Feeding the Lion: China and defence development in African states

ABSTRACT

In analysing trends in Chinese defence engagement and their impact on defence development in African states, it is important to consider both China's changing policy priorities and its capabilities for the provision of defence support. China's international ambitions and its economic development contribute to its emergence as a key supporter of defence capability development in Africa, occupying a crucial niche as a provider of support, particularly arms transfers, appropriate to evolving local requirements. The economic and politico-military imperatives driving China's engagement of Africa, which stem from its economic reforms and re-emergence as a great power, are facilitating defence modernisation by accelerating the introduction of modern arms in substantial quantities. The commercial importance of arms exports and the growing importance of strategic ties strongly situate China to help sustain processes of defence capability development in African states over the long term.     

Contrasting the Impacts of Combat and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Missions on the Mental Health of Military Service Members

Abstract

We study the differential impacts of combat and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) missions on the mental health of U.S. Marine Corps members. The deployment experiences of any individual Marine are plausibly random conditional on the observable characteristics which are used to assign Marines into units. Leveraging this exogenous variation, we compare the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide deaths among Marines who deployed to either Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) or HA/DR missions between 2001 and 2011. We find that the hazard of PTSD is close to eight times higher among Marines returning from OEF/OIF compared to those never deployed, and just 1.33 times higher among those returning from HA/DR (and never participated in OEF/OIF). Those returning from OEF/OIF missions are 1.81 times more likely than those never deployed to die by suicide when they were still active duty, and the hazard increases to almost 3 after they have left the military. In contrast, we find no difference in the hazards of suicide death between those that deployed to only HA/DR missions and non-deployed Marines.     

提升我军话语国际影响力需要过好四关

国防话语的一个重要支柱就是军事话语,军事话语是一个国家军事软实力和军队形象建设的重要体现。新时代呼唤强有力的军事话语。习近平总书记关于对外宣传工作以及国防和军队现代化的重要论述为提升我军话语国际影响力、为建构我军国际形象指明了方向、制定了战略、设计了战术、明确了任务、确定了节点。如何切实提升我军话语的国际影响力,成为新形势下实现中国梦和强军目标的时代课题。从具体操作层面,提升我军话语国际影响力需要过好思维立场、语言文化、业务素养和法规制度四个关。     

新形势下以需求为导向的装备保障能力建设

分析了军事智能技术的由来与发展现状,探讨了目前世界军事智能技术的应用领域。重点阐述军事智能技术对中国军事实力提高的重要意义、如何加快军事智能技术发展的几个问题,为中国军队未来智能化发展和应用提出建设性的思考。     

基地化试验训练研究与启示

自动控制技术、信号处理技术、元器件工艺水平等的进步,推进了武器装备集成化、标准化和小型化,使其呈现出信息化程度高、系统性强、维护维修性复杂等特点。为满足武器装备作战训练的需求,本文阐述了基地化试验训练的基础,分析了基地化试验训练现状,提出基地化试验训练建设发展启示,以提高武器装备的作战应用水平。     

世界武器装备发展趋势

科学技术的飞速发展及其在军事领域的广泛应用,物化出全新的武器装备。文章分析世界各军事强国在感知装备、主战平台、精确制导武器、信息对抗装备、太空及新概念武器等方面加大研发力度,呈现出的全新发展态势。它推动军事领域深层次变革,对现代战争产生广泛而深刻的影响。     

美国“国家实验室”的属性辨识

美国国家实验室是美国国家创新的核心力量。常规英文搜索引擎通常检索不到"美国‘国家实验室’清单",目前国内已有文献大都将"联邦资助的研究与发展中心"等同于"国家实验室"。本文通过对"联邦资助的研究与发展中心"的深入比对分析,对美国"国家实验室"的类型进行了定量辨识,认为只有该国能源部"国家实验室"系列、国防部主管的Lincoln Laboratory、Aerospace Federally Funded Research and Development Center、National Defense Research Institute和美国国家航天局主管的Jet Propulsion Laboratory等与国内对"国家实验室"的共识基本一致。     

快速航天发射现状与建设

快速航天发射以其响应快、成本低等优势,能较好地满足军民商快速太空进入的需求。概述了快速航天发射军用牵引、商用助推的发展特点,分析了未来军民商领域对快速航天发射的新需求。归纳了快速航天发射的发展历程和发展模式,分析了美军太空军事演习对快速航天发射的促进作用。基于美国在快速进入太空的需求评估、技术发展、管理制度等方面取得的经验教训,探讨我国快速航天发射的主要制约因素。针对美国新太空战略威慑和太空霸权,为我国快速航天发射力量建设提出相应的发展建议。     

From the sea to outer space: The command of space as the foundation of spacepower theory

Colin Gray once lamented the absence of a ‘Mahan for the final frontier’ and spacepower theory in strategic studies. This article proposes the command of space as the fundamental concept of spacepower theory, and that Mahan himself has much to offer in the endeavour of spacepower theory-making than has hitherto been realised. The theory is advanced by tempering versions of the ‘command of space’, stressing its educational intent, and explaining the nuanced sub-concepts of space control and denial through understanding some precedents set by seapower theory. In the process, aspects of Mahanian and Corbettian seapower theory are unified.     

公安边防部门处置境外边民大规模涌入事件探析

近年来,境外边民大规模涌入事件时有发生,严重危害我国边境地区的安全稳定。归纳和总结境外边民涌入事件的特点,研究处置的要求和方法,为境外边民大规模涌入事件的各阶段分别制定处置方法。