RUSI Defence Systems

contention@rusi.org - The Debate: Legality of Nuclear Deterrence

With contributions from Steven Haines and Robert Green.

Delivering The Win/Win Situation: An Industrial Perspective

Ian King is the Managing Director of Customer Solutions and Support at BAE Systems. In this article, he describes how a partnership between the UK’s Defence Logistics Organisation and BAE Systems is improving aircraft support and upgrades, while reducing costs.

The Korean Air Force: Strategy for the 21st Century

Myeong Chin Cho is Director of East Asian Division in ADIA Consultancy GmbH, Berlin, Germany and is the author of Balance of Air Power in East Asia, Restructuring of Korea’s Defence Aerospace Industry, and EU’s Enlargement and Its Impact on Defence Industries.

Delivering Adaptability In Air Systems

Jock Stirrup is UK’s Chief of the Air Staff and has been selected to be the next Chief of the Defence Staff. In this article he proposes a two-level design process for the procurement of new equipment to achieve the adaptability that is needed, not only to respond rapidly to new challenges, but also to take advantage of innovative technologies.

Urban Operations: A Land Environment Perspective

Rob Weighill was Assistant Director Land Warfare Concepts in the Directorate of Land Warfare in UK MoD until December 2005. Here he examines the capability needed to conduct operations successfully, and the equipment required to do so.

contention@rusi.org - Decline and Fall of Defence Research

This section is aimed at stimulating debate on a subject of wide interest. This time, we examine the inexorable rise of defence equipment costs in real terms, which will inevitably make our equipment programme clearly unaffordable in the near future.

From Traditional Peacekeeping to Stabilisation and Reconstruction Operations

Juhani Kaskeala is Finland’s Chief of Defence. Here he describes the changes in the operations that Finnish armed forces have undertaken since the end of the Cold War, their specialities and the lessons learned from deployments in the Balkans and Afghanistan.

Editorial Notes

The UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published just before Christmas, is rather more substantial than many had anticipated. Two major themes emerge. One is the plans for extensive partnering with industry, particularly in support and upgrade of in-service equipment. The second major theme is the retention of necessary skills in the onshore defence industry.

Building Upon Innovation in the United States Air Force

Mark Lewis is Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force. He describes how the USAF continues to seek innovation in the procurement of new systems, despite the temptations to mortgage the future by focusing on immediate needs in the face of budget realities.

MoD and Industry: Changing the Mind-set

Jeremy Blackham was UK President of EADS until late in 2005. Previously he had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy and the MoD, where his final post was as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Equipment Capability) in the rank of Vice Admiral. In this article, he makes use of his substantial service on both sides of the MoD-industry divide to point out the problems that face each, and explores...

Managing Complexity: A Team Sport

Joseph Yakovac examines the complexity of acquisition today, when major defence systems are no longer ‘stovepipe’ equipments, but an integral part of the much wider system of systems of the future battlespace.

Exploiting Unmanned Systems

Dewar Donnithorne-Tait looks at the technical, regulatory, operational and business challenges in developing unmanned systems, and outlines an agenda for progress.

contention@rusi.org - The Debate: Spears and Ploughshares

J-UCAS: Inventing a Weapon System for the Information Age

Michael Francis and Michael Hirschberg look at the progress and promise of the world’s most advanced unmanned aircraft that is expected to transform the battlespace of the 21st century.

EDITORIAL NOTES

In this issue...