Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the perspective of Indonesia Defense Policy

The development and progression in humankind’s understanding of the world and life, ensured a continuous evolution in the response to events threatening our livelihoods. Humankind also developed techniques to deal with natural hazards, either by aiming to contain the forces of nature, or by altering human own behavior. The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are crucially important in order to protect the nations. This research employed literature review method. The results showed that every nation should prepare and manage their capabilities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), both in protection for own countries or in providing aids for the others. Military Operation Other Than War (MOOTW) does not involve the use or threat of violence but prioritizes the provision of HADR. In MOOTW, military forces synergize with other institutions/organizations, especially those related to diplomacy, economy, government, even politics and religion. Moreover, in handling disasters, especially in Indonesia, the combination between civilians and the military is crucial in realizing Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord). Under certain mechanism, the military power is only used to support civilian institution in HADR.

ISPR Productions vs. Nationalism, Inclination to Join Army and Image Building: Case of Pakistan's Military Operations

This study targets to investigate the impact of Inter-Services of Public Relations (ISPR) production, broadcasted during the war against terrorism, on Pakistani youth. It is hypothesized that ISPR productions have helped in inflating the motivation level of Pakistani youth, thus helping in promoting the nationalism and positive image of Pakistan. Furthermore, the role of ISPR productions in motivating youth to join Pakistan's Army is also explored. A cross-sectional survey research design was used. The sample of this study was comprised of youth aged between 18 to 24 years, selected through the non-probability purposive sample. The measures comprised of a self-constructed indigenous questionnaire assessing the impact of ISPR productions during a military operation in image building, promotion of nationalism and motivation to join the army. The data analyzed through SPSS Version 22.00 yielded insightful findings. The finding revealed that watching ISPR productions helped in instilling a fervent attitude of Pakistani youth towards nationalism and the Pakistani military. There had been a clearer inclination of youth to aspire for joining the military for upholding the nationalism beliefs, and this finding appears promising, keeping in mind the relative declining opinion that has been observed in youth from the past decade pertaining to nationalism and military operations.

Combat Actions of the 1st and 3rd Air Armies in the First Rzhev-Sychev Operation: Losses and Their Replacement

The article discusses the combat work of the Red Army air force (the 1st and the 3rd air armies of the Western and Kalinin fronts, respectively) during the Rzhev-Sychev operation, focusing on the role of field aircraft repair for the replacement of losses suffered in the battle, and for maintaining the overall combat capability of the air forces in the offensive zone. The author suggests considering the battle of Rzhev as one of the largest and longest aviation battles of the Great Patriotic War. The paper offers a comparative analysis of the number of forces involved in the Rzhev-Sychevsky operation with other large-scale air operations. Drawing on hitherto unstudied sources from the collections of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and on statistical data, the author explains the tactical application of aviation in the Central part of the Soviet-German front in the summer and autumn of 1942, as well as the patterns and main causes of losses during the military operation. The author emphasizes the critical importance of field repair for an accelerated recovery of air force strike capabilities; this gave the Soviet units significant advantages over the German Luftwaffe in the region. As the paper shows, the command of the 1st and 3rd air armies were fully aware of the importance of field repair and gave it thoughtful consideration; already during the intense fighting, measures were taken to share the gained experience with other units.

Ante Gotovina case: an error of law which led to innocence?

The breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 30 years ago still has a substantial impact on the post-Yugoslav countries which proclaimed independence. Bearing in mind that the breakup also generated a military conflict, e.g. in Croatia, the restoration of Serbian-Croatian relations remains problematic. One of the challenges is passing a fair judgment on people responsible for war crimes or crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established for this reason in particular. Ante Gotovina – a Croatian general, was one of those indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in connection with the military operation “Oluja” during which some heinous acts of crime took place. Gotovina played a clear and primary role in this operation, and therefore his actions were the main count of the indictment, firstly, for the prosecution and then for the Trial Chamber of ICTY. However, the sentence of 24 years imprisonment was never carried out following a successful appeal. The Appeals Chamber did not uphold the verdict of the Trial Chamber owing to a serious legal error and, consequently, it acquitted Gotovina of all the charges. This issue became yet another source of Serbian-Croatian conflict in connection with the most important people held responsible for the crimes committed in 1991-1995.

West Africa military operations have different aims

Headline WEST AFRICA: Joint military operation

The UN Security Council and EU CSDP operations: exploring EU military operations from an outside perspective

This article examines European Union (EU) military operations from the perspective of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and UN collective security. The EU has supported UN peacekeeping missions through its own military operations within the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), based on the authorisation of these operations by the UN Security Council. However, the EU’s military operation on the Mediterranean Sea, Operation Sophia, was established in 2015 without such prior UN Security Council authorisation. Although the UN Security Council authorised the operation subsequently, it was received in a less positive light than previous operations and was criticised not only for the way in which it was established, but also for its performance. The article argues that this break with prior practice does not indicate a new direction being taken by the EU as it has retreated from this approach and established a new military operation in the Mediterranean (Operation Irini), again firmly in line with a mandate issued by the UN Security Council in 2020. The assessment of EU military operations can be complex as there might be other EU agencies involved in the process such as Frontex, and their role in future operations, in particular in the field of migration, should be monitored. Yet this internal complexity does not alter their evaluation under international law. As soon as EU military operations are conducted on the territory of a third State, the EU needs to secure either a UN Security Council authorisation or State consent. Looking at this process from the perspective of the UN Security Council sheds light on the complexity of EU military operations and their position within UN collective security.

The Battle of Tigranokerta, Lucullus, and Cataphracts

Rome’s campaign in Armenia in 69-67 BC is an exceptionally important chapter in military history, one which provides insights into the political arrangements, alliances, and strategies from both sides of the conflict. This article focuses on the culmination of this war, i.e. the battle of Tigranokerta, the comparison of armies, and the role of cavalry, in particular the cataphracts. In scholarly studies, the accounts of Sallust, Plutarch and some other sources on the encounter at Tigranokerta have become the starting point for numerous conclusions, often misleading, regarding the then military operation and the part played by the units of cataphracts. The evaluation of the source data leads to a re-assessment of the picture of the war in Armenia.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES TO BE USED IN COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

With the diversification of risks and threats in the multidimensional operational environment, in variable geometry conflicts, state-of-the-art technology must be used at all times in the architecture of command and control systems. This will ensure optimal response conditions both at the planning level and at the level of the execution of the military operation/action. Real-time communication, horizontally and vertically, between tactical level forces, operational and strategic level command and support structures, and with other institutions with security and defence responsibilities can only be ensured and protected by using advanced technologies. Not to be neglected at all is the training of the human resource for an efficient use of equipment as well as the algorithms and processes for making an efficient decision-making process, in line with technical, technological and artificial intelligence developments. Keywords: command and control; artificial intelligence; efficiency; technologies; 'Information Technologies.

The Effect of Wet Conditions and Surface Combat Swimming on Shooting

ABSTRACT Introduction Shooting ability is an important aspect of performance in some sports and is vital during a military operation. Load carriage, clothing, and equipment normally associated with fatigue and reduced field of vision or lack of stability at a specific point are important factors that affect the ability to aim when shooting. Additionally, gun support and equipment appear to differentially affect shooting ability with varying shooting positions. All of the studies examining these factors have taken place on dry land and not in water. However, up to date, no study has examined the effect of wet conditions, especially after surface combat swimming (sCS), on shooting ability in different shooting positions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of fatigue, produced by prolonged sCS, on a fighter’s shooting ability. In addition, we investigated whether the effect of fatigue and wet conditions differed between the shooting positions. Materials and Methods Forty-five participants performed 10 shots in a shooting simulator while standing (ST) and 10 shots while kneeling (KN). This was performed twice and in three conditions: dry, wet, and after 1,000 m of sCS. Results Wet conditions did not significantly affect shooting abilities. Surface combat swimming negatively affected shooting ability when both ST and KN. The reduction in the center of gravity (COG) of the shots after sCS was 3.7 ± 2.5% for ST and 3.5 ± 0.8% for KN (P < .01). This was accompanied by the increase in horizontal and vertical movement of the gun after the sCS (P < .01). Kneeling was more stable, as shown by a higher percentage of COG of the shots by 3.3 ± 0.1% (P < .01) and by fewer gun movements in both axes (P < .01). Conclusions In conclusion, combat swimming affects shooting ability, both in ST and in KN positions. The KN position provides better stability and improved shooting ability.