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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Weapons & equipment
Since 1961 the Adelphi Papers have provided some of the most informed accounts of international and strategic relations. Produced by the world renowned International Institute of Strategic Studies, each paper provides a short account of a subject of topical interest by a leading military figure, policymaker or academic.
Since 1961 the Adelphi Papers have provided some of the most informed accounts of international and strategic relations. Produced by the world renowned International Institute of Strategic Studies, each paper provides a short account of a subject of topical interest by a leading military figure, policymaker or academic.
Since 1961 the Adelphi Papers have provided some of the most informed accounts of international and strategic relations. Produced by the world renowned International Institute of Strategic Studies, each paper provides a short account of a subject of topical interest by a leading military figure, policymaker or academic.
From the dawn of the atomic age to today, nuclear weapons have been central to the internal dynamics of US alliances in Europe and Asia. But nuclear weapons cooperation in US alliances has varied significantly between allies and over time. This book explores the history of America's nuclear posture worldwide, delving into alliance structures and interaction during and since the end of the Cold War to uncover the underlying dynamics of nuclear weapons cooperation between the US and its allies. Combining in-depth empirical analysis with an accessible theoretical lens, the book reveals that US allies have wielded significant influence in shaping nuclear weapons cooperation with the US in ways that reflect their own, often idiosyncratic, objectives. Alliances are ecosystems of exchange rather than mere tools of external balancing, the book argues, and institutional perspectives can offer an unprecedented insight into how structured cooperation can promote policy convergence. -- .
The Supermarine Spitfire is probably the most famous fighter aircraft of all time. It is certainly one of the most successful fighters ever designed. As a fighter aircraft it reigned supreme and unsurpassed from the biplane era to the dawn of the jet age, a period that included the Second World War. In addition to its primary role as an interceptor fighter, the Spitfire also acquitted itself with flying colours in the ground attack, photo-reconnaissance, carrier-borne fighter and escort fighter roles. Through a continuous programme of modification and development it remained at the forefront of fighter design until superseded by the new generation of jet fighters after the war. "The Spitfire Story" is an attractive, picture-led account with a short but authoritative text supported by a comprehensive selection of 40 colour and 40 black and white photographs showing the Spitfire at all stages of its life. Peter R. March's narrative covers the background from its genesis, to first flight and flight testing; the Spitfire in the Battle of Britain; the Spitfire in combat during the Second World War; post-war service and retirement; and how the Spitfire lives on in the 21st century (with a listing of surviving Spitfires and where to see them).
In 1997, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) coordinated the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. As of mid-2005, 145 states had signed the agreement. The ICBL's efforts were in large part a response to the careless use of landmines in the previous fifty years. The history of mine use in warfare, however, goes back much further than the World Wars of the 20th century and includes both land and sea use. This first comprehensive study traces the technical, tactical, and ethical developments of mine warfare, from ancient times to the present. Beginning with mine warfare's roots in ancient Assyria and China, Youngblood takes the reader through the centuries of debate about how these hidden weapons should be used. A look at 19th-century developments explores the intertwined development of land and sea mines and the inventors behind them, including Robert Fulton, Samuel Colt, and Immanuel Nobel, father of Alfred Nobel. Subsequent chapters examine the use of mines in the American Civil War, the Russo-Japanese War, both World Wars, and the battlefields of the Cold War, and chart key battles and technical innovations, such as the development of air-delivered munitions. Finally, the author addresses the ethical concerns raised by the careless mining, namely the impact on civilians and the difficulties of de-mining, and the treaties that regulate landmine use.
On 9 May 1912 the first airplane take-off from a ship was made from the deck of the HMS Hibernia. In July 1918, seven Sopwith Camels launched from the converted battlecruiser HMS Furious damaged the German airbase at Tonder and destroyed two zeppelins. The age of the carrier was born. In the interwar years the Lexington, Akagi and Courageous-class carriers were developed, but it was only during World War II that the aircraft carrier finally came into its own. Fleet carriers carrying 30-40 aircraft allowed the Japanese and US navies to project air power across the vast Pacific Ocean, with the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor presaging a new kind of warfare. With the sinking of hundreds of ships during World War II, including the German battleship Bismarck in 1941, by the end of the war carriers ruled the waves and the era of the battleship had passed. Aircraft Carriers features 52 of the most significant flat tops and amphibious assault ships built since the 1920s until the present day, from the USS Yorktown, which survived direct hits during the battle of Midway (1942), through the Falklands War veteran HMS Invincible, to the mighty Nimitz class, the core of the US Navy's carrier battle groups today. Also included are significant amphibious assault ships, such as the USS Tarawa and French Mistral. Each entry includes a brief description of the ship's development and history, a colour profile view or cutaway, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, Aircraft Carriers is a colourful guide for the naval warfare enthusiast.
The US debate surrounding ballistic-missile defence is becoming increasingly polarized: advocates claim that these defences are essential to US security and should be deployed as soon as possible; critics argue that they upset strategic stability, encourage regional arms races, and therefore, will not work. What is lacking in the current debate is a quantitative analysis of how well defences would have to work to meet specific security objectives, and what level of defence might upset strategic stability. This paper argues that there is no immediate need to deploy US national missile defences because accidental or unauthorized Russian or Chinese attacks are unlikely, and because deterrence should mean that the risk of attack from emerging ballistic-missile states is acceptably low. National missile defence might be a useful insurance, but other defence needs are more pressing. However, if the US did deploy such a system, a modified Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty that allowed the US and Russia to deploy 100 interceptors at multiple sites around their territory should not pose a realistic threat to the retaliatory capabilities of four of the five declared nuclear powers.; This bo
Although the United States Air Force was founded upon strategic bombardment theory and advocacy, the service has traditionally had tremendous difficulty in obtaining the adequate funding for bombers that it requires to fulfill its mandate. For more than 45 years, senior Air Force leaders, both military and civilian, have struggled to convince decision-makers in the White House and in Congress that modern manned bomber forces were needed, acceptable, and affordable. In this study, Donnini produces one of the most exhaustive analyses ever undertaken of Congressional subcommittee decision-making in the funding of defense procurement initiatives. He concludes that no program achieved measurable success of deployment with the original force structure requested; and only two, the B-1B and B-2A, received approval to acquire lesser numbers of aircraft for operational use. Donnini found that an important part of each new bomber program appeared to be funding support through federal appropriations. If the right amounts were appropriated, the programs survived; if lesser amounts were given, chances for program failure were good; however, was funding support the deciding factor? This book used multiple case studies and the unorthodox methodology of applied content analysis of Congressional budget hearings to examine Air Force efforts to fund the most recent main bombers it sought (the B-70, B-1A, B-1B, and B-2A) and to determine measurements of success. The author's findings have implications concerning the way the United States handles procurement initiatives for major new weapon systems considered fundamental necessities for national defense.
Illustrated with detailed artworks of American, British, Canadian, Australian, French, Polish and other Western Allied nations tanks and their markings with exhaustive captions and specifications, World War II Tanks: Western Allies 1939-45: Identification Guide offers an highly-illustrated guide to the main armoured fighting vehicles used by the Western Allies during World War II. This compact volume includes sample unit structures and orders of battle from company up to corps level. Organised by division, the book offers a comprehensive survey of Western Allied armoured fighting vehicles by campaign, including the fall of Poland, the defence of the Low Countries and France, desert warfare in North Africa, the push through Italy, the Normandy landings, the Battle of the Bulge and the final defeat of Germany. All the major and many minor tanks are featured, with variations of the M4 Sherman, Churchill and Matilda, as well as mat-laying, engineering and mine-clearing versions. Lesser known models from the early years of the war, armoured cars, halftracks, trucks and amphibious vehicles make this a rounded compendium of Western Allied armoured fighting vehicles. Packed with more than 200 full-colour artworks and photographs with exhaustive specifications, World War II Tanks: Western Allies 1939-45 is a key reference guide for military modellers and World War II enthusiasts.
Whether in international military interventions or routine policing activities the use of force raises a host of questions about appropriateness, necessity and proportionality. Recently attention has focused on the possibility of so-called non-lethal weapons to provide greater legitimacy to the use of force by minimizing injury.
The human factors profession is currently attempting to take a more proactive role in the design of man-machine systems than has been character istic of its past. Realizing that human engineering contributions are needed well before the experimental evaluation of prototypes or operational systems, there is a concerted effort to develop tools that predict how humans will interact with proposed designs. This volume provides an over view of one category of such tools: mathematical models of human performance. It represents a collection of invited papers from a 1988 NATO Workshop. The Workshop was conceived and organized by NATO Research Study Group 9 (RSG.9) on "Modelling of Human Operator Behaviour in Weapon Systems." It represented the culmination of over five years of effort, and was attended by 139 persons from Europe, Canada, and the United States. RSG.9 was established in 1982 by Panel 8 of the Defence Research Group to accomplish the following objectives: * Determine the utility and state of the art of human performance modelling. * Encourage international research and the exchange of ideas. * Foster the practical application of modelling research. * Provide a bridge between the models and approaches adopted by engineers and behavioral scientists. * Present the findings in an international symposium."
From fear of sabotage in the London Underground to the first anthrax bomb and the massive outdoor tests, Brian Balmer tells the largely untold history of biological weapons research and policy in Britain. Drawing on recently declassified documents, this book charts the secret history of germ warfare policy from the 1930's to the mid-1960's. Britain and Biological Warfare explores the role of independent scientific advisors in shaping one of the most significant biological warfare research programs in history.
The proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is a major concern and the Middle East is at the forefront of US-lead efforts to counter and control their spread. This vital book examines why states seek to gain WMD, a crucial issue in developing strategies against proliferation. Leading experts examine specific countries and the interplay among political, economic, cultural and regional factors driving decisions whether to acquire WMD. The result is enhanced understanding of the challenge proliferation poses to US strategy and policy and the wider international community.
This thoroughly researched study highlights the international community's failure to regulate contemporary state research, development, marketing and/or deployment of riot control agents and incapacitating chemical agent weapons.
This book examines emerging defense technologies such as directed energy weapons, nanotech devices, and bioscience applications that have the potential to dominate international relations in the future, just as nuclear weapons and space infrastructure-assisted conventional weapons do now. Emerging Military Technologies: A Guide to the Issues examines the potential of the United States to bring new technologies to deployment in the service of America's security and defense. The work also discusses how other international actors may regard the United States' investment in these high-tech capabilities, identifying possible resultant counter actions, and presents several divergent viewpoints on what the future may bring. The book thoroughly explores three general categories of emerging technologies: autonomous computers, nanotechnology and biotechnology, and the interrelated topics of directed energy weapons and ubiquitous space access. Security studies expert Wilson W.S. Wong balances coverage of today's cutting-edge science and engineering with treatment of real-world concerns of effectiveness, military ethics, and international relations in the 21st century. An invaluable resource for members of the military and intelligence communities, this book also provides general readers with an accessible introduction to these highly technical topics.
Johnston argues that the preemptive first-use of nuclear weapons, long the foundation of American nuclear strategy, was not the carefully reasoned response to a growing Soviet conventional threat. Instead, it was part of a process of cultural 'socialization', by which the United States reconstituted the previously nationalist strategic cultures of the European allies into a seamless western community directed by Washington. Building a bridge between theory and practice, this book examines the usefulness of cultural theory in international history.
Recent nuclear tests in India and Pakistan make it clear that the US can no longer continue a policy of "benign neglect" toward India. This book engages the key issues for nonproliferation and foreign policy that affect Indo-American relations. It addresses under-explored areas such as missile control and space cooperation, chemical and biological weapons, and the use of sanctions versus incentives. This book goes beyond historical analysis to offer practical recommendations for policymakers in both countries. |
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