Clash of counterterrorism-assistance-seeking states and their super power sponsors: Implications on the war against Boko Haram

ABSTRACT

Decade-long security cooperation and counterterrorism engagements in Nigeria have failed to bring down Boko Haram or at least weaken its terrorist structures and transnational spread. I argue that disconnects between counterterrorism-assistance seeking states and their superpower sponsors are implicated in the intractability of Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria. Why is the U.S. counterterrorism intervention to individual MNJTF countries (i.e. troop contribution, military funding and intelligence support) ‘lopsided’, ‘fragmented’ and ‘unevenly distributed;’ and how are these implicated in the fight against Boko Haram terrorism? This has impacted negatively on MNJTF countries – lack of cooperation, divisiveness and individualism in coordinating and forging offensives against Boko Haram. These concerns interface several blind spots in the picture of external influences on military’s approach to Boko Haram. I elicit primary data from top military officers. I conclude by predicting the implications and consequences of these counterterrorism complexities, and their potency to defeat or encourage Boko Haram terror.     

A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS OF THE NEXUS BETWEEN DEFENCE SPENDING AND GROWTH IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: A COMMENT

Abstract

This paper explains and assesses the UK experience with determining prices and profitability for non-competitive defence contracts. Three periods are considered, namely pre-1968, the 1968 Profit Formula Agreement and the changes introduced in 2014. Two cases of ‘excessive’ profits were major determinants of the 1968 Profit Formula Agreement; but continued dissatisfaction with the 1968 Agreement led to changes in 2014. The historical overview of UK experience provides a basis for understanding current UK policy and offers insights for other countries facing similar policy challenges. A critique is presented of UK policy on single source pricing and profitability.     

Defence spending and economic growth in South Africa: A supply and demand model*

This paper provides a contribution to the growing corpus of knowledge and understanding of the interaction between economic growth and defence spending in South Africa by specifying a Keynesian simultaneous equation model and estimating the system for the period 1961 to 1997. The model contains a growth equation, a savings equation, a trade balance equation and a military burden equation and when estimated by single equation and systems estimation methods is relatively well specified. There is evidence of an overall negative effect of military spending on the economy over this period, though the significance of individual coefficients is low. There is certainly no evidence of any positive impact, suggesting that cuts in military spending do present an opportunity for improved macroeconomic performance.     

How Different Terrorist Attacks Affect Stock Markets

Terrorist attacks adversely affect the Pakistani stock market. However, such effect is short-lived: the market recovers from terrorist shocks in one day. The impact of attack depends on the locations and types of attack. The more severe the attack (i.e. more people killed), the more negative is the KSE-100 index return. Most interestingly, stock market contains information about future attacks. In sum, different tactics of terrorists have varied effects on financial markets, which in turn can predict terrorist attacks.     

瞄准线稳定精度的影响因素仿真

瞄准线稳定精度是直升机载稳瞄系统的关键技术指标之一,它影响着系统的其他关键性指标如照射精度、跟踪精度、作用距离等。因此提高瞄准线稳定精度是设计和研制机载稳瞄系统至关重要的一项任务。论文分析和研究了影响瞄准线稳定精度的因素,并采用Simulink建立数学模型,对瞄准线稳定精度的影响因素进行仿真分析,得到各因素对稳定精度的影响趋势,为机载稳瞄系统的设计工作提供了理论基础。     

多无人机梯次攻击航路规划

为了解决多无人机协同攻击航路规划问题,基于一种雷达威胁等效方法,以及无人机在不同姿态下雷达散射截面RCS(Radar Cross-Section)值随之改变的特性,结合多机作战战术思想,提出了一种多无人机梯次协同攻击同一目标的方法,并利用Dijkstra算法进行多无人机航路规划.仿真结果表明,该方法具有更高的应用价值.     

基于3DS的ISAR二维散射点模型仿真

当前,对ISAR成像和目标识别的研究很多,但用于ISAR成像和目标识别的目标模型大都相对简单.建立一种新的ISAR二维散射点模型,生成目标各种姿态的二维散射点数据库.首先选用3DS为散射点生成模型,以此为基础完成模型简化和信息抽取.然后根据目标姿态变化,计算转换坐标,并以F16战斗机为例生成二维散射点图像.最后采用步进频雷达信号对目标散射点模型进行ISAR成像.所建立的目标二维散射点模型可以用于ISAR成像和目标识别研究.     

利用拖尾能量提高蝶形天线辐射效率

蝶形天线在探地雷达中已有广泛的运用,但其辐射效率不高的问题一直存在。究其原因,主要是将近70%的辐射能量是以有碍目标探测的拖尾的形式存在。为了保证探测性能,传统上可观的拖尾能量往往以阻抗加载的方式被吸收掉。本文研究发现,当选择双极性单周波作为激励脉冲时,通过优化天线长度可以实现拖尾能量的有效利用,从而显著地提高蝶形天线的辐射效率。仿真实验结果表明,在较远的探测距离上本文方法可以将辐射效率提高近100%。通过实测实验进一步验证了本文方法的有效性。此外,本文所提的方法易于工程实现,工程应用价值十分明显。     

电离层不规则体对P波段星载SAR成像的影响

电离层不规则体导致星载合成孔径雷达（SAR）信号产生幅度及相位闪烁,严重影响低波段星载SAR的图像分辨性能。推导了具有普遍性的幂律谱对应的双频双点互相关函数。基于此研究了电离层对星载P波段SAR分辨性能的影响及其规律。研究表明,电离层不规则体导致星载P波段SAR两维分辨率恶化,图像峰值增益损失严重。电离层不规则体强度,谱指数,外尺度等参数的增大都会导致星载SAR图像分辨率及峰值增益进一步下降。基于相位屏技术的数值仿真结果验证了本文研究。     

钨球破片对相控阵雷达天线的冲击损伤仿真

利用非线性动力分析软件LS-DYNA 3D,建立了钨球破片在击穿相控阵雷达天线部件下的毁伤仿真模型.对不同初速度的钨球破片以45°入射角对天线等效靶板的侵彻进行仿真分析,得到了钨球破片整个侵彻作用全过程的完整图像和主要数据.通过对结果图像与数据的分析得出:随着钨球破片初速度增大,剩余速度也会随之增大、击穿靶板所需杀伤动能变大、靶板质量损失变大.结论为相控阵雷达天线的战损快速评估与平时修理提供了科学的依据和参考.