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RUSI Defence Systems
Concise briefings on strategic, conceptual and acquisition issues faced by the global defence community, designed for analysts and practitioners
March 2020, Vol: 22 No: 1
Avoiding the Reign of Artificial Stupidity
RUSI Defence Systems, 27 October 2020, No: 1Jack Watling
Artificial intelligence in war may be a good servant, but it is likely to prove a terrible master, for while the character of stupidity may evolve, its nature remains immutable
Tags: Martial Power Programme, Military Sciences
The Type 055: A Glimpse into the PLAN’s Developmental Trajectory
RUSI Defence Systems, 19 October 2020, No: 1Sidharth Kaushal
The Type 055 Renhai destroyer, which displaces 12,000 tonnes, represents a significant advance in People’s Liberation Army Navy blue-water surface combatant vessel capabilities, in terms of both size and complexity
Tags: Adversarial Studies, China, Military Sciences, Maritime Forces
The Key to Armenia’s Tank Losses: The Sensors, Not the Shooters
RUSI Defence Systems, 6 October 2020, No: 1Jack Watling
Amid a lively debate about the viability of the UK’s heavy armour, the loss of over 42 Armenian T-72s to Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh requires further analysis.
Tags: Land Operations, Military Sciences, Land Forces
A Return to Combat Mass? Modern LIFT/LCA Platforms to Complement the Fighter Fleet
RUSI Defence Systems, 9 September 2020, No: 1Edward Hunt
The acquisition of combat-capable lead-in fighter trainer/light combat aircraft types to complement traditional fast jet types across less demanding mission sets offers a potential route towards regenerating practical combat mass for medium-sized air forces.
Tags: Aerospace
The Missing Link in Britain’s Forces
RUSI Defence Systems, 25 August 2020, No: 1Jack Watling
If the British Army is to achieve the digital integration that underpins its Information Manoeuvre concept then its recce platforms need Link-16
Tags: Land Operations, Military Sciences, Land Forces
Where’s the Anti-Tank Reserve?
RUSI Defence Systems, 7 July 2020, No: 1Jack Watling
The British Army needs a mobile anti-tank reserve capability in order to credibly stop opposing heavy armour during a peer conflict. Without it, outnumbered UK armour will be held at bay while infantry are overwhelmed
Tags: Martial Power Programme, Military Sciences, Land Forces
Recapitalisation of the US Coast Guard: New Ships for the White, Red and Black Hull Fleets
RUSI Defence Systems, 30 June 2020, No: 1Edward Lundquist
The US Coast Guard is in the midst of a major fleet reset, with new and more capable platforms to replace an aging fleet of patrol ships, inland tenders and icebreakers.
Tags: United States, Domestic Security, Maritime Forces
Spare Me Your Cyber-Age Technobabble
RUSI Defence Systems, 5 June 2020, No: 1Jack Watling
If Defence is to appropriately weight cyber operations then there are some dangerous myths about the practicalities of cyber warfare that need to be confronted.
Tags: Cyber, Military Sciences, UK, Technology, UK Defence, Europe
A Case for Replacing the RAF’s Sentinel R.1 Fleet with Additional P-8A Poseidon Aircraft
RUSI Defence Systems, 13 May 2020, No: 1Justin Bronk
The Sentinel R.1 Airborne Standoff Radar aircraft are superb and relatively efficient aircraft which provide critical airborne intelligence gathering services for joint commanders around the world. However, as a small and bespoke fleet they are expensive and vulnerable to cuts. A highly classified US Navy radar pod for the P-8 Poseidon could give the RAF a more efficient solution.
Tags: UK Integrated Review 2020, Equipment and Acquisitions
Defence Data Realities
RUSI Defence Systems, 29 April 2020, No: 1Roland McTeague
There is more to successful data exploitation than buying tools and expertise. It requires hard thinking and basic management. An analytics specialist offers some guidelines for data analytics success in Defence
Tags: Information
The Far-Right Radicalisation Pipeline and State War-Fighting Capacity
RUSI Defence Systems, 16 April 2020, No: 1Jackson Oliver Webster
Online radicalisation is a key feature of contemporary far-right movements, and is not only a worrying domestic security concern for increasing numbers of Western countries, but points to deeper Defence vulnerabilities in future state-on-state crises.
Tags: Tackling Extremism, Information
The US Marine Corps is Fixing Itself to Confronting China
RUSI Defence Systems, 2 April 2020, No: 1Sidharth Kaushal and Jack Watling
The US Marine Corps is reorganizing itself to confront China. Ensuring that it can hold ground and sustain its deployments without diverting naval resources will be a major challenge. Meanwhile US allies in other theatres must adjust to the USMC’s shift in focus
Tags: Martial Power Programme, Military Sciences, United States
Catch Me If You Can: The Challenges of Orbital Rendezvous and Proximity Operations
RUSI Defence Systems, 31 March 2020, No: 1Alexandra Stickings
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations in space add a layer of complexity to an already confused conversation concerning weapons in orbit. Consensus regarding their use and potential threat is needed to prevent miscalculations and unwanted escalation of tensions
Tags: Aerospace, Martial Power Programme, Military Sciences
The British Army Must Extend the Range of its Precision Strike Capability
RUSI Defence Systems, 27 March 2020, No: 1Jack Senogles
Whilst an effective capability in Afghanistan, the EXACTOR missile is not able to meet the British Army’s emerging precision guided munitions requirements in an Eastern European context
Tags: UK, Land Forces
German Decision to Split Tornado Replacement is a Poor One
RUSI Defence Systems, 26 March 2020, No: 1Justin Bronk
If the reported intention to replace Germany’s ageing Tornado fleet with a mix of up to 90 Eurofighters, 30 Super Hornets and 15 Growlers is correct, the Luftwaffe will be getting the worst of all previously mooted outcomes
Tags: Air Power and Technology, Military Sciences, GermanyPages
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