Defense Architecture Research Articles

Implementation of Regional Regulation No 11 of 2016 Concerning the Development Master plan Regional Tourism: A Proposal for Improvement from a Sustainability Perspective

Fort Otanaha has a rich historical value. Built in the 16th century by the Kingdom of Gorontalo, the fort is one of the glorious examples of ancient defence architecture. Known as a symbol of the strength and courage of the Gorontalo people against the invaders, the fort has a strong symbolic value for the local community and is an integral part of cultural identity. This research aims to find out and describe the implementation and determinants of the implementation of regional regulation number 11 of 2016 concerning regional tourism development master plan at Otanaha fort tourist attraction Gorontalo City. This research was conducted in Otanaha Fort tourist attraction and Gorontalo City Government environment. The research was conducted in May - October 2024. The research approach used is a qualitative method with descriptive research methods and research procedures carried out by observation and interviews with informants. The data analysis technique was carried out through three stages starting from data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results showed that the implementation of Regional Regulation Number 11 of 2016 concerning Regional Tourism Development Master Plan in Fort Otanaha tourist attraction in Gorontalo City aims to develop a sustainable tourism sector and increase local economic potential. This policy covers various aspects, from infrastructure development, cultural heritage preservation, to tourism promotion. Despite experiencing challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, strategic measures such as improving accessibility and cooperation between various related agencies are expected to maximise the tourism potential of Fort Otanaha as a leading destination. At the planning stage, various tourism development strategies and programmes were prepared to increase tourist attractiveness. Furthermore, in the implementation, various initiatives are carried out, such as infrastructure development and human resource training. Monitoring and evaluation were conducted to ensure conformity between plan and realisation, as well as to identify any obstacles that arose. Despite the challenges, collaborative efforts between relevant agencies contribute to sustainable tourism development. The successful implementation of Regional Regulation No. 11/2016 at Fort Otanaha is influenced by several factors, namely the standard factor and policy objectives are good because they provide clear direction in implementation.

Hierarchically structured composite with 3D interlocking architecture for multi-band defense

The development of high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMWA) materials for radar stealth applications poses a persistent challenge, particularly when addressing the demanding requirements of diverse frequency bands in increasingly complex and dynamic environments. Precisely tailoring the microstructure of these materials presents a powerful strategy for achieving multifunctional integration and unlocking new possibilities for practical applications. In this work, we present a novel hierarchically structured composite foam with 3D interlocking architecture, fabricated through a straightforward foaming and calcination process. It features a unique dual three-dimensional continuous phase structure that facilitates the formation of an efficient conductive network, promoting free electron mobility and enhancing polarization loss. The composite demonstrates exceptional EMWA performance, exhibiting a wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.1 GHz and a remarkable absorption intensity of -63.2 dB along with RCS reduction value up to 28.7 dB m2. Furthermore, the composite illustrated strong infrared stealth properties and efficient photothermal conversion abilities. When heated to 56°C, its surface temperature only increased by 4°C in 10 minutes. Under direct sunlight, its surface temperature rose from 21°C to 71°C in just 6 minutes. Lightweight, flexible, and adaptable to diverse environmental conditions, the HCC composite holds significant promise as a multi-spectrum defense material. Its versatility makes it an ideal candidate for integration into a wide range of equipment, clothing, and wearable technologies, offering advanced capabilities for radar, infrared, and visible light signature reduction.

Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure: Defending Against Nation-State Groups

Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure can be disastrous and undermine states' national security. Different groups execute these attacks for varying reasons; some may be state-sponsored, and their attack for geopolitical reasons or to achieve strategic national cyber objectives. Regardless of the nation-state actor, it is essential to identify the techniques used and defend critical infrastructure against these attacks. This study evaluated the attack methodology of five nation-state actors based on the MITRE ATT&CK ICS matrix and proposed a multi-layered defense architecture. A virtual organization with critical and enterprise infrastructure domains was created, and the proposed defense architecture and tooling were implemented there. Then, techniques of the nation-state adversaries were emulated against the infrastructure to evaluate the performance of the defense strategies. The results show that the multi-layered approach was sufficient to mitigate all the techniques of the nation-state actors.

ML Approaches for the Study of Significant Heritage Contexts: An Application on Coastal Landscapes in Sardinia

Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Science (GIS) techniques are powerful tools for spatial data collection, analysis, management, and digitization within cultural heritage frameworks. Despite their capabilities, challenges remain in automating data semantic classification for conservation purposes. To address this, leveraging airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds, complex spatial analyses, and automated data structuring is crucial for supporting heritage preservation and knowledge processes. In this context, the present contribution investigates the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for automating existing LiDAR data structuring, focusing on the case study of Sardinia coastlines. Moreover, the study preliminary addresses automation challenges in the perspective of historical defensive landscapes mapping. Since historical defensive architectures and landscapes are characterized by several challenging complexities—including their association with dark periods in recent history and chronological stratification—their digitization and preservation are highly multidisciplinary issues. This research aims to improve data structuring automation in these large heritage contexts with a multiscale approach by applying Machine Learning (ML) techniques to low-scale 3D Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point clouds. The study thus develops a predictive Deep Learning Model (DLM) for the semantic segmentation of sparse point clouds (<10 pts/m2), adaptable to large landscape heritage contexts and heterogeneous data scales. Additionally, a preliminary investigation into object-detection methods has been conducted to map specific fortification artifacts efficiently.

Architecture Design Space Generation via Decision Pattern-Guided Department of Defense Architecture Framework Modeling

The importance of architecture design keeps increasing as the complexity of systems and system-of-systems (SoSs) continues rising. While the architecture frameworks such as the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) are commonly used to guide architecture design, many perspectives are still hindering their effective use. Instead of generating a set of architecture description models probably only for satisfying the milestone review, the architecture frameworks should be used to organize the vague or incomplete information, identify and formulate the decision-making problem, and guide the architecture decision-making. Unfortunately, the decision points are hidden in the architecture models and the ambiguity often leads to a confusion of whether the architecture models are built incorrectly due to the lack of modeling experience or the lack of adequate decision analysis. Therefore, this paper identifies the key decision points and decision types during the architecture model development based on the DoDAF. Plus, this paper proposes a set of decision patterns and a guide to their use to provide qualitative decision analysis for developing architecture models and generating alternatives. An illustrative example to anti-submarine SoSs demonstrates the process of applying the decision patterns to the DoDAF model’s development and the generated architecture alternatives.

Cartographies of warfare in the Indian subcontinent: Contextualizing archaeological and historical analysis through big data approaches

Some of the most notable human behavioral palimpsests result from warfare and its durable traces in the form of defensive architecture and strategic infrastructure. For premodern periods, this architecture is often understudied at the large scale, resulting in a lack of appreciation for the enormity of the costs and impacts of military spending over the course of human history. In this article, we compare the information gleaned from the study of the fortified cities of the Early Historic period of the Indian subcontinent (c. 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE) with the precolonial medieval era (9-17th centuries CE). Utilizing in-depth archaeological and historical studies along with local sightings and citizen-science blogs to create a comprehensive data set and map series in a “big-data” approach that makes use of heterogeneous data sets and presence-absence criteria, we discuss how the architecture of warfare shifted from an emphasis on urban defense in the Early Historic period to an emphasis on territorial offense and defense in the medieval period. Many medieval fortifications are known from only local reports and have minimal identifying information but can still be studied in the aggregate using a least-shared denominator approach to quantification and mapping.

Design of 0-day Vulnerability Monitoring and Defense Architecture based on Artificial Intelligence Technology

Design of 0-day Vulnerability Monitoring and Defense Architecture based on Artificial Intelligence Technology

The Current Status and Challenges of Cybersecurity Risks

<i>Research Context and Aims</i>: The swift expansion of internet technologies has rendered the digital network essential to contemporary life, highlighting the significance of cybersecurity. Network data not only encompasses personal information management and communication but also pertains to the protection of confidential corporate, governmental, and vital national infrastructures. Consequently, cybersecurity has become a critical issue in current society. Frequent occurrences like privacy violations, data thefts, and national security threats underline the critical need for enhanced network defenses and protective measures. <i>Research Approach</i>: This study examines the state of cybersecurity by assessing pertinent studies across public databases such as PubMed, CNKI, and CrossRef. It compiles and evaluates significant cybersecurity events including data breaches, malware attacks, and phishing, outlining key security challenges faced by networks. The paper also evaluates the current cybersecurity technologies and methods, pinpointing their effectiveness and limitations in addressing network threats. <i>Research Findings</i>: The findings reveal that cyber attackers have refined their methods, employing sophisticated, covert techniques for prolonged periods, which often outpace current defenses. In cases of data breaches, perpetrators frequently utilize precise social engineering or deploy advanced persistent threats (APTs). Additionally, the proliferation of IoT technology has not only obscured the boundaries of cybersecurity but also broadened potential attack vectors. Despite the implementation of security measures like encryption and multi-factor authentication, these can be compromised by managerial or operational oversights. <i>Research Conclusions</i>: With the cybersecurity landscape becoming increasingly challenging, future defenses will likely prioritize the adoption of integrated, proactive strategies. It is crucial to foster the development of smart security solutions, such as leveraging artificial intelligence to detect and respond to anomalies. Furthermore, boosting security awareness among users and ensuring standardized practices are imperative. Ultimately, formulating future cybersecurity policies will require a holistic approach, integrating technological, managerial, legal, and educational initiatives to forge a robust network defense architecture.

FORTIFICATION LINE OF THE GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA: A NEW STAGE OF DEFENSE ARCHITECTURE OF THE EASTERN EUROPE SPACE

The theme of the history of medieval defensive architecture in the Northern Black Sea region becomes extremely relevant in the realities of the modern history of Ukraine, when the Russian invaders try to capture the southern lands of Ukraine and defend the idea of belonging of these territories to Russia with pseudo-historical concepts of «Russian peace». The results of the historical and archaeological study of the South of Ukraine, especially in recent decades, demonstrate other circumstances of the development of the South. They make it possible to highlight the main trends of the evolution of the region in direct continuity with the previous history of Russia in new historical circumstances. This is the time when the Kyiv principality became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhemaitia, the borders of which reach the Black Sea coast in the late 14th — early 15th century. Here the turbulent activity of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas unfolds in the construction of fortresses, customs houses, the arrangement of crossings and port facilities. The defensive architecture of the Southern region of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhemaitia takes place during the formation of a new map of Eastern Europe, with the presence of Lithuania, the formation of early Ukraine on the heritage of Russia, the formation of the Crimean Tatar people and its statehood, the active activity of the Principality of Moldavia in connection with the presence and influences of Genoa, contacts with Poland, influence of Ottoman Empire and other states of that time. It was the time of construction of the castle fortification, which belonged to the first stage of adaptation of military affairs to the artillery of the contemporary world, which covers the time of the 14th— 16th centuries. The comparative castellology gave the possibilities to study some regularity in the typological model of fortresses. This method was used in the course of study of fortresses of Vitovt’s fortification line, such as Tiagin fortress. It allows establishing the common features of the planning structure of the fortification architecture of the Northern Black Sea region — a new stage of evolution, which was characterized by stone castle architecture. In turn, they met the needs of the stage of development of artillery at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Medieval Europe, in which the influences of various cultures of the East and the West intersect, new defense opportunities and prospects are developing.

Circular settlements of the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia from the Neolithic to the early iron age

Circular in plan fortified settlements, or ring settlements, were an ideal type of lowland fortifications. One of their prototypes is unfortified settlements with a closed layout of dwellings in a circle and an oval. In the north of Eurasia, ring fortifications emerged in the Neolithic (6th–4th millennia BC), in the fisher-hunter-gatherers’ communities in the taiga area of the Ob’ River Basin and the mountain-forest Trans-Urals, during the mass settlement of these territories in the context of global warming. In the Bronze Age (late 3rd – early 1st millennium BC), such fortified settlements, as well as promontory and riverside fortified settlements, disappeared in the taiga giving way to large earth-timber fortified dwellings. At the beginning of the Bronze Age, during the next xerotherm, in the steppes of the Trans-Urals, pastoralists who migrated from South-Eastern Europe erected circular fortresses (the Sintashta culture of the 21st–18th centuries BC). Probably, the construction of circular in plan unfortified settlements of the Tashkovo culture in the forests of the Lower Tobol region in the 21st/20th – 16th centuries BC was influenced by the steppe defensive architecture. The earliest taiga fortified settlements were developing independently of the forest-steppe and steppe settlements. The former and the latter alike were economic, industrial, social and, possibly, cult centres of communities. A new mass distribution of ring settlements in the forest-steppe area of the Tobol-Irtysh region, and later in the taiga area of the Surgut and Lower Ob’ River region, took place at the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (8th/7th centuries BC – 3rd/4th centuries AD). In the 6th/5th centuries BC – 3rd/4th centuries AD, the defensive systems of some West Siberian fortifications were supplemented with bastion-tower elements borrowed from the Saka people of the Aral Sea region.

On the nature of the early Medieval fortified settlements in the Trans-Urals

In this article we discuss the characteristics of the medieval fortifications of the forest-steppe population from the Tobol-Ishim interfluve region (Trans-Urals). We aim at determining the functions of fortified settlements of the 4th–9th c. AD Bakal Culture. The primary objective is to identify the main features of the defensive architecture, defence and storm of settlements based on archaeological material. Fortresses-hillforts predominated over other types of sites in the Bakal Culture. Only their residential areas have been studied extensively, and the fortification lines have been discovered in trenches due to the high complexity of their study. We have eight objects that have been identified, and the series have been selected for the first preliminary conclusions. Methods for determining the protection levels of fortifications in the light of expert assessment of the state of military science in the early Medieval period (4th–9th c. AD) have been proposed. They have been used taking into consideration the following features: height of the floodplain, height of the rampart, depth of the ditch, presence of ledges, towns and bas-tions, the ratio of the sizes of citadel and outer territory. Hillforts differ in the sum of points in average by three times. The indicators vary as follows: the height of the floodplain from 10 to 54 m, the height of the rampart from 1.5 to 4 m, the width of the rampart from 2 to 7 m, the depth of the ditch from 0.5 to 3 m, the ratio of the citadel to outer territory sizes from 1:1 to 1:9. These figures demonstrate the different functions of the fortifications, sugges-ting that some of the sites were border forts (Ust-Utyak-1 and Lastochkino Gnezdo-1), some were economic and political centres (Ust-Tersyukskoye), and others were shelters for smaller settlements (Kolovskoye, Krasnogor-skoye, Papskoye, Staro-Lybaevskoye, Bolshoye Bakalskoye). Improper carrying out of excavations at some of the sites may be the result of unfinished construction work.

Data on the dynamics of the fortification construction of the Baitovo culture in the context of the traditions of defensive architecture among the population of the early iron age of the forest-steppe Trans-Ural

The article analyses remains of the Baitovo Culture fortifications in the focus of archaeological research. These remains are dated back to the early Iron Agee and situated in the Transural forest-steppes. Previously determined stages of the culture development (early to late 7th – 6th century BC and late 5th – 3rd century BC) are relied on to analyse and restore the walls that used to fringe the settlements. The study reviews the shapes, depth and water levels in the moats at Maray5, Likhachevskoe and Borovushka2 hillforts. The research suggests that the settlements used to be fortified with a stakewall at the bottom of the moat. Likhachevskoe hillfort had its gate towers restored. The researched Baitovskoe, Staro-LybaevoII and Bochanetskoe hillforts allow to conclude that even later on the early Iron Age settlements preserved the tradition of erecting compact stakewalls or wattles at the bottom of moats. However, this as when the Baitovo culture people started to erect fortifications with deeper moats and higher walls (Bolshoy Imbiryay3, Maray1 hillforts). This is evident of increasingly more substantial defence of the settlements. The studied Sargat and Gorokhovo culture fortifications peaked in 3rd – 2nd century BC. The comparison reveals that on one hand people kept opting for simple stakewall structures or wattlers to fortify their settlements, but they tended to change the properties and made their moats and walls more substantial. On the other, they reinforced fortifications through gate towers, wooden supports for moat walls, log frameworks and cages on the walls. Such structures are typical for fortresses that bore the function of social and economic centers. It is concluded that the defense works the Baitovo people erected illustrate the early defensive architecture of the early Iron Age Transurals.

Immunity-Empowered Collaboration Security Protection for Mega Smart Cities

The cyberphysical systems of smart cities are facing increasingly severe attack situations, and traditional separate protection methods are difficult to effectively respond to. It is urgent to coordinate public safety and cybersecurity protection. However, the integration of the two faces many challenges and is a very promising research field. The aim of this study is to investigate technical approaches for the synergy between public safety and cybersecurity. This paper proposes a smart city safety protection model inspired by the human immune mechanism. It was found that through a three-line defense architecture similar to the human immune mechanism, and with the help of certain algorithms and functional middleware modules, public safety and cybersecurity protection components can be dynamically combined to achieve collaboration. This work has verified through experiments a valuable path to effectively resist complicated attack threats intertwined with public safety and cybersecurity factors.

A comparative approach to GIS modelling of terrestrial mobility in archaeological sites. The iron age hillfort of Villasviejas del Tamuja as a study case

The archaeological analysis of Historical mobility is an increasingly studied topic thanks to new geographic information technologies. This paper proposes a modelling exercise of the spatial behaviour of a Second Iron Age community in the Middle Tagus Valley: the hillfort of Villasviejas del Tamuja (Botija, Cáceres). Based on our knowledge of the configuration of the site and the surrounding settlements, we propose a heuristic use of a series of GIS tools to understand how the spatial relationship between both elements was structured. More specifically, we compare the results obtained with different calculation methods that combine two essential variables to address this issue: mobility and visibility relations. On the one hand, we evaluate the results with the application of an already developed methodology: the MADO analysis. On the other hand, we present a complementary procedure for the calculation of Least Cost Paths (LCP), considering the visibility as a key element in the mobility. The methodology uses the same data, in a paradigmatic case study for comparing results. The differences obtained through the use of different tools are thus evaluated in order to weigh up the additional or complementary knowledge that they can provide us with to investigate archaeological research questions such as the defensive architecture of the hillfort or the distribution of other nearby settlements.

Summary of research on mimic defense architecture design methods

Summary of research on mimic defense architecture design methods

Fortified horizontal residential enclaves and the new urban segregation in cities in the interior of the state of São Paulo

The brazilian urbanization was marked by the center-periphery cleavage; however, changed from end the 20th century XX due to the spread of gated communities. These are closed spaces for housing, work, leisure, consumption and business, which are characterized by a defensive architecture, are walled and turned inwards, with sophisticated security systems that separate two social universes: the internal, restricted to the richest, and the external, associated with the violence and the poor population. This paper analyzes the gated communities in countryside cities of São Paulo, addressing the reasons that led to their diffusion – from the effects of the fear narrative to the dynamics of the real estate market – and their harmful urban and social consequences. The gated communities contradict the ideals of modern urban life, marked by diversity, anonymous encounters and the appreciation of public space as a sphere of exercise of citizenship rights. The analysis demonstrates that in the selected cities (Ribeirão Preto, Jundiaí and Bauru) the spread of closed urbanizations for residential use increased socio-spatial segregation, delimiting fragmented territories that obstruct free movement and increase social inequalities, in open contradiction with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda (New Urban Agenda) of the United Nations (UN).

Regional Missile Defense Architecture of the US and Their Partners In the Western Pacifi Security

China has the largest arsenal of missiles with a range of less than 5,500 km. In 2019, the US withdrew from the INF Treaty and decided to deploy the same kind of missiles in East Asia. At the same time Washington plans to strengthen the theater missile defense architecture in the region. The purpose of the article is to determine the potential impact of missile defense strengthening by the US and their partners in East Asia on regional security. It is necessary to understand the prospects of the situation, given the presence of several hotbeds of potential conflict in the Western Pacific. A critical analysis of the expected actions of China and the US in the region, the role of regional missile defense systems in those scenarios, and both sides’ doctrines of non-nuclear missile use is provided. In certain situations, an enhanced theater missile defense could help the US and their partners to strengthen regional deterrence, but not in all situations. The analysis of both sides’ doctrinal provisions help to understand how strengthening the regional missile defense by the US and their partners can destabilize the situation. It is concluded that theater missile defense, unlike arms control measures, is not a reliable tool for ensuring regional stability.

Game Analysis and Optimization for Evolutionary Dynamic Heterogeneous Redundancy

Dynamic Heterogeneous Redundancy (DHR) has been considered as a proactive defense architecture against unknown vulnerabilities and backdoors. It is a heterogeneous, fault-tolerant, and redundant system, which ensures the security by constantly switching heterogeneous executors. However, a limited number of heterogeneous executors can be merely switched and combined statically. It is difficult to cope with persistent threats. In this paper, we propose an evolutionary DHR system, add evolutionary sub-strategies of executors to solve this problem, optimizing defense mechanisms of DHR. To demonstrate theoretical validity, a game-theoretic analysis of the DHR security mechanism is performed under dynamic incomplete information, and the dilemma of defense is discussed. We construct a DHR game model based on evolutionary, and the results are extended to the general case to analyze the Bayesian equilibrium when each service strategy has a different number of evolved sub-strategies. In addition, the correlation factor is added to the game to investigate the impact of the correlation between different heterogeneous executors on defense results. Finally, Gambit and NS2 simulation experiments for the proposed method are shown. To verify the applicability of the physical system, a prototype DHR system based on dynamic evolution was constructed. We collect key configuration information and modified them randomly. It ensures that the information scanned by the attacker is different each time. Finally, the effectiveness of the physical system is verified by nmap and metasploit tools.

Earthen Architecture and Craft Practices of Early Iron Age Ramparts: Geoarchaeological Analysis of Villares de la Encarnación, South-Eastern Iberia

Abstract The use of mudbricks in Early Iron Age ramparts is an uneven feature of defensive architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. The use of mudbricks as a building material has been linked to the arrival of Levantine building traditions with the Phoenicians, and its appearance among local societies varies between the eighth and sixth centuries BC according to the public or domestic nature of the structures. In this article, we present the geoarchaeological analyses of the mudbricks used in constructing one of the defensive towers or bastions at Villares de la Encarnación (Caravaca de la Cruz, Spain). This site, endowed with two complex fortification lines and towers, is one of the main settlements for understanding the development of the Early Iron Age among the inland and mountain communities of the region. The analytical program includes wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence, CHN elemental analysis, and thin-section petrography and provides new data about soil procurement and manufacturing choices. These results highlight the technical and social complexity behind mudbrick constructions and the adoption of new earthen practices among Early Iron Age communities in order to build more imposing and elevated towers that might convey an image of the power and strength of these inland settlements.

The Eastern Neighbours and EU Security Policy: A Differentiated Integration Perspective

The EU’s decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova a candidate country status and the recognition of Georgia’s European perspective in June 2022 has significant effects for both the EU’s enlargement and security and defence policies. So far, ‘hard’ security issues have played little role in the framing of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Association Agreements (AAs) with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Their full integration into EU security and defence arrangements will thus require considerable strategy-making and implementation efforts. This article discusses the extent to which existing external Differentiated Integration (DI) constellations can be seen as ‘building blocks’ for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia’s prospective full integration into the EU’s security and defence architecture. It is shown that, in legal and practical terms, such DI constellations are conducive to the deepening of these countries’ integration with the EU in the security and defence domain. From the political viewpoint, the focus on DI with the new accession countries may, however, be (mis)used as a substitute for fullscale integration into the EU security and defence architecture. We, nonetheless, suggest several pilot domains that can be used to test the limits of new accession countries’ DI with the Union. EU security and defence policy, EU enlargement policy, accession, European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), Russia’s war against Ukraine, European Defence Agency, European Defence Fund, Permanent Structured Cooperation