“Effing” the military: a political misunderstanding of management

The use of commercial business management techniques is widespread in all government departments, including the Ministry of Defence. This article examines the use of popular management techniques in the Armed Forces and argues that their application is misplaced. It looks at what the “effs” – “efficiency” and “effectiveness” – mean in the business world and to the Armed Forces. It compares the definitions both in business and the Armed Forces and finds that there are few, if any, situations where the same measurements can be applied. Whilst many management techniques are suited for business, the function of the Armed Forces and its output cannot be measured in the same way, complicated by the different metrics of “efficiency” in peace and in war. This difference may not be clearly understood by some politicians, or indeed by some senior military personnel. Using examples from some of the most popular management techniques such as “Lean” and “Agile” it is possible to see that their use might actually diminish the capabilities of the Armed Forces when it comes to performing their principal role – the use of force to achieve political objectives.     

美国联合非致命武器项目及其十年科技战略规划

美国联合非致命武器理事会在成立20周年之际发布了《联合非致命武器项目科技战略规划2016-2025》,对未来十年相关领域的科技发展做出了部署安排。本文介绍美国联合非致命武器项目的使命职能、组织机构、运行模型、代表性成果以及十年科技战略规划,旨在为技术创新和管理创新提供参考和借鉴。     

航空弹药供应保障存在的问题及对策

在现代高技术信息化战争中,航空弹药地位和作用日渐突出。在分析了信息化条件下现代战争对航空弹药供应保障提出的新需求基础上,指出了航空弹药供应保障存在的不足,并从航空弹药的储备、管理和供应三个方面分别提出了相应的对策。研究表明,着眼应急作战的实际需要,搞好航空弹药供应保障,提高应急作战弹药供应保障能力,是摆在面前的一个现实而又紧迫的任务。     

运用“五种思维”提升部队指挥员应急处置能力

运用底线思维、辩证思维、创新思维、战略思维和历史思维五种思维有效提高部队指挥员应急处置的安全防控能力、决策能力、应变能力、控制能力和学习能力。     

多空气层防火帘防火性能比例试验

为优化舰船多空气层防火帘帘面的选材设计,对不同反辐射帘面材料设计方案进行了比例火灾试验,并对卷帘基本结构以及反辐射层的防火隔热性能进行了研究。在此基础上,提出了一种最优设计的多空气层防火帘施工方案,为工程设计提供了参考,并为后续开展标准化试验提供了理论依据。     

Advancing “Defence-in-depth”: intelligence and systems dynamics

This article aims to encourage the fostering of more systems thinking, and its greater exploitation, within the domain of contemporary intelligence. With particular focus on “micro systems thinking” and with reference to key intelligence processes, such as intelligence analysis, the utility of many systems dynamics within the intelligence context seeks to be further revealed. Through their greater collective harnessing, including up to “System of Systems” (“SoS”) dynamics, and promoting all that they can offer, more sophisticated overarching operational-to-strategic/policy “ends,” notably that of “defence-in-depth,” can be viably further advanced in a sustainable manner into the future. Arguably, a much-needed transformative impact on contemporary intelligence can also be increasingly realised through comprehensively engaging in and with more systems and SoS thinking. Aiding civil protection tasks, crisis management, emergency planners, and civil contingency practitioners likewise gain.     

后勤物资消耗测算系统设计需求分析

针对当前后勤物资消耗测算方法过于简单粗略的问题,以构建有效的后勤物资消耗测算系统为目的,对系统的设计进行了需求分析。介绍了后勤物资消耗测算的基本流程以及关键理论,研究了后勤物资消耗测算系统的用户特点以及应用流程,着重对系统的功能需求进行了分析,确定了系统各主要功能的相关内容,并按照功能需求确定了系统的组成结构和接口关系,为系统的设计和实现奠定了基础。     

Model parameter estimation and residual life prediction for a partially observable failing system

We consider a partially observable degrading system subject to condition monitoring and random failure. The system's condition is categorized into one of three states: a healthy state, a warning state, and a failure state. Only the failure state is observable. While the system is operational, vector data that is stochastically related to the system state is obtained through condition monitoring at regular sampling epochs. The state process evolution follows a hidden semi‐Markov model (HSMM) and Erlang distribution is used for modeling the system's sojourn time in each of its operational states. The Expectation‐maximization (EM) algorithm is applied to estimate the state and observation parameters of the HSMM. Explicit formulas for several important quantities for the system residual life estimation such as the conditional reliability function and the mean residual life are derived in terms of the posterior probability that the system is in the warning state. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the estimation procedure and failure prediction method. A comparison results with hidden Markov modeling are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 190–205, 2015     

面向应急管理计算实验的模型构建和模型管理

基于人工社会的计算实验使应急管理的定量分析与研究成为可能。然而,应急管理模型涉及多个学科与领域,具有多层次、非线性和多粒度等特点,需要一套规范的流程来指导人工社会的模型建立和模型管理。论文梳理了面向应急管理的模型体系,提出了基于领域特定建模的人工社会建模方法,解决了多领域建模问题;研究了模型的形式化描述与编码问题,并实现了模型的有效管理;结合"甲型H1N1"病程模型,详细论述了模型的构建方法与管理问题,为面向应急管理的计算实验提供一体化的模型服务。     

军队院校文化管理模式初探

管理现代化是一所大学成功办学的基本标志。军队院校文化管理理论的提出是时代发展的必然要求。军队院校实施文化管理的核心内容及基本策略就是建设好、使用好自己的特色文化,为此,管理者应注意处理好有为管理与无为管理、柔性管理与刚性管理、部门主管与分工合作、硬件投入与软件提升四个方面的关系。