Military Leaders Research Articles

Military logistics planning models for enemy targets attack by a swarm of combat drones

This article describes and investigates the planning aspect of military actions aimed at destroying enemy targets with the help of an attack drone swarm. This study attempts to solve the task of operational-tactical planning of a massive attack on enemy targets with the help of combat drones, which have different combat potential characteristics. It analyzes the problems of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) swarms’ usage, which ensures maximum efficiency during combat operations. The article shows that in order to plan effective military operations, it is necessary to form the following logistical sequence: identification of relevant targets set, formation of drones into a swarm to attack targets, distribution of drones by targets, and planning flight routes of a drone swarm in conditions of military threats. It concludes that for the effective use of a combat drone swarm, it is necessary to plan logistical actions in advance to inflict maximum damage on the enemy and successfully fulfill the operational and tactical goals of the military leadership. The purpose of this study is to create information technology models that will allow planning logistical military actions for the effective use of combat drone swarms to defeat enemy targets. This article describes a systematic representation of logistical military operations for combat drone swarms. It also analyzes enemy targets, which are represented in the form of a priority list with the characteristics of relevance, the necessary combat potential to hit the targets, the risks of approaching the targets, and the flight time of the drones. From the list of targets, a sublist is formed, considering the combat potential of the drone swarm and the necessary potential to defeat the selected enemy targets. The optimization model helps to distribute the swarm of drones into groups to achieve the enemy targets and destroy them. The movement of drones is planned considering flight zones, possible anti-drone actions of the enemy, and the risks of military threats. Any Logic agent simulation platform can be used to create a simulated flight model of a drone swarm to selected enemy targets. Modeling makes it possible to form rational flight routes of a drone swarm under conditions of military threats from the enemy. An example is given to illustrate the formation of logistical actions for planning a massive attack on enemy targets with the help of a drone swarm. The scientific novelty of this study is related to the solution of the urgent problem of planning logistical military operations for the effective use of a combat drone swarm to destroy enemy targets. The results of this study should be used for the operational and tactical planning of logistical military operations to defeat enemy targets with the help of a combat drone swarm.

Pedagogical aspects of the development of leadership qualities in cadets of higher military educational institutions

The development of leadership qualities in cadets of military institutions is of particular importance in today's conditions, since the formation of a new generation of professional competent officers-leaders will directly affect the combat capability of the Armed Forces and the defence capability of the state as a whole. The purpose of the study was to identify pedagogical aspects and ways to improve the system of leadership development among cadets of the Military Academy. The study analysed the theoretical foundations of the leadership problem and summarized the best Ukrainian and foreign experience. The methods used were: structural-functional method; analysis, induction. The study also used the following methodological approaches: systemic approach; reductionist and holistic approaches. As a result of the research, it was found that the existing system of training military leaders in higher military educational institutions currently has certain significant drawbacks that significantly reduce its effectiveness, namely: insufficient attention is paid to military-humanitarian disciplines, which shape the socio-communicative qualities of a modern leader; outdated reproductive teaching methodologies dominate instead of innovative interactive ones; individual-psychological characteristics of the cadet's personality and potential are not sufficiently taken into account; the educational potential of the faculty is weakly utilized due to mentoring; the system of cadet self-government is underdeveloped, within which future officers could gain real practical leadership experience. Therefore, constructive ways of improving the existing system were proposed by strengthening the humanitarian component of training, wider use of interactive teaching methods, introducing individual educational trajectories, increasing the role of mentoring from senior command staff, creating an effective system of cadet self-government, and substantiating the feasibility of using innovative pedagogical methods of active learning for the effective targeted formation of necessary leadership qualities and competencies. The results of the study on improving the system of leadership development of cadets of Higher Military Educational Institutions are of great practical importance, as they can be used to improve the effectiveness of training officers as future military leaders

We (All) Want You? Perceived Military Leadership Potential and Actual Leadership Role Occupancy in Working Life: A Longitudinal Study of a Swedish Cohort

One of the main tasks of the armed forces is to recruit and select future soldiers and to identify potential officers. However, these procedures may have a wider societal impact beyond the borders of the military organization itself. This study aims to examine how compatible assessments of military leadership potential are with those in the labor market. Using longitudinal data concerning a large cohort of Swedish males who underwent mustering during the early 1970s, we analyzed the association between officer suitability assessments and managerial role occupancy at age 50 to 55, while controlling for socio-demographic factors in childhood and adulthood. We found a high level of predictability, whereby those who were ranked highest were four times more likely to hold managerial positions than those with the lowest ranking. Results are discussed in relation to perceptions about leadership skills and possible institutional isomorphism between the armed forces and other societal organizations.

Alexander the Great: Conqueror with an Indomitable Spirit

This essay explores the remarkable life and indomitable spirit of Alexander the Great, one of history’s most renowned military leaders. Through a comprehensive examination of his conquests, strategic brilliance, and unyielding determination, this paper aims to shed light on how the faith of Alexander the Great contributed to making him a true conqueror. Beginning with an overview of Alexander’s upbringing under the tutelage of the great philosopher Aristotle, this essay delves into the formation of his ambitious character and insatiable thirst for knowledge, specifically his visit to the Oracles of Delphi and Amun. From an early age, Alexander demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and an unshakable belief in his divine destiny to conquer the known world. Moreover, this paper explores Alexander’s challenges during his conquests, including the arduous journeys, devastating battles, and managing diverse cultures under his rule. Despite these obstacles, his religion-fueled, indomitable spirit enabled him to overcome adversity and emerge victorious time and again. The essay then examines the idea of religious syncretism in the ruling philosophy of Alexander the Great as he expanded his empire to encompass a diverse population and culture. Ultimately, this essay seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of Alexander the Great, delving beyond his military exploits to reveal a man whose ambition and character were shaped by his religious experiences.

ISAF and European military transformation: German, Swedish and French counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, 2003–2014

This article examines the role of a subset of European militaries in responding to the Afghan insurgency during their deployment as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). While part of a multinational coalition, their heterogeneous military transformation was crucial to fighting the insurrection and confronting American pressure. In comparing the counterinsurgency innovations of Germany, Sweden, and France, we find that Germany acted reluctantly, Sweden largely emulated American doctrine, and France became a counterinsurgency pioneer. We argue that these developments took time and were accompanied by conflicts within ISAF and between the respective national military and political leaderships.

M.S. Gorbachev and B.N. Yeltsin meetings with the top leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR on December 10–11, 1991 as a turning point in the history of the Soviet Union

The object of the study is the speeches of the President of the USSR M.S.Gorbachev and the President of the RSFSR B.N. Yeltsin to the supreme military leadership of the USSR after the signing of the Belovezhskaya Agreements on December 8, 1991 on the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of the CIS. The author analyzes articles of the periodical press of December 1991, memoirs of military and political figures of the RSFSR and the USSR, as well as documents of the office of the President of the RSFSR on the preparation of Boris Yeltsin's speech to the leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR. The author pays special attention to the methods of the two Presidents in dealing with the highest military leadership, identifies the reasons for the defeat of Mikhail Gorbachev in this struggle for the support of the military and the victory of Boris Yeltsin in it. The author uses a comparative method when comparing the speeches of M.S. Gorbachev and B.N. Yeltsin, as well as the principles of historicism and objectivity. The author concludes that the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, had a much better chance of success in attracting the sympathy of the military as the constitutional head of state and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, however, due to ignoring the interests of the army and navy, poor preparation of the speech and an erroneous strategy of requests for rescue, he was perceived negatively by them. The President of the RSFSR B.N. Yeltsin and his staff conducted a deep and thorough preparation of the speech, answers to topical issues of the Armed Forces were prepared, in addition, B.N. Yeltsin found time to listen to the military and give concrete answers and promises, which allowed him to enlist the support of the leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR in an unfavorable starting situation, which helped him upon ratification of the Belovezhskaya Agreements in the Supreme Council of the RSFSR on December 12, 1991. The novelty of the research lies in referring to such a little-studied event in the history of perestroika as the meetings of the Presidents of the USSR and the RSFSR with the military leadership of the USSR after the signing of the Belovezhsky Agreement in December 1991, as well as in the author's use of unpublished archival materials of the office of the President of the RSFSR B.N. Yeltsin.

Dynamics of Disruption: Ethnographic Practice in Contemporary Turkey

This roundtable explores how recent social and political upheavals in Turkey have impacted ethnographic research in and about the region. We propose that an analysis of ethnographers’ experiences in contexts of disruption and uncertainty can offer important insights into both research methodologies and contemporary politics and society in Turkey. The past twenty years have been a time of transformation and, arguably, disruption in the Republic of Turkey. In 2003, the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi; AKP) rose to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As the following decade heralded a period of rapid economic growth and development, social and political changes also began to reshape institutions in consequential ways. In 2008, top military leaders were charged with participating in a conspiratorial deep state in what would come to be known as the Ergenekon trials. While these prosecutions were framed by the ruling party as critical to securing democratic governance in Turkey, they also marked a turning point in the AKP's efforts to secure and consolidate its hold on the state. After the AKP won its third general election in 2011, their efforts to consolidate power grew, and over the following decade Turkey would devolve from being recognized as a model Middle Eastern democracy to an illiberal democracy and finally an authoritarian regime. This political transformation was punctuated by key events, from the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the attempted coup of July 2016 to the resumption of armed conflict with the Kurdistan Worker's Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê PKK) in 2015 and the government's crackdown on Academics for Peace.

Political Activities of Major-General P. F. Ryabikov in Japan and China, 1920—1922

The historical-biographical sketch explores several episodes in the life and activities of a prominent Russian military leader, one of the founders of the intelligence service in the pre-revolutionary Russian army, Major General P. F. Ryabikov (1875-1932). Serving in the White Movement as the 2nd Chief of Staff Quartermaster of A. V. Kolchak’s staff, General P. F. Ryabikov acquired competencies as a curator of military propaganda and organizer of periodical publications, which he later successfully utilized as a leader in these areas of military-political activity within the White emigration in Japan and China. From July 1920 to September 1921, P. F. Ryabikov served in the mission of the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Russian Far Eastern Territory, Ataman G. M. Semenov, in Yokohama, where he was involved in establishing a network of correspondent-informants for this mission in European countries and the United States, receiving reports and messages about the state of these countries, as well as informing representatives of foreign states in line with the ideology of the Semenovites and publishing anti-Bolshevik literature. In October 1921, at the request of Ataman G. M. Semenov, P. F. Ryabikov transferred his activities to Shanghai, where he continued his assigned work with agent-informants and cooperation in the Russian emigrant press. Having no material and organizational support from G. M. Semenov, Ryabikov severed ties with him in February 1922 and embarked on a path of independent political and journalistic activities.

Should leaders “keep the flowers blooming” or just “keep the cogwheels greased?” Estonian soldiers’ perceptions of the role of a military leader

ABSTRACT Using qualitative content analysis, this article focuses on the question of how conscripts in the Estonian Defense Forces perceive a good military leader. We found that interpersonal competency was the most desirable trait, followed by leadership competency, highlighting the value placed on human-centered approaches rather management skills, at least in training situations. The article concludes that the younger generation needs reasoning and individual consideration above all, and value the balance between a demanding and tolerant attitude, which creates a natural followership for leaders.

Disguised Among the Sea: The Implications of Artificial Islands on Casualty Care in the Indo-Pacific.

As reported in the 2022 Biden-Harris National Security Strategy, China is perceived as the primary U.S. competitor with the intent and means to become the world's greatest superpower. China's efforts, which are at odds with America's ambition to maintain its global influence, are complemented by ostensibly harmless "gray zone tactics," defined as coercive geopolitical, economic, military, and cyber activities below the use of kinetic military force. Such tactics may be utilized with seemingly innocuous intentions, but in reality, they can complicate U.S. combat casualty care in the event of an Indo-Pacific conflict. One tactic of particular impact is China's development of artificial islands throughout the South China Sea. By creating these islands, China is expanding its reach beyond its continental borders. These islands, alongside China's well-developed naval and missile capabilities, will cause disruptions to U.S. casualty care staging, medical resupply, and aeromedical evacuations. To mitigate those threats, the USA should implement a robust regional Combatant Command Trauma System, improve global health security cooperation with local partner nations, and implement irregular or guerilla trauma systems that meet medical needs in impromptu, clandestine settings. Operational recommendations based on these efforts could include pre-positioning tactical combat casualty care and damage control resuscitation supplies and developing with nearby host-nation evacuation platforms such as small boat operators. These solutions, among others, require years of training, relationship-building, and capability development to institute successfully. As a result, U.S. Military leaders should act now to incorporate these strategies into their irregular warfare, low-intensity conflict, and large-scale combat operation toolkits.

Legal support for the formation of valuable needs of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to determine the essence of legal support for the formation of value needs of military personnel.
 The article found out that the need for our state to effectively repel full-scale Russian armed aggression requires a review of the system of formation of value orientations among military personnel and conscripts. At the same time, the process of developing such values should not be arbitrary, but purposeful in nature, which requires agreement on the purpose, main forms, subjects and objects of such work at the legal level.
 Arguments are given that the formation of socio-value needs of military personnel performs several functions related to the importance of values for the success of military service. The content of the specified functions is disclosed.
 The development of the values of military personnel in the legal aspect should be considered as a process of defining and approving, in accordance with the competence of the subjects of rule-making, the main goals of the formation of the personality of persons undergoing military service. Such goals should cover the sphere of patriotic values, such as the willingness to devote one’s life to the service of the motherland and the willingness to do all one can to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
 It was concluded that the legal support for the formation of value needs of military personnel is a process of summarizing, formulating and approving the most important personality traits for military service, which determine their patriotism, the ability to perform tasks in a team, the ability to military leadership and to effectively carry out the orders of commanders/chiefs . Part of the value needs of the personality of military personnel has found its consolidation in the legal acts that regulate the training and completion of military service. It was found that the current period of development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the conditions of full-scale Russian armed aggression necessitates changes in legal acts that define the goals of the formation of the personality of military personnel. The goals of forming military command and military leadership qualities, which play an important role in the hierarchy of professional values of military personnel, need their legal consolidation.

Current Issues of Peace and Security Taking Into Account Aggressive Policy of the Russian Federation

This article examines the issue of violation of the principle of territorial integrity (integrity) or political independence of states from 1946 to 2022. The approach is based on the study and understanding of domestic and foreign literary sources, statistics, legal acts. So, the historic, comparative, formal juridical and prognostic methods will be used. Russia gained the status of an independent entity in the international arena immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Almost immediately, it began to show signs of aggression. To promote its geopolitical ambitions, it uses gaps in international law, information and psychological measures, corruption, mercenaries, collaborators, blackmail, the law of force, and tries to rewrite history. The course of military conflicts involving Russia in Moldova, Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine shows that the scale of violations of international treaties, human rights and the rules of warfare has increased in line with the strengthening of its military capabilities. During the hostilities on the territory of independent Ukraine, Russia showed a complete list of signs of aggression, as defined by UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) of December 14, 1974. This shows that before the armed attack on Ukraine, the aggressor was convinced that it could not be brought to justice and punished. It also hoped that his next victim would not be able to receive international political, economic, military and social assistance. Some actions of Russia in the international arena have signs of state terrorism. During the last ten years, a fascist regime has formed in Russia. The abuse of the veto did not lead to the expulsion of the aggressor country from the UN SC.
 To stop Russia’s aggression and prevent similar developments in the future, the issues of improving international law, bringing to justice the political and military leadership of the republic of Belarus and Russia, improving the UN Charter, the powers of the UN General Assembly, depriving Russia of the right to participate in peacekeeping operations.

The role of physical training in the selection system of military personnel for the special operations forces of the Indian armed forces

This article describes the training system of special operations forces of the Indian Armed Forces. Selection for the units of special operations forces is carried out from army units, in which psychological and intellectual tests are conducted, as well as a check of physical fitness level. The training takes place in various geographical conditions, including in the desert and mountains. Also, urban tactics are practiced. Units of special operations forces perform combat tasks using force methods in extreme conditions with the use of special tactics in specific conditions, which requires a high level of psychological, ideological, physical and combat training of military personnel. The doctrine of joint training of the Armed Forces of India demonstrates the intention of the country’s leaders to put into practice contemporary technologies for training the Armed Forces personnel, to increase the effectiveness of troops in modern military warfare, which are characterized by the use of hybrid forms of armed struggle. The doctrine reveals the essence and content of challenges and threats to national security. According to the military and political leadership of the state, it is considered the result of the activities of terrorist organizations and the foreign policy courses of China and Pakistan, which are aimed at reducing the role of India in South Asia. The existence of interstate disagreements with the countries of South Asia on territorial issues, the implementation by the leadership of neighboring states of military programs aimed primarily at increasing nuclear potential, is considered by Delhi as the main source of military conflict in the region, in which the armed forces may be involved.

Protecting but Not Protected: Sexual Assault in the Military

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to uncover common themes among tweets shared by victims of military sexual assault (MSA) and make suggestions for policy implications. By using Twitter as a unique data source, researchers were able to analyze self-report data that were not available elsewhere. Results of this qualitative study indicate leadership has a profound impact on MSA. Leaders failed victims in several ways: some were the offenders, some hindered the reporting process, and others ridiculed the victim. Researchers suggest reevaluation of current programs, creation of training programs for military leaders, and adequate resources be made available to MSA victims.

The Role of Indonesian National Armed Forces in the Civil Conflict in Maluku

The civil conflict that occurred in Ambon caused the Indonesian government to send the Indonesian National Armed Forces to assist the police in securing Ambon. The involvement of the military and security guards in the Ambon area proved helpful in providing a sense of security, even though many people criticize the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces in securing the conflict in Ambon. The study methodology is descriptive qualitative. Researchers conducted field research in Ambon. through interviews with the community, religious leaders, community leaders, and military leaders. The author has also conducted archival research. The results of the study show that the Indonesian National Armed Forces played an important role in assisting in securing the Ambon conflict. Although the Ambon conflict has ended, the Indonesian National Armed Forces is still assigned to assist the police in security.
 Keywords: military, civil conflict, Maluku

The History Of The Battle Of Khandaq: A Study Of The Value Of Leadership And Its Contribution To The Study Of Islamic HistoryThe History Of The Battle Of Khandaq: A Study Of The Value Of Leadership And Its Contribution To The Study Of Islamic History

The purpose of this study is to find out the reasons why leadership determines victory in the Khandaq War, the values of leadership in the Khandaq War, and the contribution of leadership values in the Khandaq War in 627 AD with Islamic History teaching materials. This research is historical research. Sources of data used are primary sources and secondary sources. The main source in this research is the Al-Qur'an. Secondary sources in this study are hadiths and books that are relevant to the subject of research. Data collection in this study was collected using library research techniques and documentation techniques. Data analysis in this study used historical analysis, descriptive analysis and content analysis. The stages of the research procedure consist of heuristics, criticism (both internal and external), interpretation, and historiography. The results showed that the Battle of Khandaq was one of the wars won by the Muslims because the Prophet as a military leader was able to deal with changes in the war situation quickly and precisely. Then, there are leadership values in the Khandaq War consisting of the values of God, trust and responsibility, justice, firmness, and visionary. In addition, this historical event has relevance to Islamic history teaching materials, especially material about the existence of Islam during the time of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.

The Extermination of Red Army Soldiers in German Captivity, 1941–1945: Causes, Patterns, Dimensions

ABSTRACT Captive Red Army soldiers made up the majority of victims of Nazi Germany’s starvation policy against Soviet civilians and other non-combatants and thus constituted the largest single victim group of the German war of annihilation against the Soviet Union. Indeed, Soviet prisoners of war were the largest victim group of all National Socialist annihilation policies after the European Jews. Before the launch of Operation Barbarossa, it was clear to the Wehrmacht planning departments on exactly what scale they could expect to capture Soviet troops. Yet, they neglected to make the necessary preparations for feeding and sheltering the captured soldiers, who were viewed by the economic staffs and the military leadership alike as direct competitors of German troops and the German home front for precious food supplies. The number of extra mouths to feed was incompatible with German war aims. The obvious limitations on their freedom of movement and the relative ease with which large numbers could be segregated and their rations controlled were crucial factors in the death of over 3 million Soviet POWs, the vast majority directly or indirectly as a result of deliberate policies of neglect, undernourishment, and starvation while in the ‘care’ of the Wehrmacht. The most reliable figures for the mortality of Soviet POWs in German captivity reveal that up to 3.3 million died from a total of just over 5.7 million captured between June 1941 and February 1945 — a proportion of almost 58 percent. Of these, 2 million were already dead by the beginning of February 1942. In English, there is still neither a single monograph nor a single edited volume dedicated to the subject. This article now provides the first detailed stand-alone synthesis in that language addressing the whole period from 1941 to 1945.

Amplifying Education: A Case Study in Advancing Academic Centres at Norwich University

Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the United States, aims to prepare future military and civilian leaders to navigate leadership and educational challenges successfully. One method of preparing leaders is through academic centres. Drawing on seven years of data from the John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center and six years at the Center for Global Resilience and Security at Norwich University, this article shows how this task is accomplished by formally establishing research centres that exist outside of regular academic programming. The centres are uniquely positioned to understand the priorities of the US Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Command and the US Department of Defense to prepare future junior military leaders to be prepared for twenty-first-century security challenges. Particular attention is given to how experiential learning, leadership laboratories, and research have prepared cadets to be effective junior military leaders. For each core area, we apply Bloom’s hierarchical models to maximise cognitive, affective, and sensory learning objectives. Examples are provided to elucidate the paradigm and outlined objectives further. The article concludes by highlighting the impact of centres across the Norwich community. Keywords: Experiential Learning, Leadership, Academic Centres, Student Research, Norwich University

Sergey I. Tyulpanov — statesman and outstanding scientist: Historical role and academic legacy

Sergei Ivanovich Tyulpanov is an outstanding scientist, military leader, diplomat, citizen, an extraordinary person, born in 1901, who for more than eighty years shared the fate of his people and his Motherland. The article presents the joint work of N. P. Kuznetsova, one of Tyulpanov’s graduate students in the 70s of the last century, S. F. Sutyrin, head of the department of world economics, who took the baton from the school of the department of international economic relations and the department of modern capitalism economics in 1996, and professor L. D. Shirokorad, who spent his entire professional life working on the problems of the history of economic thought and the development of the Faculty of Economics at Leningrad State University — St. Petersburg State University. The article is divided into four parts: the initial stage of Tyulpanov’s military and academic career up to the WWII, military and ideological activity during the Great Patriotic war, the role of the Soviet military administration in Germany / SVAG Information Department in the formation of post-war Germany, the creation of the Department of Modern Capitalism Economics — a unique center for teaching and studying the economics and politics of developed and developing countries.

The new laser weapons

The US faces a world with a large and growing number of drones and cruise missiles. For tactical defense, military leaders are beginning to adopt a new generation of weapons.