Showing papers on "Military threat published in 2016"

The Resilience of Monarchised Military in Thailand

Abstract: This paper argues that conventional notions of Thailand’s military must be re-examined because they misrepresent the military’s role in politics. Instead of examining its material interests, one must also scrutinise the power and legitimacy of Thailand’s armed forces in terms of its connection to monarchy over time. The relationship between monarchy and military represents a “parallel state”, whereas the ideology, rituals and processes within this relationship result in what can be termed a “monarchised military.” The purpose of this nexus is to sustain a palace-centred order from which the military obtains legitimacy. From 1991 until 2014, the monarchised military mostly operated behind a defective democracy, although it occasionally carried out coups to re-assert the palace’s authority. Its more recent political intrusions have enhanced the military’s power on Thailand’s political stage. Civilian prime ministers have unsuccessfully sought to reign in the military, but to no avail owing to the ar...

Reserve forces and the transformation of British military organisation: soldiers, citizens and society

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a sharp growth in political and sociological interest in the British military. Set against the backdrop of the armed forces’ increasing presence in everyday life, alongside the organizations’ ongoing restructuring, the current paper focuses on the MoD’s problematic attempts to recruit 30,000 reservists by 2020; what has become known as the Future Reserves 2020 programme (FR2020). We argue that these changes are driven in part by the need to cut costs in defence. However, we also suggest that they are a reflection of the changing nature of modern military organisation, and the manner in which armed forces engage with the societies of which they are a part, and with the citizens that make up that society. We locate FR2020 programme in the context of a wider narrative about the changing nature of military organisation in contemporary western democracies, identifying structural, circumstantial and normative reasons for change. We also examine the specific challenges of ...

New sources of military change – armed forces as normal organizations

Abstract: The literature on how European states have adapted to the post-cold war security environment ffocuses invariably on different understandings of military transformation, a process which is seen as inherently different from other forms of organizational change. However, as this paper argues, new management practices, going back to the introduction of so-called New Public Management (NPM) reforms throughout Europe in the 1980s, have eventually penetrated also the last bastion of the old state – the defense sector. Taking a critical approach to the idea of military transformation and existing theories of military change, the paper demonstrates how other international developments have pushed towards what may be seen as a “normalization” of Europe’s defense sectors. This has important implications for how we approach and understand change in contemporary defense organizations.

Space, the New Domain: Space Operations and Chinese Military Reforms

Abstract: The Chinese military has embarked on a series of organizational and doctrinal reforms intended to better enable it to fight modern war. Prominent among these reforms is the growing emphasis on space to enable long-range precisions strikes and on counterspace to deny space capabilities to an adversary. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has officially designated space as a new domain and established an organization to command space forces. With this increased focus on space, the PLA may begin to develop a doctrine to govern the use of space in military operations. The higher priority given to space, especially space control, by the PLA coincides with similar actions by the US military, increasing the possibility of warfare in space and the risks of escalation.

The Role of the Military in Disaster Response in the U.S.

Abstract: Several scholarly works have documented a heightened military involvement in responding to natural and man-made disasters. This is due to both the historical focus of the military on responding to domestic disasters and the recent impact of large-scale terrorist attacks on the U.S. territory. While retaining its primary role of safeguarding the country from external threats, the military has become one of the main partners of federal, state, and local agencies in disaster response operations, providing its available resources, logistical capacity, and operational services effectively used against both man-made and natural disasters. This article discusses the role of the military in responding to natural and man-made disasters and explores the historical involvement of military in disaster management.

Chinas Goldwater-Nichols Assessing PLA Organizational Reforms

Abstract: : In the past few months, China has announced a series of major reforms to the organizational structure of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA): the Central Military Commission (CMC) has been revamped, the four general departments dissolved, new service headquarters created, and five new theater commands established in place of the seven military regions (MRs). These changes are part of a sweeping transformation of PLA institutions, force structure, and policy that will be ongoing through 2020. In pursuing these reforms, Chinas leaders hope both to tighten central political control over a force that was seen as increasingly corrupt and to build the PLA into a credible joint warfighting entity. Yet important obstacles remain, and it may be years before the implications of these reforms come into full view.

Organization and community : the determinants of insurgent military effectiveness

Abstract: Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 2016.

Religious Authorities in the Military and Civilian Control The Case of the Israeli Defense Forces

Abstract: This article takes a step toward filling the gap in the scholarly literature by examining the impact of religious intervention in the military on civil-military relations. Using the case of Israel, I argue that although the subordination of the Israeli military to elected civilians has remained intact, and the supreme command has been mostly secular, external religious authorities operate within the formal chain of command and in tandem with the formal authorities, managing the military affairs. This religious influence is apparent in three major domains: (1) the theological influence on military deployment, (2) the exclusion of women from equal participation in military service, and (3) the role expansion of the Military Rabbinate as a quasi-state agency and its reflection in the socialization of secular soldiers and the development of alternative military ethics. Consequently, extra-institutional control of the military is at work.

The Evolution of Strategic Thought since September 11, 2001: A Swiss Perspective on Clausewitz, classical and contemporary Theories

Abstract: Politics and government; Politics and government/International relations; Military; Military/Defense policy and doctrine; Politics and government/Foreign governments; Military/War and warfare

United States civil-military relations: defense reform

Abstract: : This thesis investigates how communication between civilians and military elites can create better defense institutions. The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 and the 9/11 Commission Report are used as case studies to analyze the creation of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and how it reformed defense institutions. This thesis examines the causes, processes, results, and implementations of the two case studies to determine the level of civil-military relations used in U.S. defense reform. Rational political interests are revealed as the major concern for U.S. elites responsible for passing laws in the executive, legislative, and military branches. When rational interests become the main concern, however, it is difficult to achieve effective defense institutions. This thesis recommends continuous defense reforms, instead of reactionary reforms, for two reasons: ensuring the effectiveness of defense institutions and achieving better communication between civilian and military elites.

The Early Years of European Integration—German and Dutch Reactions to the Schuman Plan

Abstract: On 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman, the French minister of Foreign Affairs, launched his daring and—to many contemporaries—shocking plan to put the Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole under a common High Authority. By doing so, he not only hoped to prevent war in Europe in the future, but also started the process of European integration. How did the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) react to this controversial plan and why did they decide to join the European integration process? This chapter claims that although there were a number of similarities between Bonn and The Hague, they had different reasons for joining the European integration process from the start. For the FRG, it was mainly a way to regain its sovereignty and to be seen as a normal state again. For The Netherlands, however, the reasons seem mostly to have been economic. By integrating Germany into the Western block, Europe and especially The Netherlands could profit from Germany’s economic potential, while at the same time preventing the country from becoming a military threat ever again. It also explains the Dutch resistance towards more political integration. In fact, the Dutch government remained anti-supranational well into the 1950s. The Dutch European policy, especially in the early years, was driven primarily and maybe even exclusively, by economic considerations, whereas that of the Federal Republic was above all inspired by political motives.

The Crisis Within: America’s Military and the Struggle Between the Overseas and Guardian Paradigms

Abstract: : Todays U.S. military is full of perplexing questions and issues. Individually, each can be explained, but collectively the explanations seem too complicated. This complexity makes the military difficult to comprehend, even to those in uniform. What follows is an attempt to unravel this complexity and to start a conversation about how to better understand Americas 21st-century military. To do that, a return to first principles is necessary, starting with how the nation understands the common defense and the role that organized violence plays in providing for it. The nations understanding of both the common defense and organized violence changed dramatically in the years since 2001. The diversification in the employment of violence produced a profound paradigm shift that Thomas Kuhns seminal work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, helps to identify and explain. Americas senior civilian and military leaders must understand this shift in order to create the military the nation needs in the coming decades and to ensure that it is an institution the American people continue to trust.

Borrowing Trouble: Sovereign Credit, Military Regimes, and Conflict

Abstract: Changes in relative military power in the international system are seen as an impediment to peace. This article will focus on one particular avenue for states to increase their relative military power: sovereign borrowing. States’ ability to borrow inexpensive credit can undermine credible commitments in international relations, but only for those states that habitually use credit for military purposes. I argue that military regimes are more likely to use fiscal resources such as sovereign credit toward military spending, which leads to sudden increases in military power. As a result, adversarial states have incentives to use preventive action against military regimes before these regimes use credit for military purposes. To test this argument, I examine target behavior in militarized disputes as a function of expected borrowing costs credit and regime type. The empirical analysis demonstrates that military regimes, expected to have improved borrowing costs, are more likely to be the target of mil...

The Disintegration of the Military Integration Process in South Sudan (2006–2013)

Abstract: This article argues that military integration served a critical purpose in 2006, arguably preventing large-scale conflict within South Sudan and ensuring a level of stability prior to the CPA-mandated referendum on self-determination in 2011. Nonetheless, integration was poorly-conceived and implemented, and received limited support from third party actors that were more focused on rightsizing the SPLA and transforming it into a conventional, professional military. The de facto open-door nature of South Sudan’s integration process created incentives for armed rebellion, while failed rightsizing initiatives increased pressure on the military integration process as the most expedient way of mitigating the threat these groups posed to stability. Integration thus became an end in and of itself rather than a transitional measure to contain former combatants while the government worked out a more long-term solution for South Sudan’s security sector. Consequently, the SPLA was in a state of arrested development, preventing efforts to transform the military from gaining traction, and making the force more likely to fragment along factional lines during periods of heightened political competition.

US–China military relations: competition and cooperation

Abstract: China’s efforts to build a ‘new type of great power relations’ and a ‘new type of military-to-military relations’ do not constitute a major turning point in relations with the United States. Political relations set limits on military cooperation, and the two sides have been unable to construct a sustainable strategic basis for relations. This has contributed to an ‘on-again, off-again’ pattern in military ties. Trends show a pattern of frequent disruptions in military-to-military relations from 2000 to 2010, followed by an increase in interactions beginning in 2012. Nevertheless, obstacles on both sides are likely to limit mutual trust and constrain future development of military-to-military relations.

Non-state Armed Groups as a Threat to Global Security: What Threat, Whose Security?

Abstract: What kind of security threats do non-state armed groups pose, and to whom? The literature has tended to take the state as a reference point for the study of non-state armed groups: insurgents have long been regarded as domestic military threats, and since 9/11, terrorism has been increasingly treated as a major transnational military threat. Because literature on armed non-state actors typically situates them in the context of war or protracted conflict, the state-centric and militarized view of these groups is rarely contested. However, data on 232 armed groups in twenty-three Asian countries from 1985 to 2014 show that the primary threat such groups most consistently pose is to the human security of local civilian populations, rather than the military security of states. A human security perspective suggests alternatives to military responses, the need for more tailored non-military interventions, and the necessity of improved data collection on non-state armed groups that exist in- and outside the context of conventional war.

Whose line is it anyway? : understanding the military role in delivering rights based policies in post-conflict territories

Abstract: The post-conflict territories of the Western Balkans have been subjected to an unprecedented level of international attention since the mid-1990s. The EU, NATO and OSCE in particular converged on the region intent on redefining their image - if not purpose - in the first major crisis of the post-Cold War era. Responding to the horrific inter-ethnic violence that defined conflict in the region, International Organisations continually emphasised the importance of upholding standards regarding the protection of, and respect for, ethnic minorities. While literature acknowledges that military forces were deployed to establish and maintain a safe and secure environment for post-conflict peacebuilding to emerge, few scholars have explored the substance of the military role beyond the separation of former warring factions and provision of a secure humanitarian space. This research demonstrates that military actors adapted their approaches to contribute across the spectrum of the peacebuilding effort, including on rights based issues; specifically ethnic minority returns and participation. On the basis of case studies in Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina, the thesis adopts an empirical approach to exploring the reasons for military engagement on these issues and their respective successes and failures. It examines the sources that projected ideas on ethnic minority issues – international policy development, peace treaty composition, and domestic acceptance – and how they influenced military decision making processes. Through post-conflict phases it analyses the domestic footprint of international intervention – international administration and civil-military actors – and discusses thematically the means of military engagement, the receptiveness of domestic actors at multiple levels and the nature of compliance. Acknowledging the overarching civilian framework for intervention, where from the outset the prospective of NATO and EU membership were held forth as the 'prize' for a successful return to 'a Europe of integration, democracy and ethnic pluralism', it establishes the utility of strategic mechanisms – conditionality and normative pressure – in military hands acknowledging the potential for linkage to enlargement frameworks. It argues that in spite of principled objections, military operations can and do have influence in delivering policy on rights based issues.

China's Changing Approach to Military Strategy: The Science of Military Strategy from 2001 and 2013

Abstract: The 2013 publication of the Science of Military Strategy is an essential source for understanding how China’s thinking about military strategy is changing. To examine how China’s approach to military strategy is changing, this chapter compares the 2013 edition of the Science of Military Strategy with the 2001 edition. The chapter reaches two conclusions. First, the 2013 edition represents an evolution of China’s approach to thinking about military strategy. It does not contain a description of a revolutionary new approach to China’s military strategy. Instead, it examines changes in China’s security environment through traditional concepts that have underpinned the PLA’s approach to strategy, such as “active defense,” by modifying or adjusting these ideas based on new circumstances. Second, a main theme throughout the text is how new and expanding interests overseas, along with worldwide advances in military technology and the posture of potential adversaries, are expanding the battlespace in which the PLA will need to operate and the importance of greater strategic depth. Thus, much of the book can be interpreted as examining how the PLA should respond to these new conditions based on its traditional approach to strategy.

Protection of Cultural Property, Military Manual.

Abstract: Unesco published this manual in order to enhance the importance of military and security forces'involvement in the protection of cultural heritage in times of conflicts. This is a practical guide to the implementation by military forces of rules of international law for the protection of cultural property in armed conflict.

Transforming armed forces through military transparency

Abstract: Purpose – After discussing recent academic attempts to assess the status of worldwide military transparency and accountability in nations which adopted open governance paradigms, this paper tries to show that such countries allegedly committed to democracy and open data should coherently fight for military transparency and citizen inclusion in the governance process, avoiding the prevalence of military secrecy over military transparency. The most important contribution of the paper is discussing the lack of military transparency, until now taken for granted as a traditional armed forces ’informal right, and proposing concrete definitions of military transparency and secrecy within the context of the open government partnership. In addition to the definitions, an exploratory model of how military accountability can affect military transparency has been suggested. Design/methodology/approach – For the proposed endeavour, first a description on the context of open governance where the involved public defence...

The Truth Unveiled: An Inquiry into the Reasons for a Lack of US Military Readiness for World War II

Abstract: : As the military draws down from its commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is undergoing budgetary and force structure challenges similar to that of the post-WWI period. During the interwar years from 1919 to 1941, the US military conducted detailed mobilization and war plans that encompassed myriad possible threats to the US mainland and its territories, and attempted to achieve US foreign policy goals. However, despite numerous US Army Chiefs of Staff warnings about decaying military readiness, US political leaders were unable and unwilling to provide the political willpower and appropriations necessary to provide a ready force. To avoid some of the same mistakes made during the interwar years, and to prevent tomorrow's military catastrophe, it is necessary to understand the reasons behind the US military's lack of readiness for World War II. These reasons were deeply-rooted within the US society and exacerbated by the Great Depression and the Nye Committee, all of which kept public interests focused on internal issues and staunchly against the idea of a strong military and entanglement in Europe. The post-World War I return to the time-honored principles of peace, isolation, and a focus on economic prosperity indicates foundational principles upon which the United States rests, consisting of deeply-rooted mental models that governed the thoughts and actions of the people of the United States throughout the interwar years. These mental models, including a fear of standing armies, a lack of enmity on the part of the American people, and beliefs in the impenetrability of North American geography and oceans, the Navy as the first and principal line of defense, and in Business Pacifism, combined to comprise a national paradigm of false security that was resistant to change.

Authorities to Use US Military Force Since the Passage of the 1973 War Powers Resolution

Abstract: : Why does the United States not wage war as it did during World War II? Understanding the authorities granted to the branches of the US government is the first step in understanding how the nation employs its military force An understanding of events after World War II explains why specific legislation changes the manner in which the US government approached global problems that may possibly require the use of military force This discovery leads us to the next question of how and when is US foreign policy and strategy developed given this new legislation regulating the use of military force An examination of several military theorists, the US Constitution and US history paints a picture of two branches of the US government attempting use their authorities to provide military force, in order to solve global crises Those uses of force examined took place after the 1973 War Powers resolution, still occurring without a Congressional declaration of war and with unclear success compared to WWII What are also unclear are the strategies and policies behind the employment of US force abroad during this time The conclusion explains who is to blame and the consequences for not considering strategic and policy options available, such as declaring war

Little Masquerade: Russia's Evolving Employment Of Maskirovka

Abstract: : A little masquerade is the literal English translation of the Russian maskirovka. Synonymous with deception, maskirovka is a complex Russian cultural phenomenon that defies easy definition. Despite the West's lack of interest in its former protagonist, the Russian Federation Armed Forces enjoyed continuity with its former Soviet character. The Russian Federation Armed Forces carried forward military theory, doctrine, and thought in the intervening years between the collapse of the Soviet Union and resurgence of Russian assertiveness. This included the importance of deception in the achievement of military objectives. Maskirovka is culturally rooted in Russian society and an important facet of Russian military operations. This monograph analyses the evolution of Russia's employment of maskirovka from the Second World War through the invasion of Ukraine in 2014. It argues that Russia's employment of maskirovka has evolved from a concept employed by the military to a concept employed by the whole of government. Once a means used to create advantageous conditions on the battlefield, maskirovka evolved to create ambiguity and uncertainty in the operating environment to enable freedom of action for achievement of Russian military and political objectives.

Missiles for Asia The Need for Operational Analysis of U.S. Theater Ballistic Missiles in the Pacific

Abstract: : The U.S. Department of State concluded in 2014 that Russia is in violation of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, raising doubts about the treatys durability and questions about how the United States should respond. At the moment, U.S. policy remains committed to the treatyand seeks to encourage Russia to return to compliance by eliminating prohibited systems. The process of attempting to revive the treaty could take several years. Russia could continue denying that it violated the treaty or simply refuse to comply with it, in which case U.S. policy would have to adjust. In the meantime, the U.S. Army can start a rigorous operational analysis of the potential military value that conventional land-based theater ballistic missiles (TBMs) could add to the U.S. portfolio of strike capabilities. In particular, the U.S. Army should analyze the potential military value of TBMs in the Pacific and whether they might plausibly help the U.S. offset Chinas military modernization.

The Operational Narrative in Wars of Choice

Abstract: : The US military is strong in battle but weak in influence. Because wars of survival are the reason for the military's existence, the military must be able to do what only the military can do apply force. In wars of choice, however, the application of force and its poor utility in achieving political outcomes has been a problem for the US military. National character constrains the US military to persuade conflict populations without force. As the military increasingly takes direct responsibility for achieving political goals without force, the ability to influence foreign audiences becomes more important. This monograph describes the benefit for the operational commander of clearly communicating a narrative to the conflict population that accounts for culture and aligns with the US government's explicit reasons for military involvement. The case studies of the Philippine War and the Vietnam War show the plausibility of the hypothesis while cautioning against looking to the operational narrative as a panacea. It is impossible to appeal to every audience, be understood all the time, and always effect behavior change in target audiences. However, to communicate the operational commander's vision is better than letting the adversary win the conflict of narratives by default.

The Emerging Parliamentary Convention on British Military Action and Warfare by Remote Control

Abstract: Recent British military interventions in Libya, Iraq and Syria have all been put to the vote in the House of Commons. This suggests a shift away from the longstanding Royal Prerogative on war-making powers towards an expectation that parliamentary authorisation is first required. As Tara McCormack argues however, there is a concurrent trend that undermines this apparent move towards greater democratic oversight of the use of military assets in conflict: the growing preference for ‘warfare by remote control’, such as the deployment of drones or military trainers. Perceived as a form of intervention with less ‘skin in the game’, such military action has so far been launched without prior parliamentary approval – and without scrutiny.

The minister, the Commandant and the cadets: Scandal and the mediation of Australian civil–military relations:

Abstract: The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has recently undergone the most comprehensive review of its organizational culture since federation. Western militaries across the USA, Canada and the UK are simi...

Chinese strategic culture, Shih and Li: a comparison of the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party from 1923-1927

Abstract: : The purpose of this monograph is to provide the military planner with an understanding of the Chinese strategic ideas of Shih and Li, since China will continue the use force and non-force methods to support its domestic stability, political aim, and international legitimacy. China's continued growth represents one of the greatest security challenges facing the United States. China has adopted a strategy called at odds, but not at war. This strategy allows China to develop its capabilities through modernization, while maintaining the option of confronting the United States directly. For military planners the study of Chinese military strategy is important for two reasons: first, through an appreciation of the China's strategic template, be able to predict and counter their strategies; and second, to learn new ways to understand and apply strategy themselves. Familiarity with the strategic ideas of Shih and Li, which apply to political, economic, geopolitical, and the military become an important component of this study.

Transforming the Spanish military

Abstract: The article analyses the Spanish military transformation. This process started in 2004 as a means to adapt the force structure, organization and capabilities of the Spanish military to meet present and future threats in compliance with NATO’s initiatives, thus ensuring the continuity of the equipment modernization, professionalization and the adjustment of the country’s defence architecture to the post-cold war environment. A decade later, although transformation is still a priority for the Ministry of Defence, limited political will, a lack of strategic guidance, poor resource management and the effects of the economic crisis are compromising its development. This article describes the Spanish military transformation and assesses its value in adapting the country’s armed forces to the current and prospective security environment.