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Report of an Army Workshop on Convergence Forecasting: Mechanochemical Transduction
No full textThis is an assessment of the Mechanochemical Transduction Convergence Workshop sponsored by the Army Research Office which took place in January 2012. The workshop was a test case for identifying convergences of disciplines and their potential impact on science and the Army. The chief objective of the workshop was the identify the most promising research opportunities and interdisciplinary convergences that could lead the field of mechanochemical transduction in new direction with unexpected outcomes that would be relevant to future Army needs.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/defense-tech-papers/1013/thumbnail.jp
PRISM Vol. 3, No. 2
No full textThis issue of PRISM explores critical challenges in stabilization, reconstruction, and security operations in an era of evolving global threats. The Features section examines the need for institutional reform in stabilization efforts, the complexities of exporting civil-military models, and interagency coordination in stability operations. Articles also assess Britain’s post-2015 security landscape, Libya’s ongoing transition, and the Taliban’s governance strategies. Further analysis includes the effectiveness of the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) in Afghanistan, the Philippine military’s expanding role, and leadership in U.S. cybersecurity efforts. In From the Field, an article on Regional Command–East discusses civilian-military coordination in stability operations. The Lessons Learned section evaluates the command and control structure of Libya’s Operation Odyssey Dawn. An Interview with Donald Steinberg provides insights into conflict resolution and development. Finally, Book Reviews examine Afghanistan’s warfighting strategies and the implications of U.S. engagement in the region.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/prism-full-issue/1009/thumbnail.jp
The Iron Triangle Manifested: U.S. Air Force Tanker Lease 2001–2005 Case Study
No full textThe proposed lease of the KC–767 tanker aircraft was one of the most infamous procurement scandals of the post–Cold War era. Interactions within the military-industrial-congressional complex led to legislation permitting the Air Force to lease tankers from Boeing using an operating lease rather than standard procurement. Following the outcry from Congress, industry, the media, and numerous watchdog groups, Congress and the Department of Defense (DOD) launched a wave of investigations and hearings. During the lease debate, participants reached a number of compromises documented in congressional legislation. However, this was not sufficient to continue the lease process. After nearly 4 years, Congress cancelled the tanker lease and directed the Air Force to pursue a traditional procurement approach.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/ndu-case-studies/1002/thumbnail.jp
Anticipatory Governance Practical Upgrades: Equipping the Executive Branch to Cope with Increasing Speed and Complexity of Major Challenges
No full textThe report suggests: (a) four concrete initiatives and eighteen specific proposals for organizing foresight as an input into the policy process; (b) eight initiatives and thirty-eight specific proposals for improving the capacity of existing systems to mesh their activities for coherent effect (i.e., networked governance); and (c)five specific, sequential initiatives to detect and respond to error and unintended consequences in mid-stream, before calamities occur (i.e., feedback).https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/books-and-book-chapters/1016/thumbnail.jp
Toward the Printed World: Additive Manufacturing and Implications for National Security
No full textAdditive manufacturing (AM)—commonly referred to as “three-dimensional” or “3D” printing—is a prospective game changer with implications and opportunities that affect not just the Department of Defense (DOD) but the economy as a whole. The technology allows the “art to part” fabrication of complex objects from a computer model without part-specific tooling or human intervention.1 AM has already impacted a variety of industries and has the potential to present legal and economic issues with its strong economic and health-care benefits. Because of its remarkable ability to produce a wide variety of objects, AM also can have significant national security implications. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general introduction to these issues for nontechnical readers through a survey of the recent history and the current state of technology. Included in this paper is a brief review identifying key individuals and organizations shaping developments as well as projected trends.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/defense-horizons/1011/thumbnail.jp
Russia and the Iranian Nuclear Program: Replay or Breakthrough?
No full textDespite protests across Russia sparked by last December’s fraud-filled Duma (parliament) elections, Vladimir Putin is preparing to return to the presidency this May. Will Putin replay his 2004–2008 approach to Iran, during which Russia negotiated the S–300 air defense system contract with Tehran? Or will he continue Russia’s breakthrough in finding common ground with the United States on Iran seen under President Dmitriy Medvedev, who tore up the S–300 contract?https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/inss-strategic-perspectives/1033/thumbnail.jp
Proliferation Risks of Civilian Nuclear Power Programs
No full textThe risks of nuclear proliferation—the further spread of nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material, technology, and expertise—derive in part from the technical characteristics of the nuclear fuel cycle and the national and international management of fuel cycle activities. Civilian nuclear power plants themselves are not considered a high proliferation risk because it is difficult to make weapons-usable material from reactor fuel. The principal proliferation risk is that states can use the civilian nuclear fuel cycle as a source for the material, technology, and expertise needed to develop nuclear weapons. A state’s intent to develop a nuclear weapons capability can be concealed if its activities otherwise appear compliant with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Creating more effective barriers to the diversion of civilian nuclear programs to military purposes—as North Korea has done and as Iran appears to be doing—is central to current efforts to strengthen the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/wmd-proceedings/1002/thumbnail.jp
Modeling the Combined Terrorist-Narcotics Trafficker Threat to National Security
No full textThis modeling study demonstrated that model-generated data closely resembled actual reports about tons of disrupted narcotics substances in three consecutive years. the policy cycle model showed that increased rates of policy cycle activity increased the amount of narcotics disruption, while increased levels of corruption reduced those levels.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/defense-tech-papers/1015/thumbnail.jp
Joint Force Quarterly 67 (4th Quarter, October 2012)
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/jfq-full-issue/1046/thumbnail.jp
Space and the Joint Fight
No full textThe world first saw the power of space to transform warfare in the 1991 Gulf War. In the years since, the U.S. military has come to depend heavily on space throughout its peacetime and combat operations. Satellites acquired by the Department of Defense (DOD) principally provide protected communications; data for position and timing, terrestrial and space weather, missile launch warning and tracking, and space situational awareness; and experiments and other research and development activities. Satellites for reconnaissance and surveillance are the domain of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), under the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/strategic-forums/1037/thumbnail.jp