United Nations rapid reaction mechanisms: Toward a global force on standby?

This article analyses the main challenges and future prospects of creating United Nations (UN) rapid reaction mechanisms, particularly in the light of past attempts and current discussions about a “UN Vanguard Force” in the wake of the High-Level Panel on Peace Operations report. The article reviews major initiatives (in particular lessons from the Standby High Readiness Brigade for UN Operations) and assesses the main achievements, failures, and challenges related to past UN-led rapid reaction mechanisms. In line with the overall aim of this special forum, the article highlights the future potentials and institutional, operational, financial, and political challenges that need to be overcome in order to design and create a pragmatic and effective rapid reaction tool at the disposal of the UN.     

Security sector reform in Africa: Donor approaches versus local needs

Many African states have security sector reform (SSR) programs. These are often internationally funded. But how do such programs account for previously existing security institutions and the security needs of local communities? This article examines SSR all over Africa to assess local ownership and path dependency from a New Institutionalist perspective. It finds that SSR, particularly in post-conflict countries, tends to be driven by ideas and perceptions of international donors promoting generalized blueprints. Often, such programs only account in a very limited way for path-dependent aspects of security institutions or the local context. Hence, the reforms often lack local participation and are thus not accepted by the local community eventually.     

Educate or Adjudicate? Socioeconomic Heterogeneity and Welfare

I present a formal framework to explore the welfare and distributional effects of a government’s optimal choice over two types of public spending in a closed economy: domestic security (DS) and investment in social capital (SC). Production is characterized as a function of social and physical capital stocks that both vary across the regions. DS stands for total factor productivity, while SC stands for human capital and civic cooperativeness combined. SC accumulates via public spending on universal primary education, cultural, and civic events and such, and is exposed to regional spillover effects. Numerical simulations of the static solution of the government’s welfare maximization problem reveal that the optimal rate of spending on SC (m^*) is negatively related with the income share of physical capital, SC spillovers and fiscal decentralization. Simulations also show that SC homogeneity is positively associated with both the level and equitability of aggregate income. The maximum attainable levels of income, welfare and social cohesion and the most equitable incomes are all observed to realize at some intermediate range of m^* values. In case DS augments SC, however, social cohesion improves and welfare declines monotonously in m^*.     

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。     

美国空军装备技术体系规划及发展分析

在新军事变革的局面下,装备体系化发展已成为必然趋势。本文在分析美军"技术地平线"规划研究及"技术地平线"发布后8年来美军重要装备发展情况的基础上,总结美空军技术顶层规划及装备体系研制成功经验,提出了我国未来装备体系建设的方向和建议,为新时期促进我国装备体系建设顶层科学规划,促进装备体系、技术体系、能力体系发展提供参考。     

美国陆军数据战略目标及实施

为深入研究美陆军数据战略目标及实施策略,为我军数据战略研究提供借鉴,文章对美陆军2016年发布的最新《陆军数据战略》进行分析,指出其目标是实现数据的可视化、可获取、可信任、可理解和互操作,并对美陆军数据战略的具体实施策略进行了剖析,指出美国陆军数据战略推动的是美军军事作战理论转型,从"网络为中心"转变为以"数据为中心"作战理念,其核心意图在于以数据优势实现指挥决策优势。     

接触力控制的单腿机器人姿态控制

为了使Acrobot(Acrobat类型的单腿机器人)在运动过程中相对地面没有滑动,设计了基于接触力控制的姿态控制系统,将水平方向接触力作为内环的控制对象并限制其大小,使其总能满足摩擦锥的约束,从而保证在小腿姿态角的跟踪过程中足与地面间不会产生滑动。在Acrobot的直立姿态处,对其动力学方程进行线性化,并得到驱动力矩—水平接触力—质心水平位置—小腿姿态角的传递函数链,进而设计小腿姿态角的多环控制系统。在MATLAB中用"Sim Mechanics"工具箱搭建了Acrobot的虚拟模型,仿真结果表明,所设计的多环控制系统在实现小腿姿态角跟踪控制的同时还能保证足与地面间不产生滑动。     

加强消防部队财务保障工作的思考

分析新时期加强消防部队财务保障的重要意义和当前财务保障工作存在的主要问题,提出了树立大局意识、加强财务预算管理保障建设、加强财务分析保障建设、加强财务监督保障建设、加强财务人才队伍建设等对策。     

装甲兵模拟训练系统体系架构

近年来,装甲兵模拟系统建设和模拟化训练有了长足的发展,但仍然存在缺乏顶层规划、标准不一、资源不共享、模块不重用、体系不完整等诸多问题。基于体系工程建设理念,探索了装甲兵模拟训练系统体系架构,主要考虑了顶层设计,重点放在了系统的组成结构、相互关系,从总体上把握体系的整体功能、需要解决的问题,采取的技术路线。实践表明,体系架构独立于系统的具体实现技术,保证了各组成部分可以通过重用、重组等方式来适应不同阶段、不同目标和领域的装甲兵模拟训练需求,提高了系统的利用效率,降低了模拟训练系统的开发成本。     

基于数据链的航空作战进程研究

研究了数据链支持下的航空作战兵力变化问题。将空战能力指数通过映射关系转化为平均战斗力水平,从数学理论上证明了二者具有等价性。结合平均战斗力水平,建立了基于数据链的改进蓝彻斯特空战模型及具有增援力量的作战模型。仿真分析了等效实力比、不同初始值以及增援时刻的不同对空战进程的影响,结果表明数据链具有提高作战效能和改变战局的作用。实验发现了在增援作战时,存在"局部最优增援时刻点"这一重要结论。