At war with social theory: Instrumental and communicative action in US military doctrine during the War on Terror

As US counterinsurgency campaigns draw to a close, doctrine for asymmetric warfare written during the War on Terror has come under heavy criticism. While many have argued that this shift to ‘winning hearts and minds’ is evidence that the United States is taking humanitarianism and nation-building seriously, others argue that a wide gap exists between US counterinsurgency doctrine and the protection of civilians afflicted by conflict. In this article, I show that the latter is true by comparing theories of instrumental and communicative action to US doctrine for operational design, stability operations, and counterinsurgency. I argue that these texts treat the people as an object to be manipulated for the achievement of pre-determined self-interested strategic goals rather than members of a community that jointly designs operations to fulfill shared objectives. However, US doctrine does contain communicative elements that, if prioritized, would better support humanitarian and state-building objectives otherwise subordinated in the War on Terror.     

分层教学法在消防院校英语教学中的运用——以昆明消防指挥学校为例

由于生源的特殊性,消防院校学员英语水平差异明显,给英语教学带来了很大挑战.为提升英语教学的有效性及实用性,以适应消防部队建设发展对优秀消防指挥人才的需求,结合学员的实际情况,对英语课程进行了分层教学模式改革.基于英语课程分层教学模式改革的实践经验,对英语分层教学模式的实施,分层教学的有效性及存在的问题进行了探讨.     

基于HLA装备保障仿真训练系统研究

采用HLA技术的装备保障仿真训练系统是通过网络将分散在各地的仿真器、计算机生成兵力以及其他设备联合为一个整体,形成一个可以在时间和空间上互相耦合的虚拟战场环境.分析了装备保障仿真训练的功能和特点,并依据HLA的基本概念、方法和原理对分布式装备保障仿真训练系统进行方案设计,建立了系统体系结构,并介绍了其方案组成.     

运动船舶磁性船体产生的感应电场

为了研究运动船舶磁性船体产生的感应电场,以库伦定律和毕奥-沙伐定律等电磁场基本理论为基础,对磁偶极子运动产生的感应电场进行了建模,通过实验证明了分析方法的正确性,解决了以往模型适用范围窄、准确性差的问题;并以磁偶极子感应电场模型为基础,得到了磁性船体的感应电场模型,利用实船的磁场数据进行了实例计算,得出船舶附近感应电场可达1m V/m,达到了可探测水平。     

EDITOR'S NOTE

This article offers a survey of risks that might arise for strategic stability (defined as a situation with a low probability of major-power war) with the reduction of US and Russian nuclear arsenals to “low numbers” (defined as 1,000 or fewer nuclear weapons on each side). These risks might include US anti-cities targeting strategies that are harmful to the credibility of extended deterrence; renewed European anxiety about a US-Russian condominium; greater vulnerability to Russian noncompliance with agreed obligations; incentives to adopt destabilizing “launch-on-warning” strategies; a potential stimulus to nuclear proliferation; perceptions of a US disengagement from extended deterrence; increased likelihood of non-nuclear arms competitions and conflicts; and controversial pressures on the UK and French nuclear forces. Observers in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states who consider such risks significant have cited four possible measures that might help to contain them: sustained basing of US nonstrategic nuclear weapons in Europe; maintaining a balanced US strategic nuclear force posture; high-readiness means to reconstitute US nuclear forces; and enhanced US and allied non-nuclear military capabilities. These concrete measures might complement the consultations with the NATO allies that the United States would in all likelihood seek with respect to such important adjustments in its deterrence and defense posture.     

US Advanced Conventional Systems and Conventional Prompt Global Strike Ambitions:

ABSTRACT

The dangers and risks of employing a Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) capability greatly exceed the benefits. More suitable, if less prompt, alternatives exist to deal with fleeting targets. Even a niche CPGS capability—consisting of approximately twenty systems—carries risks, to say nothing of proposals to develop hundreds or more. Most dangerously, CPGS could stir the pre-emption pot, particularly vis-à-vis states that correctly perceive to be within the gunsights of US CPGS weapons; other states, too, may feel emboldened to emulate this US precedent and undertake their own form of prompt, long-range strike capability. Compressed circumstances surrounding such a scenario could foster unwanted erratic behavior, including the misperception that the threatening missile carries a nuclear weapon. But the true Achilles's heel of the CPGS concept is the unprecedented demands it places on the intelligence community to provide decision makers with “exquisite” intelligence within an hour timeframe. Such compressed conditions leave decision makers with virtually no time to appraise the direct—and potentially unintended—consequences of their actions.     

膨润土-砂混合型缓冲／回填材料液塑限试验

为研究掺砂率对高庙子膨润土一砂混合型缓冲／回填材料液塑限的影响,利用液塑限联合测定仪进行了试验研究,并运用最小二乘法对混合物液塑限试验数据进行了分析。试验结果表明膨润土一砂混合物的可塑性、液塑限值和塑性指数均随掺砂率的增大而降低。对试验结果进行分析,得到了考虑掺砂率影响的混合物液塑限经验公式。混合物的液塑限并不是随掺砂率增大成比例降低,而是液限的实测值小于理论值,塑限的实测值大于理论值。得到的不同掺砂率的膨润土一砂混合型缓冲／回填材料液塑限试验数据可为高放废物深地质处置库建设提供科学依据。     

系统仿真中的模型校核问题

分析了由模型到仿真程序的问题的基本原因,指出了模型校核的必要性。对模型校核中的稳定性问题、系统状态不连贯问题和代数环问题进行了阐述和分析。针对一个二阶线性连续系统模型的离散化,通过模型校核,发现了隐含其中的稳定性问题,进而指出了相关稳定性理论在应用上的局限性,给出了解决此稳定性问题的方法,并最终通过模型校核,确认了该解决方法的有效,从而保证了对该二阶连续系统的精确的离散化。     

强磁场环境模拟系统线圈支架设计及力学仿真

强电磁冲击环境的核心执行机构是线圈,除保障强磁环境发生线圈的电磁特性外,还须确保线圈支架具有充足的机械特性。在完成对线圈磁电设计的基础上,根据线圈的三维结构图、材料配置、质量分布、各零部件之间连接方式以及线圈固定方式等,建立线圈支架结构整体系统有限元计算模型,对线圈支架系统进行静力、稳定性数值计算分析,并校核联接件强度,为线圈支架结构提供参考依据。对实用大型强磁冲击系统所用线圈整体的力学结构进行设计分析,应用背景较新,且仿真计算过程严格按照实际搭建尺寸进行,具有高度的一致性,为后续搭建强磁环境发生装置提供坚实基础。