Top Research Papers on Defence and Strategic Studies

This paper questions whether the Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007 risks creating an arms race in space. It fi nds that while other countries and regional groupings have their own space programmes, these are largely civilian, money-making enterprises. The USA currently has the pre-eminent military presence in the space domain, and has a range of options to continue to develop these programs without them being seen as threatening to other states. Despite being alarmed by the Chinese tests, and having stated an unwavering determination to retain its space assets and its superiority in space, t...

Canada has contributed to North American strategic defence, and been an ar- dent proponent of strategic stability, since the early Cold War. Though seem- ingly compatible, Canada's involvement in continental strategic defence and advocacy of strategic stability has been nagged by an underlying contradiction. As part of its contribution to the strategic defence of the continent, Canada has tacitly endorsed and facilitated the United States' offensively oriented nuclear strategies. Canada's support of strategic stability, however, has aimed to dis- courage offensive nuclear doctrines and the arm...

Strategic communications has vaulted to the top of the agenda for governments in the West in the vain hope that it might solve a seemingly intractable conflict with jihadist groups, an adversary whose ideology seems to be an essential part of its life-force. However, these governments have failed to grasp why these groups are more adept at using stories to animate their adherents toward the achievement of strategic ends. Unlike Western governments, jihadists use communication to support their use of force. They treat strategic communications as an intrinsic element of war. Consequently, the in...

Dr Hesketh's picture of the joint Institute of Physics and British Pugwash Group meeting (Physics Bulletin July 1986 p280) cannot go unchallenged. He asks 'Does (the report) register any opposition to SDI from within the USA?'.

During the last decade, ‘information warfare’ has become a much-politicised term in Russian domestic and foreign affairs. This article sheds light on the conceptual roots that have been shaping this idea in the Russian academic, political, and public discourse. Moreover, the article points to the major actors leading the politicisation of this idea by promoting narratives describing the so-called ‘Western information war against Russia’. In the context of Russia’s contemporary attempts to re-establish itself as a global power and Western fear and distress associated with Russian activities in ...

British strategic deception during the Second World War provided some of the most extraordinary and successful achievements in the history of British intelligence. Deception operations have been described in some detail in the most accessible volume of the official history of British intelligence. Very little however has emerged of British efforts to engage in strategic deception during the Cold War. The problems of conducting such operations in peacetime and against an adversary possessed of formidable security, intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities were clearly enormous. The suc...

The article brings a comparison of the approaches to the strategic defence analysis (SDA) and developing future Defence Concepts (DFDC) of the Czech Republic and Norway. The countries are in a different geopolitical situation, NOR being a country with borders that are part of the outer border of the Alliance, the Czech Republic being a country surrounded by three member countries of the Alliance and one PfP country. On the basis of the comparison of the two approaches, the authors identified differences and common points of the two. Based on the findings, the discussion provides inspiration fo...

Overview This volume commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC). The Centre is Australia’s largest body of scholars dedicated to the analysis of the use of armed force in its political context and one of the earliest generation of post-World War II research institutions on strategic affairs. The book features chapters replete with stories of university politics, internal SDSC activities, cooperation among people with different social and political values, and conflicts between others, as well as the Centre’s public achievements. It also details the evo...

Satellite navigation, communications and imagery are critical to military doctrine. They provide the capability and functionalities required to operate increasingly complex military assets with unprecedented precision. On account of their growing importance, there is a need for EU member states to develop their own satellite infrastructure, and to ensure control over and superiority in the space landscape in which satellites operate in order to protect their security. This paper analyses the EU Space Strategy, which is the first of its kind, identifying its strengths and areas where there is r...

The 2013 Defence White Paper places greater emphasis than its predecessors on defence engagement, and begins to link regional security to the defence of Australia itself. It does not explain, however, what Australia has to do to achieve its objectives, or what commitments it would have to enter to do so. Overall, the White Paper moves towards a reinterpretation of ‘self-reliance’ that focuses more on the way in which Australia would operate in a coalition conflict, but developing a new defence strategy that links force structure, posture and employment to the achievement of Australia’s strateg...

Butterflies are a fine example of how creatures that are perfectly non-aggressive can survive in nature, from the harsh and cold Arctic tundra to hot deserts like the Thar and Sahara and, of course, in very large numbers in equatorial rain forests.

This research is based on intelligent strategy game known as Tower Defence in which players have to make strategic decisions to defend their tower from their enemies. This an interesting game where people can test their wits. In this game the players can build and upgrade their tower to prevent higher damage from enemies. This game requires quick strategic decisions and is fun to play. There are wide array of weapons/equipments that the player can access by using earning points. This game is developed by using Unity platform

Defence planning attempts the impossible – to meet ‘requirements’ that can only be known in the light of events that have yet to occur. Ways in which the prospect for defence planning can be improved include (1) distinguishing the most important defence decisions, and getting them right enough; (2) developing a sufficiently flexible planning capability and dynamic military posture; (3) balancing short- and long-term investments; (4) insisting upon education in general strategic theory as a qualification for the practice of strategy; (5) appreciating that a country can afford to spend on securi...

Labour’s Strategic Defence Review claims to be ‘radical’, leading ‘to a fundamental reshaping of British forces’ while being ‘firmly ground in foreign policy’. Five questions are discussed: 1) Is labour’s defence policy different from that of its Conservative predecessors? 2) Has foreign policy ‘led’ defence policy? 3) How open was the review process and to what extent has Labour succeeded in creating a new consensus on defence policy? 4) Has the SDR successfully addressed the problem of overstretch? 5) Does it provide the ‘modern, effective and affordable armed forces which meet today’s chall...

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With the new Strategic Defence Review underway Michael Codner here identifies the major military options available to the Government, exploring their strategic implications. Beginning with the premises behind the Review he then sets out the strategic environment in which the Review is taking place and the objectives of security policy Highlighting three main strategic options—a contributory strategic concept a gendarmerie option and an expeditionary concept—he then discusses the major trends in direction these could take—from high to low intensity capability and to national autonomy joint inte...

An empirical study of seventy inter-firm alliances in the aerospace and defence industries reveals the importance of organizational factors in the construction of a typology of such ventures. Three types of alliances are identified. The study also suggests a link between each type and patterns of evolution of the partnerships over time.

Many people have misgivings about the strategy of nuclear deterrence. Some of those misgivings centre on issues of effectiveness: safety depends entirely upon the dissuasion of an adversary. Other misgivings centre on moral concerns: the essence of deterrence is the threat, and the conditional intention, to kill millions of noncombatants. US President Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative promised an alternative to deterrence, a strategic posture of interception of an adversary's weapons rather than preclusion of the decision to attack. It is conceived as a means of ‘defending’ the United Stat...

Reports on research into the relationship between European defence manufacturing firms and their experience of cross‐border strategic alliances. The research takes in 135 cross‐border strategic alliances involving UK and European defence manufacturing firms, ranging from firms heavily dependent on defence contracts to firms whose defence interests make up less than 10 per cent of overall business. These firms manufacture telecommunications, transport, information, lethal platforms and components for the operation of these platforms for military organisations. A main aim is to ascertain the ext...

ABSTRACT With this special issue of Defence Studies, we situate defence planning as a constitutive element of defence and strategic studies. Indeed, in addition to the usual “downstream” focus on the use or non-use of force, on policy decision-making in foreign relations, military operations and global external engagement, we argue for the utility of an increased “upstream” focus on what is a major part of everyday defence and security policy practice for military, civilian administrative and political leadership: the forward-looking preparations for the armed forces and other capabilities of ...

Canada proved to be a reliable and cooperative partner of the Americans on a variety of air defence initiatives in the early Cold War. Both countries constructed a dense network of radar lines, prioritized their respective air defence forces, and eventually agreed to a binational North American Air Defence Command (NORAD), imbued with the operational control of both countries' air defence forces. However, Canada's role in strategic defence was just as quickly challenged by the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. NORAD's raison d'etre shifted to the early warning and tracking of...

The conclusion is that the military mindset, which is predicated on clashes with dynamic, adaptable opponents, is a more dependable strategy than the prevalent cyber-hygiene paradigm.

In the extraordinary times we now find ourselves in, financial institutions are facing extra - ordinary challenges, and the requirement for robust corporate defence capabilities has never been more evident. While in former times the challenges facing the financial world were continually changing, it is the accelerated rate at which this change is currently occurring which may yet prove to be the greatest challenge to corporate survival.

It is argued that the Australian Defence Organisation needs an improved strategic data planning mechanism in order to develop a more holistic and effective approach to managing its capability-related data.

Part 1 Deployment criteria for strategic defences: strategic desirability - deterrence, strategic stability, arms control technical feasibility - effectiveness, survivability economic affordability - opportunity costs, cost-effectiveness in relation to alternative, cost-effectiveness at the margin. Part 2 An accidental launch protection system: evaluation - strategic desirability, technical feasibility, economic affordability. Part 3 A ground-based defence of military targets: evaluation - strategic desirability, the impact of US ground-based defences on deterrence, the impact of mutual ground...

The Strategic Defence Initiative and President Reagan's announcement of the American commitment to seek to acquire effective ballistic missile defences certainly form one of the most difficult defence policy issues a British government has had to grapple with since the Second World War. By aiming at a defence against nuclear weapons, SDI reintroduced into strategic debate an issue which had been shelved at the start of the 1970s, not only because of the signing of the ABM Treaty, but also because ballistic missile defences (BMD) seemed inherently difficult against a determined enemy. The SDI i...

This Adelphi Paper examines the national strategies designed to cope with the emerging societal vulnerabilities and offers appropriate roles for both public and private sectors.

In a November 2020 missile-defence test, the US demonstrated that the SM-3 Block IIA missile could destroy a target representing an intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM). This was the first time a ship-based missile has intercepted an ICBM-class target, and the success of the test has given proponents of missile defence an opportunity to argue that the SM-3 should be integrated into the country’s existing defences against long-range missiles. Critics argue that this step could threaten crisis stability in a potential conflict between the US and China or Russia.

Australia’s 2023 Defense Strategic Review provides a blueprint for building more capable armed forces in response to the country’s worsening strategic environment. The document calls for closer integration with Australia’s ally, the United States, and is focused on the threat posed by China. But whether this blueprint will be implemented by the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and those of his successors is an open question.

Ballistic-missile proliferation national missile defence theatre-missile defence boost-phase ballistic-missile defence.

The network and system planning studies for the DISCON project were initiated in 1976 and led to Requests for Proposals in 1977 and tenders being called in 1979, with the current objective to implement DISCON nation-wide during the 1980s.

Three main objectives: to encourage strategic research and development that will result in innovation and excellence in new products and services, to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian aerospace and defence companies and to foster collaboration between research institutes, universities, colleges and the private sector.

As the United Kingdom faces a defence review, most probably in 2010, it needs to clarify an agenda befuddled by human-security needs and the publicity given to international terrorism. The war in Afghanistan rests on the assumption that the ‘special relationship’ with the United States remains the central pillar of defence thinking. Another assumption is that major inter-state war is unlikely. Such an expectation suggests that deterrence continues to play an important if under-recognised role. Britain remains ready to use war to pursue its policy goals, but the wars in which it has engaged sin...

Discusses how recent changes in the European defence market have forced leading defence companies to make significant changes to their corporate strategy. Examines these changes, reviews the existing literature on strategic change in the defence sector and provides a detailed case study of British Aerospace. Shows that the process of strategy formulation is complex and changing. Moreover, makes it clear that the defence market is restructuring at a European and international level and that the process of managerial collaboration is intensifying. Says that the future of the defence industry and...

Abstract : Whilst a common European Defence Policy might be the aspiration of some European States, is the next logical step - an autonomous European Defence capability - either desirable and/or feasible? This paper will cover the background and apparent momentum for greater European Defence integration and discuss its desirability from a British, European, U.S. and NATO perspective.

Since the early 1980s the concept of non-offensive defence has gained considerable support in peace movements as well as among peace researchers in Western Europe. The debate has, however, become a 'for' and 'against' argument, while fundamental analytical questions have been left aside. This article deals with the nature of the premises for the implementation of defence policy alternatives based on specific technologies with assumed political and strategic effects. The distinction between offensive and defensive appears, in a historical perspective, as far more complex than assumed in the cur...

Current technological progress offers mankind a feeling of finding a panacea for almost all problems. The collapse of bipolarity at the end of the 20th century brought about an upheaval in international relations, which was also a catalyst for a change in the approach to the study of security. The peace secured by a single global actor, after the collapse of bipolarity in the late 20th century, also fundamentally influenced the thinking of many experts in that a broader approach to the study of security was favored, with an emphasis on non-military threats. Armed conflicts around the world in ...

ABSTRACT As the gap between strategic commitments and budgetary constraints continues to grow, defence organisations have introduced performance management initiatives to support decision-making and to improve governance. However, introducing managerial practices in public organisations, including defence, proves to be challenging. As performance management initiatives within defence suffer from an implementation gap, strategic benefits are not being harnessed. In our study, we first exploit the results of a systematic literature review to better anchor the encountered challenges within the li...

India’s Professional Military Education (PME) system is weighted towards the tactical level in all stages of professional development. This results in inadequate exposure of its senior leadership to strategic studies, thus inhibiting the provision of qualitative advice at the strategic level. While combat as an instrument of warfare is focused on at all levels, it fails to relate to war as an instrument of politics. It underlines the absence of an effort to build a broader vision that incorporates the entire constellation of forces. As a general rule, technology has been privileged over humani...

The results show that some methods are used in methodologically wrong way, meanwhile, the most common method used is intuition based on experience, particularly synergistic use of methods called multi-methodology.

China has far less incentive than the United States to conduct the sort of military campaign in which overall military success depends on success in cyber defence.

The motivation for this paper comes from one successfully conducted empirical research about motivation of potential candidates to serve in the active reserve as a kind of military service which is recently introduced in the Serbian Army. The research team was faced with a set of problems related to the deadlines, resources and mandate issues. A solution was found in agile interdepartmental cooperation. Firstly, we started with identification of missing resources and mandates of our research team. Then, we investigated where we could find the missing issues. After that, we established lines fo...

Research outcomes proved limited level of understanding and implementation of leadership theoretical framework in daily business and an insufficient application of all available instruments for people motivation and support including the approach „leading by example“.

Although almost seven years have passed since the Reagan Administration announced its plan to construct a shield against enemy missiles, the ultimate outcome of the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) is still uncertain. Nevertheless, this persistent uncertainty does not represent, in and of itself, a definitive failure of the plan. Indeed, the Reagan Administration officials as well as the former president himself have always emphasized that the SDI program would require 'years, probably decades, of efforts on many fronts' and would not be free from failures and setbacks. Indeed, the unshakabl...

In March 2022, the European Union adopted a ‘Strategic Compass for Security and Defence’, a joint strategy to strengthen the bloc’s military capabilities by 2030. EU member states have long under-invested in research and development in their defence sectors and have proved less able than competitors such as China and the United States to adapt emerging and disruptive technologies for use in their armed forces. The changes that the Strategic Compass proposes in this area are incremental rather than transformative, which suggests that there is still not a strong European political consensus for ...

Abstract : This study examines some of the unique challenges faced by militaries in small developing states in their efforts to achieve operational excellence in the contemporary operating environment. The study focuses on the level of effectiveness the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force achieved in its initial attempt at strategic management and strategic planning.

Overview: Australia’s neighbours in the Asia–Pacific are building high-quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics research capacities and infrastructure. As a consequence, Australia’s technological advantage in the defence domain is eroding. To recover that advantage, our policy should be to make the most of the knowledge, capability and capacity in Australia’s civilian science and innovation sector.  This special report analyses current and prospective Australian science, industry and defence science and innovation policy.

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a model, based on strategic simulation and scenario planning, to improve the decision-making process in the Brazilian defence area. Design/methodology/approach – Participants are disposed in three levels: decision-makers team – which goes beyond the Ministry of Defence (and military services) alone and includes other representatives of the executive and legislative branches; political and strategic advisory team – civilian representatives with a broad understanding of the national and international contexts that can contribute to developing insights and sha...

How do defence-organisations (or organisations with comparable profiles) of other countries map out policy goals and how are policy goals related to activities and capabilities and the required financial means, and finally how does the feedback loop on the performance in all these areas take place? To answer this question, the The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) - in close cooperation with representatives from the Netherlands Defence Organisation (NDO)i - studied the planning processes of five defence organisations (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom) and of one ...

tion which has whittled dawn the importance of a tax that occupied a pro- minent place in State Government budgets previously. NOTES 1 Sahota, G S: "Indian Tax Structure and Economic Development (1961) pp 16-17, Also see Ministry of Finance, Government of India: "Report of the Taxation Inquiry Commission, 1953-54", Volume I, p 21.