Missile systems: “Flexible modularity” and incremental technological change in military production∗

It is often stated that technological change in the military field is characterised by the introduction of radical innovations rather than by incremental processes of technological change. This article illustrates the diversity of military innovation by arguing that technological change in missiles systems is dominated by incremental change. While some large weapons platforms display the design rigidities normally associated with complex systems, missiles are characterised by “flexible modularity”. Flexible modularity facilitates the continuous introduction of upgrades, and makes missile systems amenable to gradual technological change. Besides, it has significant implications for the future role of missile systems, and poses special problems for missile disarmament and technology control initiatives.     

Country survey VIII: Federal republic of Yugoslavia

This survey article focuses on defence economics issues and provides data and analysis on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's (FRY) defence policy, defence spending, the size of its armed forces, its defence industries and the cost of the civil war. The main section is devoted to the period from 1990 to the present and deals with the following aspects: the situation after the break‐up of the former Yugoslavia, general economic data; the cost of the civil war, the defence budget; the armed forces; the manufacture of armaments and the structure of the defence industry.     

Specialization in defence forces

The choice between balanced and specialized defence forces depends on the technology of defence output (e.g. whether a force scope multiplier is present), the existence of scope and scale economies, the platform customization costs and, of course, the level of defence budgets. Minimum force element levels (thresholds), and scale economies facilitate specialization as opposed to scope economies (e.g. platform‐sharing), scale diseconomies and the force scope multiplier (e.g. defence weakest‐link technology). When a balanced force is not optimal, the option value of a non‐optimally maintained force element must also include the opportunity cost arising from suboptimal force elements. Shrinking defence budgets may produce two surprising phenomena. If some force elements are shut down as a result of thresholds, the surviving ones may increase in platform numbers as well as enjoying closer‐to‐most‐desirable platforms. Furthermore, if heritage force elements are shut down within the budget contraction environment, overall defence capability might rise.     

The defence industry supply chain: Linkage patterns in the south west of england 1

In this paper, new data from the south west of England are used to illustrate that defence dependent firms are likely to purchase more inputs locally than less defence‐dependent firms. The results confirm that the defence industry's supply chain has unusual characterises and that defence industrial restructuring is therefore, likely to produce different outcomes to previous rounds of manufacturing restructuring.     

Don't stop with Joint Forces Command … cut AFRICOM too

Abstract

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has been a military success but a strategic messaging failure. The United States’ relationships across Africa cannot be boiled down to military affairs. This paper argues that Africa has many more opportunities than challenges and thus requires a more balanced foreign policy solution from Washington DC than a new military command. For the military engagement that does need to take place, a more low-profile approach would benefit the United States in Africa.     

(2015GIS)北斗静止轨道卫星信号盲区快速并行解算方法

北斗系统静止轨道卫星信号盲区解算方法复杂、串行计算耗费时间长,需在并行环境下利用更多的计算资源进行北斗盲区的快速解算。本文在分析北斗盲区解算原理与算法并行特征基础上,提出了基于动态盲区影响域的并行解算方法,并以栅格单元为并行粒度进行任务划分,实现了北斗盲区的高效并行解算。基于全国范围59景数字高程模型数据,利用8进程进行盲区并行解算,耗费时间约为5小时。实验测试结果表明：算法的并行效率随着进程数的增加有所衰减,但稳定在96%以上。基于本文方法实现的程序中间件已集成应用于高性能地理信息平台中,应用效果良好。     

基于解析结构模型的网络空间信息防御能力分析

针对网络空间信息防御需求及特点,利用解析结构模型方法,分析网络空间信息防御能力的影响要素及其关系,建立网络空间信息防御能力影响要素的层次结构模型,并找出核心要素和关键环节,为网络空间信息防御能力建设提供决策支持。     

基于遗传算法的雷达管控问题

通过对雷达组网系统责任区保障问题的深入研究,以完成对责任区的保障任务为目的,使责任区各个高度层均满足一定联合探测概率和雷达覆盖系数为约束条件,以雷达网整体工作代价最小为目标函数,构建了有干扰情形对雷达的管理和控制(以下简称雷达管控)数学模型。运用改进的遗传算法对雷达管控模型进行求解,通过设定保护概率保存了最优个体的遗传性,通过合理的算法参数设置改善了算法的性能。仿真算例和实际应用结果表明,雷达管控达标率由管控前的36.54%上升到63.46%,达到100%,雷达管控结果符合管控要求,且雷达开机数量较少,采取的抗干扰措施合理,验证了模型和方法的有效性。     

加强城乡结合部消防管理工作的探讨

尽管全国火灾形势逐年呈下降趋势,但是城乡结合部的消防安全工作仍然不容乐观,因此加强和改进城乡结合部消防管理工作是公安消防部队必须面对和解决的问题.分析了城乡结合部的消防安全现状和影响城乡结合部消防安全的主要问题,探讨了改进城乡结合部消防安全工作的对策.