Army reconstruction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2003–2009

Since the peace agreements of 2002–2003 which ended the second war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reconstruction of the army has been an inherently political process, in common with other attempts to carry out security sector reform (SSR). This article briefly sketches out the Congolese army's history, then attempts to fill a gap in the literature on Congolese SSR by detailing what can be found of the actual structure and shape of the present army. The efforts that have been made to reform the army are then examined, followed by a conclusion which examines the major issues and possible ways forward.     

Why did Sudan Lose a small war in Southern Sudan?

ABSTRACT

When on the wrong end of an asymmetry in the projection of hard power, weaker sides countenance the grim arithmetic of avoiding direct and massed confrontations. Invariably, insurgents have over the ages tended to employ indirect tactical methods to render their stronger opponents ineffective. Ultimately – interest asymmetry, regime type, asymmetries of strategy, and external intervention – combine in a complex interplay and pattern, to militate against a strong side. In Sudan, these factors interacted throughout the civil wars to produce regional autonomy and finally an independent South Sudan in 2011. Similar strategic logic had confronted many large African states battling insurgencies in Ethiopia, Angola, Nigeria, Zaire, and apartheid-era South Africa. Oftentimes, weakening public resolve has caused these governments to accommodate, capitulate or withdraw even if they try not to blink. Notwithstanding the regime type, it can be concluded that the majority of strong actors are prone to fail in a protracted, asymmetric conflict. Hence, the notion of linking victory in counterinsurgency to the degree of openness (democratic polyarchies); or closeness (totalitarianism) – is still valid but highly contestable in the case of Africa’s large dysfunctional states.     

The long and winding road … to success? Unit peace operation effectiveness and its effect on mission success

Why does peacekeeping sometimes fail? How can effective peacekeepers increase the likelihood of success of a mission? The two main flaws in the current evaluations of peace operations are that they mainly rely on already concluded missions and that they make use of indicators that do not reveal micro-level dynamics. This article introduces an analytical framework relating the effectiveness of soldiers to their actual impact in their area of operation in a peace operation. The framework is called “unit peace operation effectiveness” (UPOE). Focusing on soldiers in peace operations, this article shows that: different units behave differently; emphasize different aspects of the mandate; and are effective in different ways. Ultimately, this has an actual impact on the end-state of the mission. It relies on and adapts classic security studies works to theoretically enrich the peacekeeping literature. The model is tested in an illustrative case study based on ethnographic work on French and Italian units in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2010.     

信息化条件下鱼雷相关战术技术能力研究

针对信息化海战的特点和对鱼雷的要求,提出了在信息化海战条件下鱼雷应该具备的一些战术和技术能力,如在网络体系中及时可靠获取信息的能力、更强的对抗能力、先进的导航定位能力、远程的水声通信能力等,并对鱼雷航程和航速之间的关系重新进行了分析,以期为新型鱼雷的研制和开发提供一定的参考。     

新型陆军部队作战能力综合实验支持系统设计?

利用综合实验方法对新型陆军部队作战能力进行分析评估是新型陆军部队建设发展的客观需要,其综合实验的成功运用必须得到相应系统的支持。针对支持系统所需具备的功能,设计支持系统的总体结构及主要功能模块,详细分析各功能模块间的信息流程和支持系统的应用过程,为支持系统的具体构建提供指导。     

美军作战试验与鉴定发展研究

当前,军队装备试验鉴定正由性能试验向作战试验、在役考核全领域拓展。在装备试验鉴定体系全面重塑的历史背景下,为适应军队装备试验鉴定发展新变化,探索装备试验鉴定新理论,推进装备试验鉴定自主创新发展,亟需开展装备试验鉴定技术研究。美军相对较早开展了装备试验与鉴定工作,在作战试验与鉴定工作方面已形成了较完善的法规制度体系和规范的操作流程,有较成熟的理论与方法成果可供借鉴。与此同时,美军作战试验与鉴定工作也面临许多新问题。本文剖析了美军作战试验与鉴定的内涵和管理模式,研究了2018和2019年美军作战试验与鉴定的重点技术领域,并进行了对比分析,以期掌握近期美军作战试验与鉴定工作的发展变化。     

基于FAHP的预备役部队快速动员能力评估

为深化预备役部队作战运用研究,探索快速动员行动的内在规律,介绍了快速动员行动阶段划分,研究了预备役部队快速动员能力影响因素,构建了定性与定量指标相结合的评估指标体系;而后选用合理的隶属函数,采用模糊层次分析法构建评估模型,对3个预备役单位进行实例评估验证。结果表明,该方法有效解决了预备役部队快速动员能力评估问题,能够发现其快速动员能力短板,具有较高应用价值。     

战术通信网组网方案评估优选方法

在当前信息化的战场环境下,战场环境瞬息万变,战术通信网作为信息化战争的神经中枢,起到了至关重要的作用,然而组网方案的好坏直接决定着通信网性能的优劣,因此,如何在战场环境下快速、自动、客观地评估战术通信网组网方案是一个亟待解决的问题。通过分析战术通信网的特性和要求,提出了战术通信网组网方案评估指标体系,并采用熵权灰关联的方法对组网方案进行评估优选,该方法方便快捷并且可以编程实现,不仅能够在战场环境下实时、自动地对组网方案进行评估优选,而且评估结果也符合实际情况,为指挥员提供了决策依据。     

分布式多平台态势一致性的实现机制

联合作战是现代战争的主要作战形式,参与联合作战的平台之间需要进行情报共享,形成协同一致的战场态势图。重点研究了Link16在分布式多平台之间实现态势一致性的机制,分析了其总体思路、采用的处理流程和方法、使用的消息种类、存在的问题和不足,并结合我军实际,提出了分布式多平台态势一致性的系统架构和实现方法。