Some implications of pricing bundles

In this article, we consider a problem in which two suppliers can sell their respective products both individually and together as a bundle, and study the impact of bundle pricing. Four pricing models (centralized, decentralized, coop–comp, and comp–coop) are analyzed with regard to the competition formats and sequences. As one would expect, the firms are always better off when pricing decisions are centralized. However, rather surprisingly, we find that firms may be worse off if the bundle prices are set in a cooperative way; we provide analytical characterization of those instances. Numerical studies show that these insights also hold for some nonlinear demand. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013     

Helping hands: civil–military cooperation and Italy's military operation abroad

In the Post-Bipolar Era the growing complexity of the military operations requires a new approach for the resolution of international crises. Since the end of the Cold War, peace support operations (PSO) have become the mainstay and principal occupation of most Western armies. At the same time, Italy has been one of the most important actors in such an area. The article focuses on the cooperation between military and civil components (a process called CIMIC) as a key variable in the Italian PSOs. We will analyse in detail the main lessons learned from past military interventions as well as the general context in which new tendencies are taking place. The maintaining of a minimum security frame becomes essential to fulfil activities ‘collateral’ to the mission: reconstructing services and infrastructure, food distribution, water and medication, law and order, de-mining, training of local forces, and supporting local institutions. These are the main tasks to obtain thrust and support from the population.     

人工神经网络的装甲兵体系作战协同效果评估

针对基于信息系统的装甲兵体系作战中的协同问题,在综合分析装甲机械化部队体系作战协同过程及信息流程的基础上,构建了基于精确性、有序性、灵活性、时效性等原则的协同效果评估指标体系,采用基于人工神经网络的多指标综合评价方法,建立基于BP神经网络的综合评价模型,并结合实证分析,利用MATLAB软件进行仿真计算,为装甲兵体系作战协同效果评估提供了较好的途径,为装甲兵指挥员更加合理地组织信息化条件下体系作战协同提供决策依据.     

Effects of Nuclear Technology Export Competition on Nuclear Nonproliferation

ABSTRACT

While nuclear suppliers compete in markets, they simultaneously partner in other fields. This produces a delicate relationship between civilian nuclear programs and nuclear weapon proliferation. This study explores how export competition affects suppliers’ conditions of supply related to nuclear nonproliferation. We investigated three export cases (India, North Korea, and South Korea) and identified four effects that competition has on the conditions of supply related to nonproliferation. First, under highly competitive conditions, suppliers might hesitate to enforce the conditions of supply to avoid negotiation conflicts with recipients. Second, suppliers focus on politically and economically attractive recipients while mostly ignoring unattractive ones, perhaps allowing proliferation problems to fester out of view in marginal states. Third, suppliers can build consensus on the conditions of supply to avoid being the only party experiencing negotiation conflicts. Fourth, suppliers can constrain others from relaxing the conditions of supply to maintain economic benefits and nonproliferation norms. The first two effects accelerate proliferation while the last two promote nonproliferation. Although the extent of these effects can vary with changes in nonproliferation norms, they can contribute to our understanding of the relationship between nonproliferation and civilian nuclear programs.     

Aligning national “logics” in a European military helicopter program

This article analyzes the public side of the NH90 network consisting of four participating countries (Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands) and their industrial partners. Comparable to observations in earlier international projects in the defense sector, the development and production of the NH90 defense helicopter did not match original plans and costs estimates. On the basis of four mechanisms that were intended to facilitate the cooperation between the partnering countries (the General Memorandum of Understanding; coalition formation; the role of the central agency; and the process of vertical escalation) the question is posed whether or not there was a true alignment of national interests and “logics.” The lack of standardization, as well as program delays and issues concerning the division of the work-share, lead to the emerging alignment being characterized as “quasi-alignment” at best.     

编队多平台协同防空作战系统逻辑结构分析

本文旨在为舰艇编队实现多平台协同防空反导提供一种系统逻辑结构设计思路,通过提出具有三层逻辑网络的舰艇编队多平台协同防空作战系统逻辑结构,并分析三层逻辑网络的结构和功能,以及阐明三层逻辑网络间的信息传递逻辑关系,从而使编队内各舰艇作战系统网络化连接,实现了编队协同防空反导,最大限度地发挥了编队兵力兵器的整体防空作战能力。     

海峡两岸打击跨境毒品犯罪警务合作机制研究

在全球毒品问题继续蔓延的趋势下,海峡两岸跨境毒品犯罪愈演愈烈。要有效遏制毒品犯罪给海峡两岸社会治安带来的危害,海峡两岸的警察机关应不断完善跨境追逃合作机制、犯罪资产追缴协助机制、调查取证协助机制,健全毒品犯罪情报交流机制,构建区际“控制下交付”合作机制,逐步拓宽打击跨境毒品犯罪警务合作渠道,以有效遏制海峡两岸毒品犯罪的发展蔓延。     

地缘政治视角下的中巴军事技术合作

中国和巴基斯坦是社会制度和意识形态完全不同的两个国家,但是自1951年正式建立外交关系的50多年来,两国之间发展起来的睦邻友好＂全天候和全方位＂的国家关系堪称世界上双边关系的典范。中巴友好关系的存在有力的支撑了南亚地缘政治格局的安全与稳定,其中,中巴军事技术合作又是这一友好关系中极为重要的一个侧面。通过分析中巴军事技术合作的背景、历史和现状,可以有效的了解南亚地缘政治格局的复杂性以及我国在其中的核心战略利益所在。文章分为三个部分：第一部分分析中巴友好的地缘政治因素和历史原因;第二部分分析中巴军事技术合作的历史、现状以及其在中巴关系起到的重要作用;第三部分在前几部分的基础上,对中巴军事技术合作中存在的一些不足之处提出看法并对未来进行展望。     

陆战Agent自主协作机制模型研究

陆战Agent是陆军作战复杂系统ABMS核心的基础要素,友方陆战Agent之间的协作机制是陆军作战复杂系统演化运行的关键支撑之一。陆战Agent之间的协作可归纳为自主协作和上级统一组织协作两种模式。陆战Agent之间的自主协作,与一般Agent系统中的协作模式相同,但由于陆军作战的特殊性,必须研究符合作战特点的陆战Agent自主协作机制。针对陆战Agent自主协作特点,对合同网协议进行了改进,探讨了陆战Agent自主协作机制模型的功能结构、框架、策略、流程和实施步骤,为陆军作战复杂系统的ABMS奠定了基础。     

中哈石油合作的安全战略及国家利益

经济快速增长时期旺盛的石油需求使中国石油进口及对外依存度不断上升,石油来源及进口安全成为保障经济安全的战略难题;中哈两国凭借资源、地缘优势和共同的利益需要,业已建立起牢固的互信关系和利益纽带,以中哈输油管道对接为契机的石油合作为我国石油安全战略和国家利益的实现提供了历史机遇,不但使我国石油来源及进口多元化有了坚实的基础和可靠的保证,从而掌握石油贸易全球化的主动权,而且可加快我国石油资源利用的市场化、国际化进程,为我国顺利完成工业化进程提供多元化的能源保障。