Military-industrial Research Articles

Computer vision: AI imaginaries and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This paper explores the way in which computer scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) constructed visions of the future in 1960s America to direct the AI and computing research agendas. It argues that MIT computer scientists resisted attempts by the state to control the future of computing by fabricating imaginaries to covertly exert influence over the research environment. The paper examines the impact of the Cold War military–industrial complex on academia, which provided opportunities for research to take place whilst introducing challenges to autonomy. It makes the case that computer scientists such as Marvin Minsky and Fernando J. Corbato carefully shaped narratives across film, television and the media to promote desirable futures centering their own technical approaches. Acknowledging that instruments of the state appealed to the future to guide research towards strategically sensitive areas in the context of Cold War technoscientific contest, it asserts that intensifying ties between military and academic institutions afforded researchers both the latitude and motivation to construct independent visions of the future. In doing so, the paper aims to complicate assumptions about imaginaries as solely tools of governance by highlighting scientists' creativity in navigating institutional constraints to wrest back control of the future.

US military-industrial complex under the influence of the ukrainian conflict

This study is devoted to the study of the state of the military-industrial complex under the influence of the Ukrainian conflict, problems and prospects of development. The work is relevant due to the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the use of American weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russian units during a special military operation. The article investigates such issues of the military-industrial complex as the gap between the civilian and military industries of the United States, the dependence of the American defense industry on foreign manufacturers and developers, the lack of complete chains of weapons creation and the unsuitability of American models for high-intensity conflict. The study particularly considers the relationship between civil and military production and the importance of a developed industry for the military-industrial complex. The paper focuses on the ideology of the creation and production of products of the American defense industry and their inconsistency with the conditions of a high-intensity conflict. The work emphasizes the need for serious financial injections and socio-economic reforms in any possible scenario for the development of the US military-industrial complex.

The U.S. military-industrial complex as a factor in maintaining its dominant global position

The article identifies considerable structural problems in the U.S. military-industrial complex, including production concentration, inefficiency of the government - defense contractor model and the associated financial losses to the federal budget, fragile production chains, and personnel shortages. Excessive defense spending, which is attributed to external threats, diverts attention from important domestic political subjects, such as social issues. The over-consolidation of production in the hands of the Pentagon's top 5 major defense contractors negatively affects the defense industry and reduces U.S. national security capabilities, undermining the United States' ability to maintain its dominant position in the world.

Armed forces and military-industrial complex of India in the era of global turbulence

The article is devoted to the problems of modernization of the armed forces of India and its military-industrial complex. Analyzing the ties between the military-industrial complex and the armed forces of India, the author concludes that the size of the Indian armed forces, coupled with the system of their recruitment, hinders the process of modernization. At the same time, the Indian leadership cannot agree to a reduction in the army, both for political and social and for military-strategic reasons, relying on limited reforms designed to change the process of recruiting.

Turkey - The West: exemplary antagonism?

The article examines the Western direction of Turkey's foreign policy and its relations with its three key actors: the United States, NATO and the EU. By its centenary, which Turkey is celebrating on 29th of October, 2023, Ankara seeks to approach the status of an independent supra-regional power. For a long time, Turkey has served as a "junior ally" of Washington, but in the era of the polycentricity’s construction, it has significantly changed its foreign policy priorities. Relations with the United States have moved from an "exemplary partnership" to the rank of an exemplary antagonism and the path to "united Europe" has turned out to be more problematic and not profitable for Ankara from the point of view of its national interests. The NATO bloc has lost its primary importance due to Turkey's development of its own military-industrial complex and growing contradictions with existing and potential members of the alliance. Nevertheless, the West still has a great influence on economic and other related fields affecting the well-being of Ankara. In this regard, building constructive relations with the West remains one of the tasks of Turkey's foreign policy. The authors conclude that under current circumstances the complete political sovereignty of Ankara and its separation from the West can only occur within the framework of the "independence through dependence" model since Turkey due to the lack of its own resources for crisis-free existence will need the support of other stronger world players, such as Russia and, for example, China.

Export of the South Korea’s defense: problems and prospects

The Republic of Korea aims to become one of the key players in the global arms market by 2027. The military conflict in Ukraine allowed South Korea not only to increase the supply of military products to NATO countries, but also win additional market share in the East Asian, taking advantage of the decline in Russian military exports. At the same time, South Korea is actively signing contracts for the supply of military equipment with the countries of the Middle East. The growth in exports of South Korean military-industrial products is due to the fact that currently the ROK’s weapons have a number of competitive advantages for buyers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. First of all, South Korean weapons are compatible with American systems. However, the cost of equipment from the Republic of Korea is sometimes several times lower than military-industrial complex products from the United States or Eurozone countries. However, despite the bright plans in the medium term, the Republic of Korea may face several challenges including inevitable competition with defense industry leaders such as the USA, Russia, Germany, France and the potential worsening of relations with China due to the active increase in arms supplies to India and Vietnam, that could limit the rapid growth of exports of the South Korean military-industrial complex.

The Mechanism of Deformation Compatibility of TA2/Q345 Laminated Metal in Dynamic Testing with Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar.

The laminated metal materials are widely used in military, automobile and aerospace industries, but their dynamic response mechanical behavior needs to be further clarified, especially for materials with joint interface paralleling to the loading direction. The mechanical properties of TA2/Q345 (Titanium/Steel) laminated metal of this structure were studied by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). To shed light on the stress-state of a laminated metal with parallel structure, the relative non-uniformity of internal stress R(t) was analyzed. The mechanism of deformation compatibility of welding interface was discussed in detail. The current experiments demonstrate that in the strain rate range of 931-2250 s-1, the discrepancies of the internal stress in specimens are less than 5%, so the stress-state equilibrium hypothesis is satisfied during the effective loading time. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that all stress-strain responses of the material are valid and reliable. Furthermore, the four deformation stages, i.e., the elastic stage, the plastic modulus compatible deformation stage, uniform plastic deformation stage and non-uniform plastic deformation stage, of the laminated metal with parallel structure were firstly proposed under the modulating action of the welding interface. The deformation stages are helpful for better utilization of laminated materials.

ИМПОРТОЗАМЕЩЕНИЕ СОЖ ДЛЯ ПРОЦЕССОВ МЕТАЛЛООБРАБОТКИ НА МАШИНОСТРОИТЕЛЬНЫХ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯХ

A method is proposed to give a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of liquid coolants (LC), including tribo-engineering, physicochemical and cooling properties. The results of introducing LCs at military-industrial enterprises are presented. The work results on the import substitution of LCs at military-industrial enterprises are shown. The results of comparative tests of imported lubricants in comparison with domestic coolant Rosoil are presented. It is shown that Rosoil LC is not worse than imported analogues in terms of basic operational characteristics.

КОНСЕРВАЦИОННЫЕ И РАБОЧЕ-КОНСЕРВАЦИОННЫЕ СМАЗОЧНЫЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ «РОСОЙЛ»

The paper contains an overview of Rosoil rust-preventive, protective and operating lubricants for metallurgy, mechanical engineering and other industries, including for military-industrial enterprises, as well as for the needs of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the population. The main physicochemical and operational characteristics of rust-preventive, protective and operating lubricants are given such as rust-preventive greases for corrosion protection of ferrous and non-ferrous metal products during storage and transportation; protective grease lubricants for anticorrosive and mechanical processing of metals; protective antifriction greases for lubrication when manufacturing and operationing steel ropes made of uncoated wire and galvanized wire; universal lubricants for multi-purpose applications; corrosion-preventing oil for protection of military equipment; gun oils for cleaning, lubrication and corrosion protection of artillery and small arms during storage and operation; corrosion inhibitors to improve the protective properties of lubricating oils for various purposes and fuels. It is shown that the range of Rosoil rust-preventive, protective and operating lubricants contains 19 products, most of which are designed to replace imported materials and surpass them in protective properties and tribo-engineering characteristics.

Corrosion and protection of friction stir welding of magnesium alloy

Purpose The high specific strength makes magnesium alloys have a wide range of applications in aerospace, military, automotive, marine and construction industries. However, its poor corrosion resistance and weldability have limited its development and application. Friction stir welding (FSW) can effectively avoid the defects of fusion welding. However, the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of FSW joints in magnesium alloys vary among different regions. The purpose of this paper is to review the corrosion of magnesium alloy FSW joints, and to summarize the protection technology of welded joints. Design/methodology/approach The corrosion of magnesium alloy FSW joints includes electrochemical corrosion and stress corrosion. This paper summarizes corrosion protection techniques for magnesium alloys FSW joints, focusing on composition, microstructure changes and surface treatment methods. Findings Currently, this research is mainly focused on enhancing the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy FSW joints by changing compositions, structural modifications and surface coating technologies. Refinement of the grains can be achieved by adjusting welding process parameters, which in turn minimizes the effects of the second phase on the alloy’s corrosion resistance. Originality/value This paper presents a comprehensive review on the corrosion and protection of magnesium alloys FSW joints, covering the latest research advancements and practical applications. It aims to equip researchers with a better insight into the field and inspire new studies on this topic.

Political tensions and technological innovation driving the military robot business

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed insight into the global military robot industry with an emphasis on products and their applications.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an introduction which includes a brief historical account, this provides an industry overview, including various market dimensions and a discussion of the geopolitical and technological factors driving market development. The three following sections provide details of land, airborne and marine robots, their capabilities and deployments in recent conflicts. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.FindingsMilitary robots which operate on land, in the air and at sea constitute a multi-billion dollar industry which is growing rapidly. It is being driven by geopolitical tensions, notably the military-technology arms race between China and the USA and the conflict in Ukraine, together with technological progress, particularly in AI. Many robots possess multi-functional capabilities, and the leading application is presently intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. An increasing number of heavily armed robots are being developed, and AI has the potential to impart these with the capacity to deliver lethal force without human intervention. Although heavily criticised in some quarters, this capability has probably already been deployed on the battlefield. With ever-growing military budgets, escalating political tensions and technological innovations, robots will play an increasingly significant role in future conflicts.Originality/valueThis provides a detail account of military robots and their role in modern warfare.

Between the mountains, the city, and the world: the microhistory of a ‘Small Third Front’ Chinese arsenal during Revolution and reform

ABSTRACT This article presents a microhistory of Dongfang Arsenal, a Small Third Front project in Beijing, using archival sources, gazetteers, memoirs compiled by former workers, and oral history. It focuses on how the arsenal’s former workers engaged with socialist modernity and tangibly experienced the changing relationship between China and the outside world. It examines the military-industrial complex as a physical micro-space for employment, political mobilisation, and later a collective memory site. Built upon existing studies of the Third Front and emerging research on negotiated state power in socialist enterprises, the article demonstrates how the Third Front’s internally stratified industrial labour force creatively navigated the physical and institutional urban-rural divide by employing collective bargaining power. It also offers an insight into how an industrial, close-knit community and the society related to it experienced the Cultural Revolution. Additionally, it discusses the Front employees’ experience and the arsenal’s struggle for survival during the transition between various socio-economic regimes, bringing together the history of Maoist revolutionary modernisation and post-Maoist reform.

World Practice of Applying State Support Measures for Organizations of the Military-Industrial Complex

The article is devoted to an analytical review of the best global practices in the implementation of measures of state support for organizations of the military-industrial complex (MIC). The purpose of the research was to study international experience in this area and determine its applicability in the context of the development of the Russian Federation’s MIC. The relevance of this work is determined by the need to ensure the solution of operational and strategic tasks of the Russian Federation’s military-industrial complex in the conditions of sanctions pressure from certain countries and the importance of assessing the available measures of state support for organizations of the complex. The study analyses the American Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, which has been implemented in the United States since 2019. The program is based on the development of cooperation between public and private organizations, including enterprises of the military-industrial complex, scientific organizations, as well as local governments. The structure of the program provides for the formation of a community that brings together stakeholders to ensure sustainable development and competitiveness of the defense industrial complex. As part of the study of European experience, the activities of The European Defense Fund, established in the European Union in 2021 on the initiative of the Commission for the Support of Defense Cooperation of the European Union, were examined. The fund is focused on supporting and developing the European defense-industrial complex by financing innovative research, development and joint projects of international importance. The main objectives of the fund include increasing autonomy and competitiveness in the defense industry, as well as promoting integration and cooperation between the member states of the European Union. Within the framework of the article, each practice was analyzed, and conclusions have been drawn about what ideas from international practice could be applied in the development of the defense-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. The results of the study can be used by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Foundation for Advanced Studies and other state structures and organizations that determine the policy in the field of defense industry regulation as proposals for further development of state support measures in the Russian Federation.

Strategic control over the effectiveness of state support measures for the defense industry under sanctions restrictions

Under the conditions of military conflict and severe sanctions pressure, the defense industrial complex (DIC) ensures Russia’s national security by producing modern weapons, military and special equipment and equipping the Armed Forces and military formations located in the zone of special military operation (SMO). One of the tasks facing the organizations of the industry is to achieve technological independence, its innovative development, preservation of leadership in the development and production of new and advanced models, complexes and systems of weapons, military and special equipment. It seems that this task can be solved with the active participation of the state. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodological toolkit for strategic control of the effectiveness of measures of state support of the defense industry organizations based on the analysis of the State Program “Development of the defense industry complex”. In the process of work such general scientific methods of cognition as observation, analysis, generalization; system analysis and synthesis were used. This article substantiates the necessity of reorientation of control from subsequent to strategic. The author’s approach to the definition of “strategic control” is proposed. The directions for the development of strategic control over the effectiveness of measures of state support of defense industry organizations in the conditions of sanctions restrictions are defined. The author’s system of indicators, supplementing those already built into the analyzed state program, which can be used in the strategic control of state support measures under sanctions, is recommended. The results of the study are intended for a wide range of readers, including representatives of authorized executive authorities in the development of normative, methodological, and information-analytical support of strategic control of the effectiveness of measures of state support of the defense industry in order to achieve the goals defined by the relevant documents.

PREDICTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THE WARS OF THE FUTURE

Technological progress in the field of military technology is developing rapidly, requiring constant work on the development of new systems and strategies. The article demonstrates that the growing role of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems is defining a new level of efficiency and complexity in military operations. The article assesses the use of biotechnology in the defence sector, which defines a new level of strategic importance for the development and maintenance of military power. Space, hypersonic and quantum technologies will be considered, as well as aspects related to the use of 3D printing in a military context. The possibility of using new materials that can be produced using methods from nanotechnology or synthetic biology will be assessed. The benefits of using “green” hydrogen in the military industry and the challenges of implementing this technology are presented. The concept of digital contact tracking technology is explained, and strategic and tactical applications of hyper-precision positioning technology are presented. The results of the study show that the level of protection and security of future citizens is directly related to the ability to predict dominant technologies and technological trends, to assess their impact on the future and, on this basis, to develop a strategy for the transformation of new technologies.

Optimization-based non-equidistant toolpath planning for robotic additive manufacturing with non-underfill orientation

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has achieved universal application in a great number of fields, such as aerospace, medicine, and military industry. As a significant factor causing weak mechanical properties and part flaws, underfill is inevitable in AM based on the conventional equidistant toolpaths with a limited extra cost. To eliminate underfill caused by sharp corners and voids, this paper develops an optimization-based non-equidistant toolpath, i.e., isoperimetric-quotient-optimal toolpath (IQOP). Firstly, an optimization problem minimizing the isoperimetric quotient of toolpaths is designed to generate smooth toolpaths and is convexified. Then, a unilateral rolling circle method is proposed to guarantee the well-defined condition of the optimization-based toolpath planning process. Finally, the application of the depth tree makes the IQOP method adopt slices with complex boundaries and topological structures. The experimental results show that the proposed IQOP achieves an average 88.5% lower underfill rate than the contour-parallel toolpath (CP). IQOP significantly outperforms the dense CP (DCP) on toolpath smoothness and printing efficiency, with better performance on underfill. With obvious advantages on toolpath smoothness and underfill rate, IQOP achieves higher printing quality than CP in the real world. The proposed approach also provides a general framework of non-equidistant toolpath planning for complex slices in AM and computer numerical control (CNC) milling.

Development and Human Factors Evaluation of a Portable Auditory Localization Training System.

To design and develop a Portable Auditory Localization Acclimation Training (PALAT) system capable of producing psychoacoustically accurate localization cues; evaluate the training effect against a proven full-scale, laboratory-grade system under three listening conditions; and determine if the PALAT system is sensitive to differences among electronic level-dependent hearing protection devices (HPDs). In-laboratory auditory localization training has demonstrated the ability to improve localization performance with the open (natural) ear, that is, unoccluded, and while wearing HPDs. The military requires a portable system capable of imparting similar training benefits as those demonstrated in laboratory experiments. In a full-factorial repeated measures design experiment, 12 audiometrically normal participants completed localization training and testing using an identical, optimized training protocol on two training systems under three listening conditions (open ear, TEP-100, and ComTac™ III). Statistical tests were performed on mean absolute accuracy score and front-back reversal errors. No statistical difference existed between the PALAT and laboratory-grade DRILCOM systems on two dependent localization accuracy measurements at all stages of training. In addition, the PALAT system detected the same localization performance differences among the three listening conditions. The PALAT system imparted similar training benefits as the DRILCOM system and was sensitive to HPD localization performance differences. The user-operable PALAT system and optimized training protocol can be employed by the military, law enforcement, and various industries, to improve auditory localization performance in conditions where auditory situation awareness is critical to safety.

Longitudinal-torsional compound ultrasonic vibration end grinding sapphire: A study on surface topography and roughness

Owing to excellent physical and optical characteristics, Sapphire has wide applications in detection, military, photoelectric and other industries. Nevertheless, it's difficult to use the conventional processing methods to process sapphire with high precision and efficiency due to its hardness and brittleness. This study adopted longitudinal-torsional compound ultrasonic vibration end grinding (LTUEG) method to grind sapphire. Firstly, the grinding trajectory equation of single grain under LTUEG was established. Then, combining with the motion state of single grain, the removal mechanism of sapphire under LTUEG was clarified. Finally, a comparative experiment between LTUEG and conventional end grinding (CEG) of sapphire was conducted, and the effects of processing parameters on surface topography and surface roughness were investigated. Results showed that surface roughness declined with grinding speed, enhanced with feed rate and grinding depth, declined first and then went up with amplitude, and the minimum value was 0.522 μm. Compared with CEG, LTUEG could significantly reduce the surface roughness, with a maximum reduction of 20.98 %. LTUEG could reduce the pits size. Meanwhile, when the longitudinal amplitude AL was 0.8 μm, the average pits length and pits depth reached the minimum, which were 33.13 μm and 5.296 μm, respectively. The research found that LTUEG could reduce block spalling, increase the ratio of plastic domain removal as well as improve the surface flatness of workpiece.

The need to introduce an electronic document turnover system at the enterprises of the military–industrial complex

This article discusses the need for the introduction of electronic document circulation systems at enterprises of the military–industrial complex. In modern times, the flow of documents at the enterprises of the defense–industrial complex is becoming larger, and the processing of these documents takes a lot of time, which leads to a slowdown in the process of working with documents and, accordingly, creates problems in making managerial decisions. At the enterprises of the military–industrial complex, information is provided in the form of official documents and, depending on the speed of processing these documents, the prompt transmission of information and the provision of all types of work with documents depends. That is why the article reflects all the disadvantages of paper document management and all the advantages of electronic document management.The subject of the study is the main aspects of the introduction of an electronic document management system at enterprises of the military–industrial complex.Research methods. To write the article, general scientific methods were used, such as the method of information processing, analysis, deduction, graphical and tabular methods.The article proposes two methods for the introduction of electronic document management at enterprises of the military– industrial complex, which will solve the problems of the transition of enterprises from the old paper system to a new and innovative system. It is also determined that the transition to electronic document management will speed up the process of processing documents at enterprises of the military–industrial complex.

Hybrid Multi-Objective-Derived Horse Herd and Dragonfly Algorithm-Based Energy-Efficient Secured Routing in WSN

Energy efficiency and security have become prominent aspects of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for transmitting data. The major challenge is to increase the “Quality of Service” (QoS) since it is restricted by fewer constrained resources. Although the existing routing protocols acquire efficient transmission, they are still subsisting with the challenges of improving security and energy conservation. It will be helpful in practical implications like the military, weather forecasting and healthcare industry. As the nodes are operated by the energy preservation of the battery, developing an energy-efficient protocol is challenging. Since WSN possesses massive numbers of sensor nodes, it also has to avoid long-term communication, and the clustering mechanism is a prerequisite. Considering the diverse objectives like delay, energy and distance, there are still remarkable challenges to develop the routing protocol. Moreover, security enhancement becomes another challenging issue over the network for data transmission through the sensor nodes. To overcome these issues, a novel energy-efficient routing model is designed in this paper by using a hybrid algorithm and the multi-objective derivatives. Initially, the clustering approach is employed to reduce the complexity and improve the security in an energy-efficient manner. Therefore, the Cluster Head (CH) is selected significantly using the novel Hybrid Horse Herd-Dragonfly Optimisation (HHHDO). The hybrid algorithm is developed by integrating Horse Herd Optimisation (HHO) and Dragonfly Algorithm (DA). Here, the optimal CH selection is achieved by deriving the multi-objective function regarding “distance, delay, energy, load and trust of nodes”. Trust is measured with the Neural Network (NN)-based HHHDO (NN-HHHDO) model. Depending on the trust evaluation and energy efficiency, the proposed model obtains better communication between the nodes. In the end, the experimentation of the recommended model is made using various measures and it’s ensured that the suggested technique enhances trust among the nodes and energy conservation in comparison to the existing algorithms.