysis. The debate has continued to generalise from the experience of the Wehrmacht and its cohesion in the face of appalling destruction. In this article I suggest that the theoretical underpinnings of the debate have revolved around one particular, and somewhat unrecognised, concept of the mind. Work on combat motivation owes a substantial debt to Freudian ideas concerning the unconscious and group psychology. Both sides of the ideology/primary group debate use Freudian ideas, often without realising it, and these concepts shape the various positions taken. Only by acknowledging and examining this underpinning can the debate move forward and produce a more general theory of combat motivation and group conflict with wider application.     

The multivariate Polya distribution in combat modeling

This paper investigates the multivariate Polya distribution (MPD) for application in combat models for which enemy targets must be randomly assigned to fighting units. Six sets of actual combat data motivate the allocation model. Scenarios include air‐to‐air combat, tank, and submarine warfare. Goodness of fit tests are derived which verify the validity of the MPD, and reinforce the notion that multinomial allocation is too simplistic for such combat models. Simulations to determine optimal allocations for minimal combat cost are applied in order to illustrate the role of the MPD in combat modeling. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons,Inc. Naval Research Logistics 48: 1–17, 2001     

An indicator of combat success

Assessing the effects of changes in weapons systems or battle tactics is difficult because of the variations in battles and the resulting instability of measures of combat effectiveness. Even under the relatively stable conditions of designed combat exercises, traditional measures may fail to reflect important battle events and dynamics. This variation in results makes the design, conduct, and evaluation of combat experiments, combat simulations, and combat training exercises a challenging endeavor, indeed. We develop and examine a combat measure of effectiveness, based on Lanchester models, which we call the battle trace. The battle trace is a measure of ongoing battle results, measured as a function of time into the battle. We describe how such measures might contribute to assessing effects of changing certain battle parameters. We suggest applications of these ideas to developing combat simulations and to enhancing combat training exercises.     

The myth of the mangonel: torsion artillery in the Middle Ages

Abstract

Medieval siege artillery has been a subject of fascination since the antiquarians of the 19th century re-discovered the Middle Ages and then re-created it as an image of their own imagination, in the process generating many false ideas. Most of these myths have been corrected. But one that remains to this day is that the torsion-powered late Roman onager lived on for another millennium in the form of the mangonel.     

浅析《孙子兵法》中的战机思想

《孙子兵法》中蕴含着丰富而深刻的战机思想。不战全胜的“胜机”思想、立足不败的“待机”思想、变中求胜的“创机”思想、兵贵神速的“夺机”思想和因情用势的“握机”思想等内容,是《孙子兵法》战机思想的核心与精华。     

美国全球作战支持系统

美国的全球作战支持系统(GCSS)是 "武士C4I"的一个组成部分,它将人员、后勤、采办、医疗等支持功能集成到一个跨功能的环境中.GCSS将实现作战支持功能之间以及作战支持与指挥控制功能之间的端对端的信息互操作,为联合作战人员提供融合、实时的多维战场视图.主要介绍了全球作战支持系统的功能、系统组成及其未来作战能力.     

From combat to non-combat action

This paper examines the rationale and centrality of private military and security companies (PMSCs) in humanitarian assistance operations in Sudan, asking why PMSCs are involved in humanitarian assistance operations in Sudan and what the principles underlying their activities are. To answer this question, the paper draws attention to the link between humanitarian crises and PMSC interventions. Where there is no meaningful alternative intervention, undergirded by humanitarian concerns that are also profit driven, PMSCs come in to provide the needed services. The protracted and complicated internal armed conflicts in Sudan, which have lasted for over two decades, have produced as many as 4,8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) – the single largest number in the world. The kind of humanitarian assistance operations provided by PMSCs in Sudan have become critical to the provision of much-needed services which were inadequately provided by governmental authorities at both unilateral and multilateral levels. This paper argues that the humanitarian crises in Sudan created a regime that permits humanitarian assistance operations by both state and non-state actors.     

Effects of lethality in naval combat models

In the context of both discrete time salvo models and continuous time Lanchester models we examine the effect on naval combat of lethality: that is, the relative balance between the offensive and defensive attributes of the units involved. We define three distinct levels of lethality and describe the distinguishing features of combat for each level. We discuss the implications of these characteristics for naval decision‐makers; in particular, we show that the usefulness of the intuitive concept “more is better” varies greatly depending on the lethality level. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2004.     

Optimal sequential replenishment of ships during combat

A carrier battle group is operating in an area where it is subject to attack by enemy aircraft. It is anticipated that air raids will occur in large waves. The uncertain time between raids is available for the replenishment of supplies. We consider the problem of how best to schedule ammunition replenishment during this period. The theory of Gittins indices provides the technical background to the development of a range of models which yield a hierarchy of index-based heuristics for replenishment. One such heuristic is assessed computationally in a more realistic scenario than is explicitly allowed for by the models.     

提升地下战场作战能力研究

地下战场空间是一个相对独立的空间,其作战力量有一定的特殊性。随着信息化战争的程度越来越高,地下作战力量与其它空间的作战力量产生了密切的关系。本文重在探索构建全维、立体的地下战场作战力量即地下战场体系的建设力量、地下战场的作战力量,进行一体化联合作战。提出将决策管理力量、科研设计力量、施工建造力量三者有机融合,互相协作,推动战场建设,在建设的基础上,为信息化条件下的联合奠定力量基础。     

复杂作战网络建模及模型特征

针对传统网络模型难以反映多军种联合作战特点的问题,在传统树状网络拓扑模型的基础上加入了横向连接,构建了一个基于复杂网络的联合作战网络模型。该模型打破了以平台为中心的作战样式,体现了信息化条件下联合作战的特点。定义了网络模型的若干参数,通过对仿真计算结果的统计,分析了该模型的特征参数,得出该作战网络具有规则网络和随机网络的特性,且模型从整体上体现出树状层次性、无标度性和小世界特性。     

Optimal force mix in heterogeneous combat

This article presents models for determining the optimum number of Red weapons required to win a heterogeneous combat in which m(m> 1) types of Red weapons face a single type of Blue weapon under a newly defined termination policy. Red aims at either minimizing the total cost or maximizing the aggregated remaining force strength. Kuhn-Tucker and simulated annealing techniques are used for obtaining the optimal solution. The methodology is illustrated by analysing heterogeneous combat to determine (i) the feasibility of introducing new types of weapons and (ii) the number of weapons required to win if a specific type of weapon, say infantry, dominates. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A Lanchester-type model of combat with stochastic rates

The effects of environmental stochasticity in a Lanchester-type model of combat are investigated. The methodology is based on a study of stochastic differential equations with random parameters characterized by dichotomous Markov processes. Exact expressions for the Laplace transforms of the time evolution of the first- and second-order moments of the system are obtained. A special case when the fluctuations in the parameters occur with great rapidity in comparison with the natural time scale of the system is also analyzed. The stochastic stability in the mean-square sense is discussed by using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion and it is found that the stochastic perturbations tend to destabilize the system.     

带保障智能体的多智能体战斗模型仿真研究

为了研究基于复杂适应系统理论的多智能体仿真模型的演化和涌现规律,在Swarm平台上建立了一个多智能体的战斗保障模拟仿真系统,并对战斗过程双方兵力耗损和弹药消耗进行了仿真研究,其结果和现实情况比较吻合.基于复杂适应系统理论的多智能体仿真模型可以模拟复杂系统的微观行为,进而能够显现出系统的宏观涌现现象,对作战研究有着非常重要的方法论意义.     

General solution to many-on-many heterogeneous stochastic combat

Stochastic combat models are more realistic than either deterministic or exponential models. Stochastic combat models have been solved analytically only for small combat sizes. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to extend previous solution techniques to larger-scale combat. This research provides the solution for many-on-many heterogeneous stochastic combat with any break points. Furthermore, every stage in stochastic combat is clearly defined and associated aiming and killing probabilities are calculated. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

海军基地防御战斗中的电子对抗

从近年来的几场高技术局部战争来看,在未来高技术局部战争中,交战双方都将广泛使用电子战手段,谁拥有了"制电磁权",谁就能掌握战争的主动权.以近年的几次高技术局部战争为背景,对电子战在海军基地防御战斗中的使用和战术运用情况进行了研究,分析了在海军基地防御中电子战的作战组织形式及特点,并提出了一些建议.     

A Lanchester-type aggregated-force model of conventional ground combat

This article develops a Lanchester-type model of large-scale conventional ground combat between two opposing forces in a “sector”. It is shown that nonlinear Helmbold-type equations of warfare with operational losses may be used to represent the loss-rate curves that have been used in many aggregated-force models. These nonlinear differential equations are used to model the attrition of combat capability (as quantified by a so-called firepower index) in conjunction with a rate-of-advance equation that relates motion of the contact zone (or FEBA) between the opposing forces to the force ratio and tactical decisions of the combatants. This simplified auxiliary model is then used to develop some important insights into the dynamics of FEBA movement used in large-scale aggregated-force models. Different types of behavior for FEBA movement over time are shown to correspond to different ranges of values for the initial force ratio, for example, an attack will “stall out” for a range of initial force ratios above a specific threshold value, but it will “break out” for force ratios above a second specific threshold value. Such FEBA-movement predictions are essentially based on being able to forecast changes over time in the force ratio.     

现代化GPS系统的发展趋势与导航战

详细论述了美国的GPS现代化计划及其对军事的影响,介绍了GPS引发导航战的基本特点以及应采取的相应措施。     

略论实战化军事训练中的安全管理

全面提高信息化条件下威慑和实战能力是我军的紧迫任务,实战化军事训练必将成为我军"新常态"。这种"新常态"要求我们既要从难从严训练显成效,也要重视安全发展,把安全防范工作放到突出位置上运筹。