Escalation and de-escalation of violence in insurgencies: Insights from Northeast India

Insurgencies in the Northeast of India have been a recurring phenomenon since India's independence in 1947. One of the most significant aspects of the multiple insurgencies has been the use of violence for political goals. By drawing upon three cases of insurgencies in Northeast India, the article offers a conceptual framework on escalation and de-escalation of violence in insurgencies. The article argues that the most critical variables which have a direct bearing on the levels of insurgent violence are: popular support, loss of legitimacy and the state's counter-response.     

A lost work of El Lobo: Lieutenant-Colonel Charles T.R. Bohannan's unpublished study of guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency in the Philippines, 1899–1955

Charles Ted Rutledge Bohannan (1914–1982) became an integral agent of US counterinsurgency operations during the early Cold War, contributing to both the success of the COIN effort to defeat the communist Huk insurgents in the Philippines and the stalled COIN efforts in Vietnam. In the early 1960s, he wrote a short and compact analysis of the US and Filipino experience of guerrilla warfare, from the Philippine–American war until the defeat of the Huk Rebellion. It was never published. Reprinted here, Bohannan's analysis of lessons learned makes a substantial contribution to the history of American ideas of unconventional warfare by an expert who contributed these lessons to the successful defeat of an insurgency in South East Asia.     

STRATEGY FOR A NEW NUCLEAR AGE

Current U.S. nuclear weapons strategy, force structure, and doctrine contribute to the threat of nuclear terrorism in several ways. First, the U.S. nuclear stockpile presents opportunities for nuclear terrorists to seize the materials they need. Second, U.S. nuclear forces remain a key justification for Russia's maintenance of similar nuclear forces that are less well protected. Third, America's continued embrace of nuclear weapons encourages and legitimizes other states to seek nuclear weapons that they will have difficulty securing from terrorists. The national security interests of the United States would be better served by a strategy to shrink the global footprint of nuclear weapons and provide the highest possible levels of security for the most minimal possible deterrent forces. Given the inability to secure nuclear weapons and materials perfectly or to eliminate terrorism in the foreseeable future, reducing the global inventory of nuclear weapons and materials is the most reliable way to reduce the chances of nuclear terrorism.     

Performance of Greek–Roman Artillery

Abstract

The main throwing machines invented and used by the Greeks and adopted, more widely, by Roman armies are examined. The kinematics and dynamics of both light and heavy Greek–Roman artillery are used in order to accurately assess its performance. Thus, a better understanding is obtained of the tactics and strategies of the legions of the Roman Empire as well as the reasons for some brilliant campaigns. Reconstructions of a repeating catapult, considered to be the ancestor of the modern machine gun, are also presented. The development of the mechanical design of such machines is discussed and pictorial reconstructions proposed.     

装甲车辆运动姿态实时仿真系统设计与实现

系统基于计算机仿真技术构建装甲车辆运动时的虚拟战场环境,利用自动控制技术和虚拟现实技术实现对装甲车辆运动姿态的实时仿真,采用同步建模和实时动态仿真技术实现机电系统与视景的同步仿真,从而保证了平台振动位置与由视景运动产生的位置变化一致.通过软、硬件互补的优化设计,提高了系统的抗干扰能力,实现了高仿真度、高质量的仿真通用平台的研制.该系统模型结构完整,参数选取精细,量化科学,三维图形实时性好,模拟程度逼真,工作可靠,维护方便,通用性强.     

水面舰艇编队反潜作战仿真模型组件化研究

针对目前编队反潜作战仿真领域中模型利用效率和可重用性较低的现状,提出并建立了基于组件技术的编队反潜仿真模型体系结构,依据编队反潜作战实际物理过程对编队反潜作战仿真模型体系进行了组件化层次结构划分和作战仿真模型组件设计,按照J2EE/EJB体系结构,完成了系统配置和不同类型组件及组件间信息交互接口设计,并对仿真系统进行了实现.结果证明该方法能有效提高模型可重用性并提高系统仿真运行效率.     

“协同制导通道”基本概念及其应用分析

舰艇编队协同反导作战,是海上网络中心作战的典型样式.针对舰艇编队网络化协同反导作战装备体系特殊性,提出了“协同制导通道”基本概念和数学表示方法,并对基于协同制导通道分配方法运用于网络化反导作战条件下武器资源分配进行了研究.分析了单舰反导作战“武器目标分配”的局限性,网络化反导作战“弹-目匹配”新需求和“协同制导通道”的选择方法,为确定“协同制导通道”选择的最优化指标,提出选择“协同制导通道”优化算法奠定了基础.     

网络中心战条件下舰艇编队武器系统可靠度分析

利用可靠度模型对网络化条件下舰艇编队跨平台组织武器通道的可靠度进行了分析。分析表明,在网络中心战条件下舰艇编队武器系统的可靠度有了大幅度的提升。     

论环境侵权民事责任的构成要件

随着社会经济的发展,环境污染已成为一个不能回避的社会话题。国家要想在将来寻求长远的发展,必须在现有立法的基础上,进一步完善环境保护的法律机制,从而实现社会的和谐。从环境侵权民事责任构成要件角度出发,阐述了如何保护受害人的合法权益,如何在经济发展的同时从根本上正确处理人与自然环境之间的关系。     

论火灾对环境的影响

通过火灾燃烧产物及灭火产物对环境的一些负面影响,提出了"绿色消防"的要求。