To free or not to free (ride): a comparative analysis of the NATO burden-sharing in the Czech Republic and Lithuania

ABSTRACT

The recent rise in the defence budgets among the NATO members reawakens the free-riding dilemma. This article provides an analysis of the defence spending of two new member states, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. Based on the free-riding theory, we explain why some of the new NATO members decide to increase their defence budgets (Lithuania), and others do not (Czech Republic). In contrast to the majority of works which focus either on the US as the biggest spender or on the “old” members of the Alliance, we explain under what circumstances some of the small European states who became new NATO members started to increase their defence budgets even though they do not have to, and the literature suggests that free-riding is easier. In the process, we identify three crucial factors that in?uence the decision-making process in this regard: the level of threat perception, economic situation, and the US pressure.     

The Hungarian experience with Gripen fighter aircraft

The post-communist countries transition from the Warsaw Pact style of platforms and systems to Western-compatible capabilities has never been an easy task or a process without conflicts. This was no different for the Visegrád countries either, in which case the Hungarian Gripen procurement stands out. After much debate, Budapest decided to modernize its fighter fleet with the not battle tested Swedish-made Gripen fighter aircraft. This decision received several critiques due to the lack of transparency in the selection process and the initial lack of NATO-required systems. Subsequently, the fleet has had to operate in a financially demanding environment. Moreover, the air force has lost two aircrafts in accidents. Now that the jets are in the middle of their envisaged life cycle, it is more than appropriate to answer the question if the Gripens can utilize their full combat potential or will they fail the test of time?     

Militarisation of cooperation against mass migration – the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC)

As a result of the migration crisis of 2015–2016, the management of mass migration and border control became militarised in Central Europe, and this process has also reshaped the dynamics of multinational defence cooperation in the region. Accordingly, while the so-called Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) was created by Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2010 to support NATO and EU capability development projects via defence cooperation, after the migration crisis it became the major Central European forum for military cooperation against irregular mass migration. Although many defence officials in the region are not necessarily enthusiastic about this development, the Central European political environment and also practical defence considerations pushed the defence ministries of CEDC countries towards deeper cooperation on border control, as well as better coordination with ministries of interior affairs on the national and the regional levels.     

雷达哨舰在编队对空预警中的前出阵位研究

针对现代海战中空袭目标的特点,确定雷达哨舰在编队对空预警中的前出阵位。论述了雷达哨舰在编队对空预警中的使用原则,分析了影响雷达哨舰前出阵位的各因素,建立了雷达哨舰阵位配置和预警机动区的数学模型,采用MATLAB7.0工具仿真计算了模型中各参数对哨舰前出距离和预警机动区面积的影响,得到了雷达哨舰配置的约束条件,可为对编队组织对空预警提供参考。     

一种实用的提高景象匹配可靠性的方法

景象匹配导航具有高准确性和高可靠性,因此被应用于诸多领域。从景象匹配适配区的选择出发,提出了一种实用的提高景象匹配可靠性的方法,在匹配前对参考图提取出高概率匹配区,然后再用NPROD算法进行匹配,实验证明该方法能够有效地提高景象匹配的可靠性。     

分布式水面舰艇编队防潜仿真系统设计

为了实现在攻防对抗条件下水面舰艇编队防潜作战过程的仿真,通过对分布式水面舰艇编队防潜仿真系统功能、组成、仿真流程和仿真模型的研究,提出了分布式水面舰艇编队防潜仿真系统的设计方案。分布式水面舰艇编队防潜仿真系统可用于研究防潜作战战法,验证新型武器系统的作战性能,论证各种反潜武器装备的作战需求。     

激光制导炸弹投放域分析

以某型激光制导航空炸弹为例,进行了三维动态数字仿真研究.建立激光制导炸弹空间六自由度运动方程组,激光制导炸弹控制系统数学模型和控制信号的形成模型,用拟合技术求解气动力因数,仿真计算了水平投放时的投放域,并对影响攻击区边界的因素和影响制导精度的因素进行了分析和讨论.对激光制导炸弹的研制提出了几点建议.     

离散随机系统的一类综合控制

研究离散线性随机系统在方差约束下的综合控制设计问题,即设计期望的静态输出反馈控制器,使闭环极点位于单位圆内的一个环形区域内。同时,每个稳态状态方差都满足给定的上界约束,从而使闭环系统具有良好的稳定特性和动态性能。本文利用修正的代数Ｌｙａｐｕｎｏｖ方程,推导出控制器存在的充分条件和解集刻划,并提供了说明性的数值算例。文中所得结果具有形式简洁、易于工程实现的特点     

飞行器易损性指标计算的基本理论与方法(Ⅰ)

给出了与易损性指标计算有关的一些基本概念,推导了在单击中情况下无余度非重叠模型、无余度重叠模型、余度非重叠模型、余度重叠模型４个模型及其相应的易损性指标计算公式。若干算例说明了方法的有效性。     

编队舰空导弹对空拦截综合模型研究

以水面舰艇编队防空为背景,用数学分析法和计算机模拟法对编队防空中预警直升机的配置和探测模型、舰载雷达的探测模型、编队对空导弹的抗击方法、编队对目标的射击能力、转火能力、杀伤概率等问题进行了研究,建立了火力方程等有关数学模型,为定量分析和优化编队对目标的作战能力提供了依据。