Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Book Review: Unwinnable Wars: Afghanistan And The Future Of American Armed Statebuilding, Erik Goepner

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Adam Wunische

Reviewed by Dr. Erik Goepner, US government analyst, Colonel (US Air Force, retired)

Dr. Erik Goepner reviews analyst Adam Wunische’s Unwinnable Wars, which, according to Gopener, offers a “timeless reminder—American power has limits.” Goepner provides a helpful outline of Wunische’s four “major preexisting conditions that severely limit the success of armed state-building efforts.” Wunische argues that preexisting conditions are “beyond the control of the intervening power” and “often foreordain the failure of such missions” (such as Afghanistan, the book’s main case study).

Book Review: War In Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, And The Return Of A Fractured World, John C. Erickson, John A. Nagl

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Editor: Hal Brands

Reviewed by John C. Erickson, senior engineer, Axiom Technologies, and Dr. John A. Nagl, professor of war-fighting studies, US Army War College

John Erickson and John Nagl review Hal Brands’s 2024 anthology on the Russia-Ukraine War, including a thorough and helpful overview of the parts and chapters. They supplement the review with a contextualization of the war and its significance for the rest of the world. They call Brands’s book, “a scholarly appraisal of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that may mark the first blows of World War III.”

Bargaining For Justice: Ukraine, Gaza, And The Ethics Of Conflict Termination, C. Anthony Pfaff

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 C. Anthony Pfaff

As wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue with little end in sight, the sense of urgency to determine how they should end is increasing, given how the wars could end. A just war aims to establish a better state of peace, but a better state of peace may not always be achievable, and even when it is achievable, it may not be good enough. When that is the case, actors must determine on what terms to settle, given what they think they can achieve based on relative capabilities and cost tolerances. The resulting “maximin” solution, a …

The Role Of America’S European Allies In The Russia-Ukraine War, 2022–24, John R. Deni, Lisa A. Aronsson

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 John R. Deni

What more can US allies in Europe do to assist Ukraine militarily? More broadly, what can the United States expect from its closest allies in Europe in strategic competition with Russia and China? In this monograph, John R. Deni and Lisa A. Aronsson assess whether US allies and partners in Europe can continue providing military assistance to Ukraine or expand assistance, while preserving their own national security and fulfilling their NATO commitments. They also explore what the Russia-Ukraine War reveals about the role of European allies in future iterations of strategic competition. Their findings indicate European …

A Panel Data Regression Model For Defense Merger And Acquisition Activity, Corey D. Mack, Clay Koschnick, Michael Brown, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brandon M. Lucas

Faculty Publications

Excerpt: This paper examines the relationship between a prime contractor's financial health and its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) spending in the defense industry. It aims to provide models that give the United States Department of Defense (DoD) indications of future M&A activity, informing decision-makers and contributing to ensuring competitive markets that benefit the consumer.

The results show a significant relationship between efficiency and M&A spending, indicating that companies with lower efficiency tend to spend more on M&As. However, there was no significant relationship between M&A spending and a company's profitability or solvency. These results were consistent with previous research and …

Ketahanan Organisasi Kantor Imigrasi Kelas I Khusus Non Tpi Jakarta Selatan Dalam Menghadapi Penyalahgunaan Izin Tinggal Penanam Modal Asing, Boy Rivando, Palupi Lindiasari Samputra

Jurnal Kajian Stratejik Ketahanan Nasional

The entry of foreigners into Indonesia can improve the economy and increase the country's foreign exchange through tourism and investment. However, if the residence permit given to foreign citizens is misused, it could pose various threats to Indonesia's security. Moreover, currently a circular has been issued regarding administrative convenience for foreign investors. For this reason, strong organizational resilience is needed from immigration agencies, especially the South Jakarta Immigration Office so that they can continue to carry out their immigration functions in the face of incoming threats. The aim of this research is to analyze the organizational resilience of the South …

Perlindungan Hak Asasi Manusia Terhadap Perempuan Korban Kekerasan Seksual, Nizar Agung Kurniawan

Jurnal Kajian Stratejik Ketahanan Nasional

Human rights and sexual violence are major issues in Indonesia, as the former violates victims' human rights and dignity. Situations are made worse by stigma and a lack of security. In addition to examining potential alternatives for creating a future free from sexual violence, this essay looks at Indonesia's link between sexual violence and human rights. The realization of victims' rights is hampered by stigma and a lack of access to rehabilitation services. Human Rights (HAM) are fundamental rights that all people naturally possess since they are gifts from God that are ingrained in all people and need to be …

Konsumerisme Fashion Impor Di Kalangan Generasi Muda Dalam Perspektif Ketahanan Ekonomi Dan Sosial, Shabreena Sugestiani, Puri Retno Nurlingga, Pinartika Nasya Meilanty, Sabrina Zahra, Zahra Nurul Haniyyah Anas

Jurnal Kajian Stratejik Ketahanan Nasional

Generasi saat ini cenderung gemar mengenakan pakaian impor dan telah menjadi tren umum di kalangan generasi muda. Tren ini didorong oleh persepsi bahwa pakaian impor mencerminkan status sosial yang lebih tinggi, sehingga mendorong peningkatan konsumerisme fashion impor. Aktivitas ini memiliki dampak negatif pada ketahanan nasional, khususnya di bidang ekonomi dan sosial. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis perilaku konsumtif terhadap produk fashion impor di kalangan mahasiswa Universitas Brawijaya dengan perspektif ketahanan ekonomi dan sosial, menggunakan metode kuantitatif melalui kuesioner yang diberikan kepada mahasiswa Universitas Brawijaya serta analisis isi berbasis studi literatur. Artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa Universitas Brawijaya cenderung lebih memilih produk …

Tantangan Dan Peluang Credit Union Sebagai Penguat Ketahanan Masyarakat, Alexius Andang Binawan, Stefanus Masiun

Jurnal Kajian Stratejik Ketahanan Nasional

This article will explain the dynamics of the role of credit unions (CU) in community empowerment in the context of social resilience. Keling Kumang Credit Union in West Kalimantan was used as a case study to see the empowerment efforts carried out, because CU places greater emphasis on human empowerment. Empowerment or financial literacy is just a means. Through qualitative research based on analysis of social media and documents, the social role of CUs will be examined. By using the observations of Peter Davis as a cooperative 'guru', the challenges and opportunities of a credit union are also explained. Peter …

Analisis Potensi Ancaman Siber Pada Bidang Ekonomi Di Indonesia, Isro' Kurniawan Rahakbauw

Jurnal Kajian Stratejik Ketahanan Nasional

This article discusses the analysis of potential cyber warfare threats in the economic sector in Indonesia. The increasing dependence on information technology and widespread connectivity opens wide doors for potential cyber attacks on the country's economic sector. Through an analytical approach, this article explores various potential cyber threats that Indonesia may face, involving attacks on financial infrastructure, electronic commerce, as well as business data and information. In this context, the article also evaluates the readiness and effectiveness of cybersecurity measures implemented by the government and the private sector. Findings from this analysis provide valuable insights to identify and address potential …

Toward Adaptive And Modular Joint Multi-Domain Operational Planning, Kyle S. Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

This research develops a multiparametric optimization framework for modeling joint multi-domain operational planning under uncertainty. We address the application of our framework to model the doctrine of adaptive planning. We apply set-based design, which is a program management practice of maintaining maximal design options through time as a response to epistemic uncertainty. We couple this with a multiparametric optimization method yielding both sets of solutions and sensitivity profiles. We use the sensitivity profiles to quantify risk associated with changes during adaptive planning. This research also models features of military operational planning via the mathematics of category theory. We formalize intuitive …

Parameters Autumn 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, three In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a review essay focused on strategy in India.

Eisenhower As Supreme Allied Commander: A Reappraisal, Richard D. Hooker Jr.

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that the historical assessment of Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II lacks objectivity and balance. It identifies several strategic errors and missteps attributable to Eisenhower, which resulted in severe casualties and prolonged the war in Europe. The conclusions can help US military practitioners and policymakers assess the background and qualities required for successful theater command during wartime and senior commanders’ performances.

From The Acting Editor In Chief, C. Anthony Pfaff

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, three In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a review essay focused on strategy in India.

Exploring Strategy In India, Vinay Kaura

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This review essay discusses Rajesh Basrur's Subcontinental Drift: Domestic Politics and India’s Foreign Policy and Feroz Hassan Khan's Subcontinent Adrift: Strategic Futures of South Asia and explores Indian strategy, especially concerning domestic issues and the relationship between Pakistan and India. The review concludes by noting that the two books agree on the oversized role of the Pakistani military in India’s national politics, where most security and foreign policy decisions are directed toward Pakistan.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Us-Mexico Relations: Addressing Challenges At The Border, The Brookings Institution

Brookings Mountain West Special Events

Mexico’s president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will begin her six-year term in October as the U.S. presidential campaign enters its final stretch. How the next U.S. administration and Congress manage relations with new leadership in Mexico will affect border security, immigration policies, trade and energy relations, and counter-narcotics and anti-crime cooperation. What tools can policymakers in both countries use to advance positive outcomes? What are the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the United States and Mexico?

The Brookings Foreign Policy program in partnership with Brookings Mountain West at UNLV hosted a discussion on the state of U.S.-Mexico relations. Panelists analyzed …

Military, Political, Cultural, And Societal Implications Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran’S Passive Defense Strategy, Aaron R. Pilkington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why did the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) adopt a passive defense strategy? This dissertation is the first to trace the institutional development of the IRI’s passive defense strategy and its two Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)-led executive bodies: the Permanent Committee for Passive Defense (PCPD) and the National Passive Defense Organization (NPDO). Passive defense can be defined simply as defense without weapons, which includes all precautionary actions other than using weapons to minimize the effects of enemy hostile operations that increase deterrence, reduce vulnerability, sustain essential activities, promote national stability, and facilitate crisis management in the face of enemy …

Book Review: The World: A Family History Of Humanity, Zachary Griffiths

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths (US Army), Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army

The Harding Project’s Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths reviews this best-selling, epic in scope history of the world framed by powerful families and gives an honest evaluation of the book’s potential value (and shortcomings) for soldiers. Griffiths notes that the book provides insight into the “richness of the human experience” with “vignettes to give color to historical military campaigns and humanize those campaigns’ participants.”

Satellites In The Russia-Ukraine War, Ron Gurantz

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Satellites and counterspace systems have shown themselves to be important parts of modern warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War but have also been subject to various restrictions to prevent escalation. This monograph examines the role of satellites and counterspace systems in the Russia-Ukraine War’s high-technology warfare and the effects of satellite proliferation and commercialization on the conduct of the war. It also analyzes the restrictions under which space-based capabilities have been operating and the implications of these limits for future conflicts—a subject that has received little attention. Relying on an exhaustive study of open-source material and the application of limited-war theory …

Book Review: Standing Up Space Force: The Road To The Nation’S Sixth Armed Service, Robert D. Bradford Iii

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Forrest L. Marion

Reviewed by Robert D. Bradford III, associate professor of defense and Joint processes, Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, US Army War College

Robert D. Bradford III reviews this “first history” of the United States Space Force. He overviews the author Forrest L. Marion’s resources (“primary sources and extensive oral history interviews”) and highlights the book’s value in the way it “depicts cultural and bureaucratic barriers to…organizational change.” Bradford notes the history’s universal applicability as it relates to other situations in which an institution successfully approaches change.

Suggestions For Establishing Nuclear Safety Barrier In Bohai Rim Region Of China, Longchuan Zhuang, Chuanyuan Wang, Song Qin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Under the dual carbon strategy goal, the Bohai Rim, as the core region for nuclear power deployment in northern China, is pivotal in establishing a robust nuclear safety barrier, which aligns with the national maritime power development strategy and is essential for ensuring regional marine ecological safety and national energy security. Currently, the Bohai Rim region in China faces challenges such as inadequate nuclear radiation monitoring and early warning capabilities, insufficient data for health risk assessment, an underdeveloped scientific and technological support system, and limited public participation in both depth and breadth. Based on a scientific assessment of the potential …

Strategic Governance To “Silence The Guns” In Africa: Urban Sub-Saharan African Perceptions On War's Root Causes., Peter Tresor Miyalou, Chun Yan Hu

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Despite the African Union’s campaign to silence the guns in Africa by 2020 (STGIA 2020), many African countries are suffering from wars and political instability, the primary causes of underdevelopment in Africa. This paper examines the roots causes of wars in Africa and provide a strategic governance to silence the guns beyond 2020. To accomplish this, we gathered data from 169 questionnaire responses administered across 25 African countries, to capture African people’s perceptions on the root causes of wars and whether employing strategic governance would help silence the guns in these countries. The results showed that political power struggle (47.9%), …

Resolving Nigeria’S Security Conundrum: A Comprehensive Regional Analysis, Lukman Ahmed Lawal, Beacon Mbiba, Salamatu Kassah

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Abstract

This article analyses the regional variabilities of insecurity in Nigeria to propose a suitable approach to understanding their peculiarities. It argues that the dominant military interventions and one-size-fits-all approaches are inappropriate for resolving the country’s myriad security challenges. The Regional Security Complex Theory offers a theoretical basis to contextualise the complex security challenge in Nigeria. There is a need to unbundle the dynamics for each of the regions. Syntheses from the six geopolitical zones indicate that although the security challenges manifest in precarious living conditions, the drivers differ. The article recommends that interventions analyse and identify underlying factors for …

Fantastic Trolls And Where To Find Them: Problem Framing In The Defense Against The Informational Dark Arts, Jayson M. Warren

All Dissertations

In the wake of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the notion of state-sponsored trolls engaging in information operations on social media has captured the attention of society. Yet eight years after this policymaking focusing event, sustainable solutions prove elusive and there is still much that is not known about the underlying phenomenon. This dissertation is part explanatory and part exploratory in its attempts to answer the overarching research question: What is the Relationship Between How the Problem of State-Sponsored Trolls on Social Media is Framed & the Way U.S. Federal Policy Attempts to Solve It? Using …

Cyber Threats, Cyber Risks, And Cybersecurity Responses: Modeling Whole-Of-Nation Strategy Implementation For American Organizations And Citizens, Vincent Leon Guerrero

All Dissertations

Amid a landscape of cyber attacks on America occurring below the threshold of armed conflict, strategic national policy efforts recommend a whole-of-nation approach where individuals and public and private organizations increase their defensive posture in cyberspace. Motivation to address the risk of a cyber event includes a continuum of cyber threats that can range from low-level disruptive events to cybercrime and cyber espionage to the possibility of a potentially catastrophic attack on critical infrastructure. In this dissertation, I conduct a survey experiment of various cyber threat conditions and cyber policies to model cybersecurity responses, risk perceptions to a possible cyber …

The Effect Of Crime On Tourism In Indonesia, Muhammad Farhan, Hera Susanti

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

Tourism sector is widely known as one of economic sectors that can be the engine of economic growth in an effort to reduce poverty in a country. However, growth in the tourism sector can be influenced by safety factors. Tourists tend to avoid tourism destination areas with high crime rates in order to avoid becoming victims of crime. This study aims to analyze the effect of crime on the number of tourist arrivals in Indonesia by using four proxies of crime, which are total crime rate, property crime rate, violent crime rate, and fraud crime rate. This study utilizes a …

Integrate To Win From Competition Through Conflict: Create A Joint Force Information Warfare Component Commander, Tam N. Pham, Walter A. Berbrick

Joint Force Quarterly

Τhroughout the history of warfare, militaries have sought advantages by conducting information warfare (IW) to affect the perception and behavior of adversaries. Advances in IW capabilities are increasing the reach, speed, and effectiveness by which individuals, organizations, and systems can collect, process, disseminate, or act on information—and deny adversaries the same. The United States is not the only power to recognize the importance of IW in achieving national objectives. Russia and China have made great strides in improving and employing their IW capabilities to offset U.S. joint (and allied combined) forces in competition and conflict. Russia’s and China’s ability to …

The New Fire: War, Peace, And Democracy In The Age Of Ai, John P. Ringquist

Joint Force Quarterly

Ιn November 2023, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer of the Department of Defense (DOD), Craig Martell, stated, “Technologies evolve. Things are going to change next week, next year, next decade. And what wins today might not win tomorrow.” This sense of rapid technological change and disruption echoes what Ben Buchanan and Andrew Imbrie have written in The New Fire. The authors are deeply steeped in the world of cyber and AI. Buchanan is the former Director of the CyberAI Project at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), currently Special Advisor for AI at …

The Political Thought Of Xi Jinping, Ian Forsyth

Joint Force Quarterly

Νot long after Xi Jinping assumed the post of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in November 2012, a debate among China-watchers emerged over the nature of Xi’s leadership. How ambitious was he? Would he try to change the norms of institutionalization that had existed since Mao Zedong’s death in 1976? What bureaucratic constraints would he face, and could he overcome them?