Effective in battle: conceptualizing soldiers’ combat effectiveness*

How do we understand combat effectiveness – soldiers’ performance in battle? Despite the broad consensus that understanding combat effectiveness is important both for scholars and policymakers, there is widespread disagreement about what combat effectiveness is. More specifically, studies of effectiveness tend to focus on either the skill of soldiers in battle, or their will to fight. Yet both skill and will are essential components of an effective fighting force. This article argues that understanding combat effectiveness requires understanding both of these key components of effectiveness. In other words, combat effectiveness requires both the skill and will to engage the enemy in an organized manner. It then demonstrates the usefulness of this conceptualization by applying it to the cases of British, Indian, and Australian forces fighting the Japanese during the Second World War. Only when scholars are talking about the same concept will our understanding of the conditions under which militaries are effective in battle progress. By comparing different units fighting the same opponent under the same material conditions, I demonstrate that units vary both in their combat skill and their will to fight, and that understanding their effectiveness in battle requires analyzing both of these key factors.     

Governing risks in international security

Risks are omnipresent in contemporary international security. Despite a long tradition in security studies going at least back to Von Clausewitz, we consider that the topic of risk remains under-examined. This forum seeks to advance the research agenda on risk in security studies by showcasing work of scholars using advanced concepts of risk, based on insights from sociology, biology, psychology, and safety studies, to better understand the role of risk in international security. As a way of introduction, this short article sets out the main debates.     

A nation-in-the-making,in arms: control of force,strategy and the Ukrainian Volunteer Battalions

At the core of waging war and strategy is the creation, control and use of force. This article investigates the volunteer battalions that mobilized in Ukraine during the spring of 2014. It contextualizes the volunteer phenomenon and focuses on the state strategies to establish control over these militias. As ambiguous entities arising from a situation characterized by rapid social change – revolution and war – the volunteer battalions threatened existing hierarchies and questioned state authority. The situation was exacerbated by the war, which deviated from the expectations of Ukrainian combatants and Western military observers alike. The state nevertheless enjoyed a modicum of success in reining in the militias through four strategies of undermining, co-option, incorporation and coercion. While predominantly integrated into a more rigid category of paramilitary forces, the volunteers continue to play a role in both the Ukrainian society and security sector to the unforeseeable future.     

The crisis of American military assistance: strategic dithering and Fabergé Egg armies

ABSTRACT

The United States has provided substantial amounts of military assistance and aid since the end of World War Two. During the Cold War, it proved vital in protecting numerous regimes from communist takeovers. Successful outcomes occurred when American leaders made large initial aid commitments, and the states had the capacity and political willpower to use it effectively. However, Vietnam was an example of how U.S. support lagged, as leaders in Saigon preferred political survival instead of creating regime legitimacy. Following 9/11, American security aid focused on making weak countries develop stronger security forces. Unfortunately, this created Fabergé egg militaries: expensive and easily broken by insurgents. This article suggests long-term strategic commitments need to be made alongside more resources for the American State Department and similar organizations to focus on the politics of state-building. Finally, this article suggests strategies, such as “whole-of-government” approaches, to improve long-term security and political institution building.     

深海安全问题的认识思考

贯彻落实总体国家安全观,既需关注传统领域安全,又需关注新兴领域安全.深海作为新兴战略领域,研究深海安全意义重大.从安全研究的视角出发,初步思考了深海开发建设过程中需要关注的几个安全问题,可为深海安全深化研究提供支撑,希望引发更多的人去关注深海安全,促进深海开发与深海安全和谐发展.     

嵌入式浏览器中SSL的设计与实现

针对嵌入式浏览器信息传输的安全性问题和嵌入式软件的特点,介绍了SSL协议,提出了一种在嵌入式浏览器中实现对SSL协议支持的方法.通过分析影响SSL协议客户端性能的因素,对SSL的实现过程进行了适当的优化,使用会话恢复机制、只对服务器进行验证的简单握手模式、减少TCP调用次数和优化对批量数据加密算法等方法,实现了嵌入式浏览器对SSL协议的支持;并介绍了方法在嵌入式浏览器JARI_Browser中的实现过程.实际的应用验证了该方法的可行性和正确性.     

基于地理信息平台的公安边防综合指挥系统建设研究

在深入调研公安边防部队各级指挥中心业务开展的基础上,分析了当前公安边防部队指挥系统存在的问题,提出了利用地理信息平台建立适应当前边防部队业务需要的综合指挥系统的可行性及具体思路。     

警卫专业综合演练的原则

专业综合演练对专业教学来讲是一个全新的课题,需要进行多方面的探索和实践。从研究警卫专业综合演练的原则入手,提出了组织实施综合演练应当遵循的几个原则。目的在于恰当地把握和评估演练,使演练更好地为提高学员执勤和处突能力服务。     

加强警卫基础建设之我见

警卫基础建设是警卫工作建设的重要组成部分,是圆满完成各项警卫工作任务的基础保障。以“三基”工程建设为契机,发挥县级公安机关实战主体作用,完善各项工作机制,积极探索基础工作新模式是在实践中总结出来的经验和思路,是警卫基础建设的必由之路和研究充实的方向。     

军校网络信息安全风险评估研究

介绍了信息安全风险评估的相关概念,分析了军校网络信息安全风险评估中存在的问题,并提出了应对策略,希望能对军校开展网络信息安全风险评估工作提供参考。