China’s Search for a ‘Strategic Air Force’

Once dismissed by many outside observers, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has undergone an impressive transformation over the past two decades, emerging as one of the world’s premier air forces. As it continues to modernize, it is focused on becoming a ‘strategic air force.’ PLAAF strategists suggest this means it should play a decisive role in protecting Chinese national interests, field modern capabilities commensurate with China’s standing as a major power, and enjoy the institutional status befitting its role as a ‘strategic service,’ an important consideration given the historical dominance of the ground force in China’s military.     

Northern Ireland and minimum force: the refutation of a concept?

The debate over whether there exists a British counter-insurgency tradition of minimum force is one that has been thoroughly discussed. Is there anything left to say? This study suggests there is further insight to be attained if one explicitly evaluates the concept of minimum force in relation to the conduct of the security forces in the years of the Northern Ireland conflict. Through an examination of three key periods in the conflict, it will be shown that while there was invariably an awareness of the need to act with restraint among senior officers at the strategic level, this was often difficult to apply at the tactical level in the heat of confrontation. The argument demonstrates that the British Army, and other instruments of the state, rarely acted in a manner that could be described as ‘minimal’. Instead, it was the broader liberal values of the British state that explains largely the degrees of restraint exhibited by the government and security forces.     

Accreditation Fraud in Brazilian Military Hospitals: Why “Tone at the Top” Matters

This article shows under which circumstances fraudulent accreditation can occur in Brazilian military hospitals, calling attention to the tone at the top as a critical aspect of military fraud deterrence – and hence as a critical aspect of this branch of military ethics. The problems allegedly found in Brazilian military health institutions were revealed through in-depth interviews conducted with 29 professionals who reported to work or have worked in a Brazilian military hospital. These fraud allegations were mostly associated with false documentation and procedures designed to give the appearance that legal requirements for accreditation were met and could be traced back to a weak or corrupt “tone at the top” coming from military higher ranks.     

舰船航渡过程中的松弛时间与航渡策略问题

针对舰船特点和任务要求,提出了舰船航渡中的松弛时间问题。在对问题分析的基础上,给出了松弛时间的定义并对其进行了建模,讨论了航渡失败的判断准则,给出了松弛时间的上下限以及航渡中实际的松弛时间的计算方法,并采用仿真的方法进行了典型航渡过程的松弛时间和成功概率的计算。在大量计算的基础上,初步探讨了航渡成功概率与各类航渡参数之间的关系,并对舰船最优航渡策略问题进行了初步分析,最后对于优化目标、计算初值、结果的表达方式等提出了一个可行的解决方案。     

基于WMUWD和MF-DFA的无意调制特征提取方法

为了能够有效提取信号中包含的无意调制信息,提出了一种基于WMUWD和MF-DFA的特征提取方法。以发射机原理为基础,建立无意调制信号数学模型。在此基础上,提出了WMUWD的信号分解方法,并利用互信息对近似信号进行融合以减少无用信息。提出了MF-DFA方法并提取奇异指数作为特征。通过仿真分析发现,在信号处理层面,较传统小波分析方法而言,所提方法具有更好的信号处理效果,能够有效地去除无用信息与噪声分量;在特征识别方面,所提取的特征能够很好地识别5类无意调制信号,识别率均达到100%,表明所提方法的有效性。