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Military Operations (military + operations)
Selected AbstractsSnap: A time critical decision-making framework for MOUT simulationsCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 3-4 2008Shang-Ping Ting Abstract Deliberative reasoning based on the rational analysis of various alternatives often requires too much information and may be too slow in time critical situations. In these situations, humans rely mainly on their intuitions rather than some structured decision-making processes. An important and challenging problem in Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) simulations is how to generate realistic tactical behaviors for the non-player characters (also known as bots), as these bots often need to make quick decisions in time-critical and uncertain situations. In this paper, we describe our work on Snap, a time critical decision-making framework for the bots in MOUT simulations. The novel features of Snap include case-based reasoning (CBR) and thin slicing. CBR is used to make quick decisions by comparing the current situation with past experience cases. Thin slicing is used to model human's ability to quickly form up situation awareness under uncertain and complex situations using key cues from partial information. To assess the effectiveness of Snap, we have integrated it into Twilight City, a virtual environment for MOUT simulations. Experimental results show that Snap is very effective in generating quick decisions during time critical situations for MOUT simulations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Understanding the Helmand campaign: British military operations in AfghanistanINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2010ANTHONY KING British forces are now engaged in a major operation in southern Afghanistan, the outcome of which is likely to be strategically decisive,especially for the configuration and status of Britain's land forces. Although progress seems to have been made, there has been much criticism of the campaign. Through an analysis of the three-year Helmand mission (Operation Herrick), this article explores whether, for all the improvements in the campaign in terms of resources and numbers of troops, the basic structure of the campaign established in 2006 has endured. Instead of focusing on an ,ink-spot' from which to expand, British forces have tended to operate from dispersed forward operating bases from which they have insufficient combat power to dominate terrain and secure the population. They are consequently engaged in a seemingly endless round of high-intensity tactical battles which are normally successful in themselves but do not contribute to the overarching security of the province. The analysis explores the way in which this distinctive campaign lay-down,the preference for dispersal and high-intensity fighting,may be a reflection of British military culture and its military doctrine. By highlighting potential unacknowledged aspects of the British military profession, the article aims to contribute to debates about the development of the armed forces. [source] Theoretical substruction: establishing links between theory and measurement of military women's attitudes towards menstrual suppression during military operationsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2009Lori L. Trego Abstract Title.,Theoretical substruction: establishing links between theory and measurement of military women's attitudes towards menstrual suppression during military operations. Aim., The aim of this paper is to establish a theoretical model for the exploration of the phenomenon of menstruation and women's attitudes towards menstrual suppression during military operations. Background., In the emerging field of literature that explores menstruation among military women, there are indications that menstrual symptoms and hygiene are problematic under the circumstances of deployment to military operations. While menstrual suppression may be a solution to problems that women encounter with menstruation during deployment, there is little research exploring the phenomenon. Data sources., CINAHL and Medline were used to locate peer reviewed journal papers published from 1977 to 2007. International military reports were obtained through an internet search engine (GoogleÔ). Discussion., Issues that military women encounter surrounding menstruation during deployment are framed according to components of human ecology and social ecology theories, creating a theoretical model for the study of military women's menstrual health. Theoretical substruction is then used to evaluate the proposed theoretical and operational systems for measuring military women's attitudes during deployment. The process of theoretical substruction validates the model and the theoretical integrity of the proposed research on women's attitudes towards suppression. Conclusion., A theory-based model for women's health under challenging environmental conditions will enhance the holistic consideration of women's health issues by care providers. The theoretical model clearly explicates the phenomenon of menstruation during deployment and the theoretical and operational systems are soundly linked in the proposed measurement model of military women's attitudes towards menstrual suppression. [source] Americanist Archaeologies: 2008 in ReviewAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 2 2009B. Sunday Eiselt ABSTRACT A review of published literature, conference proceedings, and Internet sources pertaining to "Americanist archaeology" in 2008 reveals three major themes: conflict, catastrophe, and collaboration. Scholars debated the role of archaeology in planning for and executing military operations in the Middle East while maintaining a vigorous interest in structural and physical violence worldwide. Environmental archaeologists considered the effects of catastrophic events, including new theories over the demise of Clovis cultures. In addition, several major reports and regulations highlighted the complexities of indigenous relations and gender equity in the profession. Enhanced technologies, funding for global initiatives in human rights, economic and environmental sustainablility, and creative forms of engagement are reshaping "Americanist archaeology" as a democratic, anthropological, and relevant pursuit. [Keywords: archaeology, annual review, conflict, catastrophe, collaboration] [source] Seeing Through the Fog,Attaining ,Full Spectrum Dominance' with the System-of-Systems Through Operational EngineeringNAVAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2000R. E. Bryant ABSTRACT Many discussions and articles address the business and military changes supporting implementation of Joint Vision 2010 and its system-of-systems approach. The dynamics of international military operations and commitments, coupled with accelerating information technologies, can lead to confusion and uncertainty. Customary rules recommend caution, even stopping, when confusion and uncertainty are present, yet the needed changes counsel toward accelerated efforts. Currently, systems engineering does not completely address delivering "operational war fighting capabilities," or foster commanders' confidence to fully exploit those capabilities upon delivery. Acquisition reform supports accelerating delivery of systems. Likewise, accelerated delivery of "war fighting capabilities" within any opponents' fielding and deployment cycle is imperative. Technical advances in modeling and simulation, utilization concepts, and innovative evaluation methods create an opportunity to facilitate redevelopment of doctrine, operations, and training prior to producing hardware systems. On-line simulation and evaluation tools can overcome the need for physical systems. Specifically, this paper lays out the opportunity to evolve systems engineering to another level, operational engineering, which leverages from the modeling and simulation environment, prior to hardware production. That modeling and simulation paired with coevolution of procedures and on-line analysis will produce a trained customer base, fully prepared for deliveries of "operational war fighting capabilities". [source] An extensible modeling framework for dynamic reassignment and rerouting in cooperative airborne operationsNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 7 2010Chase C. Murray Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), increasingly vital to the success of military operations, operate in a complex and dynamic environment, sometimes in concert with manned aircraft. We present an extensible modeling framework for the solution to the dynamic resource management (DRM) problem, where airborne resources must be reassigned to time-sensitive tasks in response to changes in battlespace conditions. The DRM problem is characterized by diverse tasks with time windows, heterogeneous resources with fuel- and payload-capacity limitations, and multiple competing objectives. We propose an integer linear programing formulation for this problem, where mathematical feasibility is guaranteed. Although motivated by airborne military operations, the proposed general modeling framework is applicable to a wide array of settings, such as disaster relief operations. Additionally, land- or water-based operations may be modeled within this framework, as well as any combination of manned and unmanned vehicles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2010 [source] Japan's Power Shift and Its DPRK PolicyPACIFIC FOCUS, Issue 2 2010Yoshinori Kaseda Many serious issues exist between Japan and North Korea (DPRK), such as nuclear, missile, abduction, and colonial issues. Progress on their resolution has been limited. Consequently, the two countries have remained unfriendly neighbors. Their relations recently deteriorated as a result of the DPRK's satellite launch and its second nuclear test in the first half of 2009, and Japan's strong response to them. In the middle of this period of significant tension, in August 2009, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won a landslide victory in the lower house elections, ending the dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over the last half a century. This political sea change in Japan has not resulted in major improvements in the Japan,DPRK relations. Yet, the DPJ's stance toward the DPRK's military threat and the Japan,US alliance is different from that of the LDP. So far, the DPJ has opted to avoid following in the LDP's footsteps of strengthening the alliance and expanding Japan's military operations in response to the DPRK's military threat. Instead, it intends to increase Japan's independence from the USA, and reduce US military presence in Japan. Given such intentions, the DPJ seems willing to improve Japan's relations with the DPRK. The question is whether its willingness will be translated into real actions to bring about major improvements. [source] Cutaneous leishmaniasis: an increasing threat for travellersCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 5 2005S. Antinori Abstract Analysis of the literature on cutaneous leishmaniasis in low-prevalence countries suggests an increase in imported cases that is attributable to the growing phenomenon of international tourism, migration and military operations in highly endemic regions. Cases of imported cutaneous leishmaniasis are often missed initially, but diagnosis can be made non-invasively by PCR using skin scrapings of lesions as starting material. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an emerging threat for travellers and should be considered in all patients presenting with slow-to-heal ulcers. [source] | |||||||||||||