Combat Performance Research Articles

Modification in Psychophysiological Stress Parameters of Soldiers after an Integral Operative Training Prior to a Real Mission

(1) Background. Military personel could be defined as “Tactical Athletes”. However, experimental evidence about the effects of new HIIT trainings in comparison with traditional training schedules is lacking. The aim of this study was to experimentally analyze the modifications on psycho-physiological and performance response of soldiers after completing experimental integral operative training. (2) Methods. A total of 43 male subjects of a special unit force of the Spanish armed forces were randomly selected and assigned into the experimental and control groups assessed after training and after deploying in a real operation area. The experimental group underwent an integral operative pre-mission 6-week training (IOT), and the control group, the 6-week traditional training. (3) Results. HIIT-based integral operative training significantly improved combat performance (melee combat score) and the psychophysiological stress response, as measured by heart rate variability indexes. (4) Conclusion. This study provides experimental evidence supporting a new integral operative effective for improved autonomic regulation, reduced perceived stress, melee and close-quarter combat techniques, in addition to aerobic and anaerobic performance and lower body strength in comparison with the traditional training.

ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ПОКАЗНИКІВ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ДЛЯ ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ОПЕРАТИВНО-ТАКТИЧНИХ ВИМОГ ДО РОЗВІДУВАЛЬНО-УДАРНОГО КОМПЛЕКСУ РАКЕТНИХ ВІЙСЬК І АРТИЛЕРІЇ

Based on the results of scientific research, the authors consider a set of conditions and factors that determine the effectiveness of the reconnaissance and strike complex and identify a set of indicators in the interests of forming operational and tactical requirements for products that should be equipped with promising weapons and military equipment. One of the key tasks in the creation of these complexes is the task of substantiating the operational and tactical requirements (OTV) for armaments and military equipment, using a set of indicators of combat performance, which would most fully take into account (quantitatively and qualitatively) external and internal conditions and factors. , which determine the necessary parameters of the characteristics of the use of reconnaissance and strike systems. Analysis of existing approaches shows that the identified performance indicators, which would take into account all the essential patterns of use of reconnaissance and strike systems is quite a difficult task due to the complexity and variety of conditions and factors, processes that determine the effectiveness of complexes. According to the system approach, determining the effectiveness of the complex as an element of a group of troops (forces) can be done by sequentially building a hierarchical structure of indicators, partial actions of the components of the complex, its functioning and their mutual agreement on the purpose, place, sequence of forces and means involved. to perform tasks. The effectiveness of the application and the quality of functioning of the reconnaissance and strike complex of missile troops and artillery is mainly assessed by indicators that are numerical characteristics of its combat properties. They are a quantitative measure of the quality of functioning of the reconnaissance and strike complex. Its quality is determined by the external and internal characteristics of the properties. Keywords: indicator, reconnaissance and strike complex, operational and tactical requirements, missile troops and artillery.

Advancing the Practice of Contemporary Military Performance Psychology:A Full-Spectrum Approach to Psychological Health and Readiness.

The Department of Defense (DoD) continues to emphasize operational readiness, lethality, and optimal performance. Performance psychology is a critical aspect of and central dimension to human performance optimization in support of Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) and Total Force Fitness (TFF). The delivery of performance psychology services must continue to evolve to maximize its potential for enhancing combat performance and supporting psychological readiness in warfighters across all branches of service. The authors (1) provide a brief history of the evolution of military psychology; (2) explore how performance psychology complements and broadens approaches to support warfighter health and readiness; and (3) present a set of strategies to advance performance psychology services toward an aspirational model. Such strategies will more effectively promote best practices to better target operational performance, complement existing health and medical service delivery, and encompass a systems approach to sustainable training. Moreover, these strategies aim to increase return on investment of psychological readiness efforts for warfighters across all branches of service.

Application of Step Motor Servo Control Technology in Integrated Thermal Management of Advanced Fighter System

The integrated thermal management of advanced fighter jets directly affects the combat performance of the aircraft. This paper develops a set of multi-cycle integrated thermal management control system, based on the stepper motor drive servo valve. The stepper motor control system is integrated in the aircraft Remote Execution Unit (REU). The controlled information, such as flow, pressure, temperature, is collected and combined through the Remote Interface Unit (RIU). Through the IEEE-1394 bus, feedback achieves deterministic transmission between control-action-response, and through inverse time protection, the high reliable power drive can be achieved. The open-loop vector micro-stepping driving strategy of the stepper motor is designed, simplifying software and hardware designs. The experimental results show that the strategy developed in this paper can better realize the characteristics of two-phase current sine wave, have better acceleration performance, improve the controllability of the opening and closing angle of the stepping motor servo valve, and satisfy the comprehensive thermal management of advanced fighters.

The control of respiratory pressures and neuromuscular activation to increase force production in trained martial arts practitioners.

The mechanisms that explain the ability of trained martial arts practitioners to produce and resist greater forces than untrained individuals to aid combat performance are not fully understood. We investigated whether the greater ability of trained martial arts practitioners to produce and resist forces was associated with an enhanced control of respiratory pressures and neuromuscular activation of the respiratory, abdominal, and pelvic floor musculature. Nine trained martial arts practitioners and nine untrained controls were instrumented with skin-surface electromyography (EMG) on the sternocleidomastoid, rectus abdominis, and the group formed by the transverse abdominal and internal oblique muscles (EMGtra/io). A multipair oesophageal EMG electrode catheter measured gastric (Pg), transdiaphragmatic (Pdi), and oesophageal (Pe) pressures and EMG of the crural diaphragm (EMGdi). Participants performed Standing Isometric Unilateral Chest Press (1) and Standing Posture Control (2) tasks. The trained group produced higher forces normalised to body mass2/3 (0.033 ± 0.01 vs. 0.025 ± 0.007N/kg2/3 mean force in Task 1), lower Pe, and higher Pdiin both tasks. Additionally, they produced higher Pg (73 ± 42 vs. 49 ± 19 cmH2O mean Pg) and EMGtra/ioin Task 1 and higher EMGdiin Task 2. The onset of Pgwith respect to the onset of force production was earlier, and the relative contributions of Pg/Pe and Pdi/Pe were higher in the trained group in both tasks. Our findings demonstrate that trained martial arts practitioners utilised a greater contribution of abdominal and diaphragm musculature to chest wall recruitment and higher Pdi to produce and resist higher forces.

Underwater blast resistance of double cylindrical shells with circular tube stiffeners

Underwater explosion seriously affects the combat performance and vitality of submarines. In order to improve the blast resistance of stiffened double cylindrical shells, a new type of stiffened style that replaces the traditional T-shaped stiffeners with circular tube stiffeners, namely O-shaped stiffeners are studied. A series of comparative underwater explosion tests are carried out on two scaled stiffened double cylindrical shells with O and T-shaped stiffeners. Based on the tests, more detailed numerical simulations are made to explore the influence of the structure parameters on the shock performance of the whole structure. It is shown that the O-shaped stiffeners show more superior crushing performance than T-shaped ones when the large plastic deformation appears on the shells. As the plastic deformation of the T-shaped stiffeners is dominated by harmonic buckling while that of the O-shaped stiffeners is dominated by the flattening deformation of circular tubes, the latter can produce greater plastic deformation and absorb more shock energy to reduce the internal energy of pressure hull and thin hull. The shock response spectrums measuring at pressure hull can also be significantly attenuated at high frequency band. Therefore, the O-shaped stiffeners may be more effective sacrificial connected structures in the submarine.

A Core Difference! The Varying Hoplite Shield Designs and their Effects on Economic Value, Performance and Combat Effectiveness

Abstract Despite the vast research undertaken on hoplite warfare, surprisingly little is known about how hoplite shields were made, the very technology underpinning the transformative military reforms of hoplite warfare. The few forays that have explored the manufacturing process have been isolated and unintegrated studies leading to an often simplistic and superficial uniformity of production model which does not reflect the evidence. This article analyses the physical remains of extant hoplite shields and finds a plurality of different designs in concurrent use with core compositional differences that likely impacted combat performance and economic value with some designs performing better than others. Moreover, the use and availability of different shield designs of variable quality and economic value suggests a wider range of socioeconomic diversity in hoplite armies and among hoplites than is generally assumed.

Weapons equipment portfolios selection based on equipment system contribution rates

Equipment selection is an essential work in the research and development planning of equipment. The scientific and rational development of weapons equipment portfolios is of considerable significance to the optimization of equipment architecture design, the adequate resources allocation, and the joint combat performance. From the system view, this paper proposes a method of weapons equipment portfolios selection (WEPS) based on the contribution rate of weapon systems, providing a new idea for weapon equipment portfolio selection. Firstly, we analyze the WEPS problem and the concept of the contribution rate under the systems background. Secondly, we propose a combat network modeling method for weapon equipment systems based on the function chain. Thirdly, we propose a WEPS method based on the contribution rate, fully considering the correlation relationships between potential weapons and the old weapon systems by the combat network model, under the limitation of capability demands and budget resources, with the objective to maximally increasing the combat ability of weapon systems. Finally, we make a case study with a specific WEPS problem where the whole calculation processes and results are analyzed and exhibited to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method model.

Numerical Analysis of Kinetic Energy Projectile Sabot Structure Influencing the Armour Penetration Depth. Part I - Projectile Basic Option

A numerical analysis over influence of kinetic energy projectile sabot structure on the armour depth penetration is presented in the paper. The analysis has identified an influence of sabot different materials into projectile combat performance, and some areas of sabot structure where its shape can be optimised. The finite element method in Solidworks Simulation environment was used in analysis. Due to it the dynamical loads of the sabot at the time of firing could be investi-gated. The influence of sabot different materials and projectile geometry modifications on the strength of penetrator sabot joining was studied. A pattern of dynamical loads for the penetrator sabot joining was simulated and visualised. For selected options of the structure the calculations were performed over the terminal ballistics. It allowed an identification of potential development trends for this brand of ammunition.

The comparison of combat function priorities in future manned/unmanned infantry troops

This study was conducted to present the development plans for the future manned/unmanned infantry troops in order to respond to the changes in advanced science and technology along with the winds of the fourth industrial revolution an to prepare for future war changes. Above all, key elements by combat performance function of future mixed infantry troops could be identified and implications could be derived by comparing priorities by element using Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP). In particular, a survey of current military policy departments, educators, field personnel, and indirectly related officers whose group consists of 190 (rank range: from the first lieutenant to lieutenant colonel, age range: from 20 to 40) out of 250 regard of effectiveness was conducted to identify which areas should be developed first for each combat function (command control, information, maneuver, fire, protection, operation sustainability support). In the formation of a mixed infantry troop, command control was able to identify battlefield information, reinforce information on battlefield visibility, strengthen maneuvering forces, strike strategic targets, share enemy attack situations, and maintain operations.

Electromagnetic Compatibility Simulation Analysis of Helicopter Engine Irradiated by EMP

Due to the rapid development of battlefield complex electromagnetic environment research in recent years, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) environment has gradually stepped onto the stage of information war. To make low altitude flying electronic equipment engine plays its normal combat performance in the EMP radiation environment and ensure the integrity of electronic equipment, it is urgent to research in this field. In this paper, according to GJB-1389A and other standards, CST simulation software is used for simulation analysis. Through simulation, field strength and cable coupling with the airborne engine of an armed helicopter under EMP irradiation are predicted. The conclusions have a certain guiding significance of the further study of the protection against the complex electromagnetic environment of the engine.

A reassessment of the tank battle between 4th Armoured Brigade and Panzerregiment 5 during Operation Crusader in North Africa on 19 November 1941

Operation Crusader took place in the wide context of an integrated, multi-servicetheatre-level offensive operation in the Western Desert and the Mediterranean fromOctober 1941 through to January 1942. Seen through this lens, Operation Crusader wassimply the Army and the Royal Air Force component of a multi-service theatre-leveloffensive conducted by Allied forces. The operation ended with an almost completedefeat of the Axis troops, the lifting of the seven-month siege of Tobruk and the retreatof the surviving Axis forces to a position on the border of the colonial provinces ofTripolitania and Cyrenaica, in central Libya.Operation Crusader was the first army-level offensive undertaken by the Alliedforces in World War II, lasting from 17 November 1941 to 15 January 1942.355 Theaim of Operation Crusader was to trigger a large-scale tank battle with Axis tank forcesoutside the besieged desert port of Tobruk in Libya, to destroy the Axis armouredforces, and to pave the way to lift the siege of Tobruk, which had been conducted bythe Axis forces since April 1941. Operation Crusader was the first step in a set of threeoperations expected to lead to the clearing of the North African coast from Axis forcesand subsequently allow an invasion of Sicily in 1942. The battle was the largest tankoffensive conducted by Allied forces in either World War I or World War II until theSecond Battle of El Alamein in late October 1942. It was characterised by a number oftank battles between the Axis forces under the command of General der PanzertruppenErwin Rommel and Allied infantry and armoured forces under Lieutenant-General AlanCunningham and then Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie, who fought under the overalldirection of General Claude Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief Middle East. 356 357The conduct of the battle showed weaknesses in the doctrine of British armouredforces, but it ultimately ended in a victory for the Allied forces. This article analysesthe first clash of British and German tanks during Operation Crusader and provides anew perspective on the performance of an experienced British cruiser tank regiment,which calls into question the overall assessment of how British armour performedduring the battle. The re-assessment provided in this article is in particular related to theperformance of both sides in the battle and the performance of both sides against theirtactical objectives on the day, as well as the comparative losses in tanks. The article covers the first engagement of British 4th Armoured Brigade with Germanarmour during the opening stage of Operation Crusader between 17 and 20 Novemberin which it managed to thwart a German counterattack. Utilising primary documents,such as war diaries, messages and reports, this article provides a new perspective on theestablished view of the battle that also affects our view of the performance of Britisharmoured units at regimental level during this period of the Desert War. The articlepresents a reassessment of comparative tank combat performance in the early phaseof Operation Crusader by analysing the first engagement between Allied and Germanarmour with a view to correcting misconceptions that have until now clouded thehistorical record, such as the one expressed in General Auchinleck’s despatch on theperiod, “But our tanks and anti-tank guns were no match for the German, althoughthey were fought with great gallantry:”.358 It also considers hitherto unused primaryevidence to shed new light on the losses in tanks suffered by both sides during the battle,and considers how the opposing forces performed in the context of their operationalobjectives.

Study on the BVR Cooperative Air Combat Based on BP Neural Network

Aimed at muti-target assignment in the muti-fighters cooperative combat, the paper compares and evaluates several typical 3-g fighters’ air combat performance in the BVR combat using on the constructed BP neural network; based on which the assignment model of cooperative priority and how to calculate the cooperative priority. The simulation proves the validity of the model.

Real-time scheduling for carrier-borne aircraft support operations: a reinforcement learning approach

The carrier-borne aircraft dispatch rate is an important indicator to measure the combat performance of an aircraft carrier. The key factor affecting the carrier-borne aircraft dispatch rate is the efficiency of the carrier aircraft support operation scheduling. Shipboard aircraft support operation scheduling refers to a rational arrangement of the order of support operations required by the carrier aircraft as well as to an efficient completion of the support operations for the carrier-borne aircraft under constraints of limited time, space, and resources. The existing solution strategies based on optimization methods (dynamic programming, linear programming, etc.) and heuristic methods (genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, etc.) are only suitable for operation scheduling in the case of predictable operations, and it is challenging to meet the real-time support operation scheduling requirements in highly dynamic combat scenarios. For this reason, a new real-time scheduling method for carrier-borne aircraft support operations based on deep Q-networks (DQNs) is proposed. This method consists of modeling the scheduling problem of aircraft support operations as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) problem. The global and long-term benefits are used to optimize the scheduling process, and the decision-making framework of offline learning and online deployment is used to solve the scheduling problem of aircraft support operations. The simulation results demonstrate that this new method can significantly improve the efficiency of shipboard aircraft support operation scheduling, thus enabling to meet the needs of real-time decision-making environments.

A Deformation Measurement Algorithm Based on Adaptive Variable Parameter Multiple Model for Large Ships

Accurate measurement of ship deformation angle is of great significance for building a unified space attitude reference and improving the combat performance of the entire ship. However, many problems existing in the actual sailing process restrict its measurement accuracy severely, such as the time delay between measurement equipment, the unknown characteristics of measurement noise, and the unknown model parameters of the dynamic deformation. This article proposes an adaptive variable parameter multiple model (AVPMM) algorithm that can simultaneously solve these problems. First, a time delay compensation algorithm is derived to suppress the influence of time delay on measurement accuracy; then an adaptive cubature Kalman filter is designed based on the idea of adaptive filtering to suppress the influence of unknown characteristics of measurement noise; and finally, an AVPMM algorithm is designed by combining the above ideas to reduce the impact of unknown model parameters of dynamic deformation. The results of the simulation and turntable experiment show that this algorithm has good measurement accuracy and the error is less than $0.15^\prime$ .

Toward Strategic Cohesion: A Reply to King’s Criticism of the Call for a Broader View of Cohesion

In October 2018, Armed Forces & Society published a special issue that called for a theoretical and methodological broadening of the study of cohesion. In a response, King accuses me of ignoring his 2013 book The Combat Soldier, which he feels had already made this call redundant. This answer explains why this is not the case. The Combat Soldier ticks the three boxes of modern, Western, and state military that have dominated the study of cohesion. The resulting narrow vantage point affirms problematic assumptions of Western concepts as absolutes with universal validity with little room for other models of sociopolitical interaction. This becomes especially problematic when King defines cohesion as tactical-level combat performance, the be-all and end-all of what makes, and decides, war. The answer concludes with an appeal for truly interdisciplinary future studies of war that a broader understanding of cohesion, among other things, depends on.

The Tyranny of Distance: Assessing and Explaining the Apparent Decline in U.S. Military Performance

AbstractThere is a growing sense that US military effectiveness has been on the wane in recent years. Is this the case? If so, what are the reasons for the decay in American combat performance? We first examine the available systematic evidence for American military decline, showing that the United States has indeed experienced a drop in the quality of outcomes of its military contests. Observers have offered a number of explanations for declining American military success, most predominantly an increase in intrastate conflict after the Second World War. After showing that a decline in performance is observed even after fully excluding intrastate conflict, we propose an alternative explanation: the increasing distance from home at which the United States has been fighting. Distance is tyrannical: it saps military strength and increases the cost of contests, even as it reduces US expertise and motivations to prevail. We then show that the distance from home at which the United States fights is the best predictor of the outcome of the conflict. We conclude by noting some avenues for future research and policy implications as the world returns to great power competition.

Tank Behaviour Decision Based on Behaviour Tree and SA-QL

With the wide application of artificial intelligence technology in the military field, unmanned intelligent equipment will play an increasingly important role in the future equipment combat system, and autonomous decision-making ability will directly affect the combat performance of equipment. Therefore, the research on decision-making ability of unmanned intelligent equipment has important practical significance. This paper introduces the principle of behavior tree and SA-QL algorithm, proposes a modeling method of autonomous behavior decision based on behavior tree and SA-QL, and applies it to the construction of tank behavior decision model. By constructing the tank behavior tree model, the autonomous behavior decision is realized, and the tank model has the ability of continuous learning and evolution by using Q learning. Simulation results show that the built tank model can learn new decision instructions according to environmental changes and make behavioral decisions autonomously, which also proves the effectiveness of the proposed modeling method.

Physiological and psychological neck load imposed by ballistic helmets during simulated military activities

The wearing of ballistic helmets commonly coordinated with a night vision device (NVD) often imposes a load to the neck of a soldier. A lighter ballistic helmet promises comfort and enhanced combat performance, but technological developments have not provided a complete solution satisfying all the requirements, including cost. Moreover, the change in munition has led to increasing demand for the attachment of more accessories to the helmet, providing advanced functions but additional weight. Therefore, the current study quantified the neck muscle strain caused by the varying weight of a ballistic helmet, particularly during simulated infantry activities with moderate neck flexion and neck extension against a head-weight in the prone position. Eight healthy males participated on four separate days. On each day, different loads were placed on the head: 0 kg (no helmet, NH) to 2.07 kg (1.5 kg helmet with a 0.5 kg night vision device, HH&NVD). The results showed that prone shooting imposed substantial muscular strain on the splenius capitis (neck extensor), resulting in a 7–9% maximal voluntary contraction depending on the overall helmet loads. In addition, a gradual increase in the subjective neck load and pain in proportion to the overall weight of the helmet assembly was noted, and the heaviest loads caused severe complaints for muscular discomfort. This paper recommends strategies for designing and developing ballistic helmets as well as further methodological issues on evaluating neck muscle strain caused by the helmet weight.

A new Construction Method of Vehicle Digital Camouflage Spraying Model

Digital camouflage plays an important role in improving the combat performance of vehicles. The reconstruction of the spraying model of the automobile surface can improve the automation level of the digital camouflage painting operation. The surface digital camouflage spraying model construction method is a processing flow that incorporates a variety of technical methods, including surface point cloud data collection technology, point cloud synthesis and segmentation method, surface model reconstruction method and spray pattern fusion technology. Four linear laser sensors are used to scan the vehicle surface to obtain the local point cloud data of the vehicle. The vehicle CAD model and the painting pattern figures are analysed. And the region growing segmentation method is used to subdivide the scanned point cloud data. For the point cloud after partitioning, the point set of the digital camouflage pattern is directly searched by using the constructed discrete metric. Then each point cloud is merged with the 2D camouflage pattern to obtain the digital camouflage spraying model of the vehicle surface.