Explaining US and British performance in complex expeditionary operations: The civil-military dimension

A nation's structure and culture of civil-military relations are important and largely overlooked factors in explaining the performance of armed forces involved in complex expeditionary operations. The US model of ‘Huntingtonian’, divided civil-military structures and poor interagency cooperation, makes the US military less suited for complex expeditionary operations. British civil-military relations involve a Defence Ministry that conscientiously integrates military and civilian personnel, as well as extensive interagency cooperation and coordination. This ‘Janowitzean’, integrated form of civil-military relations makes the British military more likely to provide for the planning and implementation of comprehensive campaigns that employ and coordinate all instruments of power available to the state, as well as troops in the field displaying the flexibility and cultural and political understanding that are necessary in complex expeditionary operations.     

The salvo combat model with area fire

This article analyzes versions of the salvo model of missile combat where area fire is used by one or both sides in a battle. Although these models share some properties with the area fire Lanchester model and the aimed fire salvo model, they also display some interesting differences, especially over the course of several salvos. Although the relative size of each force is important with aimed fire, with area fire, it is the absolute size that matters. Similarly, although aimed fire exhibits square law behavior, area fire shows approximately linear behavior. When one side uses area fire and the other uses aimed fire, the model displays a mix of square and linear law behavior. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 60: 652–660, 2013     

Reopen a joint school of military government and administration?

Today there are many calls for other elements of the government to do more to ‘do their part’, assist the military to restore order and stability and ‘win the peace’ in Iraq and Afghanistan, and prepare for similar roles in future conflicts. The authors here instead briefly review the history of US armed forces’ involvement in military governance operations from the Mexican War through World War II, and recommend the re-establishment of a School of Military Government similar to that created during the latter conflict.     

Soldiers contra diplomats: Britain’s role in the Zimbabwe/Rhodesia ceasefire (1979–1980) reconsidered

Abstract

This article re-examines part of the literature on Britain’s role in the December 1979 to March 1980 Zimbabwe/Rhodesia ceasefire. The ceasefire ushered in an era of peace after a protracted internal war and it was an integral part of the transition from colonial white minority rule, towards black majority independence. Scholars present Britain’s success in brokering and monitoring the Zimbabwe/Rhodesia ceasefire as the result of its judicious and accordant management of the road to peace. However, this article argues that in fact deep internal divisions plagued the British managers of the ceasefire. Internal divisions centred on authority struggles between diplomats and military actors, conflicting personalities, discordant approaches to and goals in the ceasefire, and inter-institutional rivalry between the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence. The article concludes that Britain only managed the ceasefire effectively because its military’s independence, political nous, and competence ultimately prevailed over the injudicious views and machinations of diplomats.     

载体干扰磁场补偿方法

获得载体航行路径上各点地磁场的精确测量值是地磁匹配导航的前提,而载体上各种干扰磁场的存在会引起磁力仪输出的偏差,影响匹配的精度,因此必须对载体干扰磁场进行补偿。在分析载体干扰磁场特性的基础上,提出利用矢量测量值对地磁场总场值进行补偿的方法。该方法首先根据矢量磁力仪的测量模型得到关于载体磁场参数的非线性方程,然后采用非线性参数估计方法估计出精确的载体干扰磁场系数,最后再利用估计结果对测量值进行补偿。通过仿真对该方法的有效性进行研究,并设计了半实物实验对其实用性进行验证。结果表明采用本文提出的方法补偿后地磁场总场值的测量误差在20nT以内,而且该方法参数估计精度高,应用方便,可以有效地对导航载体干扰磁场进行补偿。     

高超声速飞行器俯冲机动最优制导方法

为解决高超声速飞行器俯冲段精确制导与机动突防问题,研究了机动突防最优制导方法。针对零化视线角速率降低突防性能的问题,在俯冲平面及转弯平面内分别设计了正弦形式的视线角参考运动,同时为进一步实现俯冲精确制导,以落速最大为性能指标利用最优控制对其进行跟踪,引入了伪控制量以简化最优制导问题的求解,最后分析了该方法的稳定性及制导性能。以CAV-H为例进行仿真分析,仿真结果表明该方法能够实现机动飞行,且能够高精度地满足终端落角及落点约束,可为高超声速飞行器俯冲段精确制导及机动突防提供参考。     

水下航行器燃烧室两相流燃烧数值模拟

提出水下航行器燃烧室中两相流燃烧数值模拟方法.采用k-ε双方程湍流模型、涡耗散燃烧模型、离散相液滴模型进行数值模拟,得到单组元推进剂燃烧的速度场、温度场、浓度场的分布.研究了喷嘴压差、环境背压对燃烧的影响,得出了一定范围内,增大喷嘴压差、增大环境背压可以增强燃烧效果的结论.     

PHEV电池电荷状态估计设计及仿真

电池管理系统(battery management system,BMS)是混合动力汽车(parallel hybrid electric vehicle,PHEV)能量管理系统中的核心组成部分,而其中电池电荷状态(state of charge,soc)则是PHEV控制策略中的重要参数.针对PHEV动力电池组SOC系统高度非线性和复杂性的特点,提出了一种基于改进的BP神经网络的HEV动力电池组的实时SOC估计,并对网络的收敛性进行了证明.利用大量PHEV动力电池组在行驶过程中充放电的数据样本,对神经网络进行网络训练并且进行仿真.结果表明,与传统离线SOC估计方法相比,能够有效地减小误差,提高电池SOC的精度.     

武警院校军事学研究生教学管理与保障存在问题及对策

武警院校军事学研究生教学管理与保障存在着课程体系不够科学、教学运行管理不严密、教学保障不到位及教学质量评价体系不完善等问题。应采取有效措施修订现行课程体系,建立和完善研究生教学质量评价体系,改善教学条件,形成教学管理合力育才的良好机制。     

飞行操作任务的无人机模拟训练及系统设计

为了提高无人机模拟训练的逼真度和沉浸感.研究了无人机飞行操作训练的关键技术,以半实装的形式构建了模拟飞行训练系统的体系结构.通过对飞行操作训练关键技术的研究和飞行操作模拟训练系统的设计,可以对基层部队的无人机地面操控手高逼真模拟训练提供理论基础和系统支持.