The rhetoric and practice of the international responsibility to prevent mass atrocities: Reflections on South Africa’s peacebuilding role in South Sudan (2005–2013)

While global consensus on the meaning and application of the responsibility to protect (R2P) principle remains tenuous, there is little contention among major actors that the development of the norm should prioritise the prevention of mass atrocities. In particular, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) – which have a role to play that is vital to the future development of R2P as a global norm but which continue to express reservations about the intent and application of the doctrine – have been strong advocates of the preventive aspects of the principle. This rhetorical consensus, however, belies the conceptual and practical challenges that are associated with the prevention of mass atrocities. In this paper, the example of South Africa’s post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) interventions in South Sudan from 2005 to 2013 is used to reflect on the role of external actors in supporting conflict-affected states to implement the preventive aspects of R2P. It is argued that while South Africa, like other BRICS countries, has used the rhetoric that atrocity prevention should be at the core of R2P to legitimise its opposition to military intervention for humanitarian purposes, it has struggled to back this rhetoric with coherent strategies and concrete actions to prevent mass atrocity crimes within its sphere of influence. The gap between rhetoric and practice in the preventive aspects of R2P is not unique to South Africa, but highlights fundamental difficulties inherent to global efforts to prevent mass atrocities.     

US paramilitary programs in comparative perspective: CIA,the US Army Special Forces,and the question of organizational form

Assumed in the long-standing debate over which agency, CIA or the Department of Defense, should conduct US paramilitary operations is the idea that these organizations’ paramilitary programs are fundamentally the same kinds of things. This article questions that assumption by investigating the organizational forms underlying these agencies’ paramilitary programs in four empirical cases drawn from South Vietnam and post-9/11 Afghanistan. A typology is constructed around two identified organizational forms: “franchising” for CIA vs. “company ownership” for the US Army Special Forces. Different paramilitary organizational forms are found to have significant operational implications that should inform the paramilitary transfer debate.     

面向联合作战行动设计的态势差分析机理研究

文章介绍了态势差的概念内涵,分析了在设计联合作战行动时为什么要分析态势差,阐述了如何分析态势差。态势差分析是工程化作战筹划的一个环节,研究态势差分析机理,能为作战行动设计提供有力支撑,提高作战筹划效率。     

基于响应面与遗传算法的柴油机喷射参数优化

为解决燃油喷射系统参数优化中高效寻求全局最优解问题,综合响应面设计和遗传算法的优点和不足,采用多项式响应面模型代替原始遗传算法中计算量庞大的目标特性分析模型,建立了多项式响应面模型和遗传算法相结合的参数优化方法。结合非线性规划的凸性分析证明了遗传算法在预定优化区间内全局最优解的唯一性。对优化匹配后的喷射参数进行了模拟计算,结果表明:优化后柴油机油耗降低了1.96g/(kW·h),功率上升了0.99%,排气温度降低了21.86℃。表明该方法具有简单可靠、优化效率高等特点。     

一种楔块式单向超越离合器结构参数优化设计

为优化楔块式单向超越离合器的结构参数,根据漂浮式微型波力发电装置对超越离合器的要求,建立楔块式超越离合器结构参数的数学模型。以体积最小为优化目标,建立接触疲劳强度和各个尺寸的约束条件,并利用Matlab软件的优化工具箱求解数学模型。最后将常规设计参数和优化设计参数进行比较,结果表明:优化设计的体积只有常规设计的72.33%;漂浮式发电装置的传动系统结构更加紧凑,质量更轻。     

后勤物资消耗测算系统设计需求分析

针对当前后勤物资消耗测算方法过于简单粗略的问题,以构建有效的后勤物资消耗测算系统为目的,对系统的设计进行了需求分析。介绍了后勤物资消耗测算的基本流程以及关键理论,研究了后勤物资消耗测算系统的用户特点以及应用流程,着重对系统的功能需求进行了分析,确定了系统各主要功能的相关内容,并按照功能需求确定了系统的组成结构和接口关系,为系统的设计和实现奠定了基础。     

Layers of Experiments with Adaptive Combined Design

In the field of nanofabrication, engineers often face unique challenges in resource‐limited experimental budgets, the sensitive nature of process behavior with respect to controllable variables, and highly demanding tolerance requirements. To effectively overcome these challenges, this article proposes a methodology for a sequential design of experiments through batches of experimental runs, aptly named Layers of Experiments with Adaptive Combined Design (LoE/ACD). In higher layers, where process behavior is less understood, experimental regions cover more design space and data points are more spread out. In lower layers, experimental regions are more focused to improve understanding of process sensitivities in a local, data‐rich environment. The experimental design is a combination of a space‐filling and an optimal design with a tuning parameter that is dependent on the amount of information accumulated over the various layers. The proposed LoE/ACD method is applied to optimize a carbon dioxide (epet‐CO2) assisted deposition process for fabricating silver nanoparticles with pressure and temperature variables. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 127–142, 2015     

俄罗斯新一代舰载指控系统的设计思想

介绍了俄罗斯舰载指控系统的发展历史,分析研究了俄罗斯新一代指控系统的体系结构。以俄罗斯某新型指控系统为案例,介绍了其硬件和软件功能设计思想。     

某自动补弹系统翻转机构的优化设计

根据自动补弹系统中翻转机构的功能和设计要求,设计了一种新型的翻转机构,使用ADAMS软件对其进行优化设计,得到相应的曲线和较为理想的结果参数。结果表明通过对翻转机构的优化设计,为自动补弹系统翻转机构的改进设计起到指导作用,该方法对自动补弹系统中其他机构的优化分析也具有一定参考价值。     

采用状态转移矩阵的拦截中段制导方法

基于相对运动理论提出拦截中段制导方法。方法原理为,将拦截器初始轨迹与施加修正后的轨迹视为一主一从两空间目标,以相对运动理论描述从目标相对于主目标的运动规律,于是初始的修正量可由终点处相对状态求解。给出了一般形式的相对运动模型,运用几何法与变分法推导得到了J2摄动影响下相对运动的状态转移矩阵,在此基础上,提出了采用状态转移矩阵的拦截中段制导方法。仿真算例表明,提出的方法能够为工程实际中的拦截中段制导提供有效支持。