Military Purposes Research Articles

Estimation and Control of a Towed Underwater Vehicle with Active Stationary and Low-Speed Maneuvering Capabilities

A variety of mission equipment is mounted and utilized on UUVs (unmanned underwater vehicles) for the development of marine resources and underwater searching for military purposes. For exploration of a wide area, it is advantageous to use a towed underwater platform, and for precision exploration to a specific location, to use an active mobile ROV (remotely operated vehicles). Since the TUV (towed underwater vehicle) moves according to the speed of the towing vessel, it cannot be operated if the vessel is stationary or the speed is low. Therefore, TUVs do not have equipment that is useful at low speeds, such as optical cameras or forward looking sonars. If a TUV capable of active movement such as stationary or low-speed operation is developed, it can search a wide area and then accurately search for a specific location, with one platform mounting various mission equipment. In this paper, we propose a method for estimating the control model for a prototype of this novel TUV, and propose a depth and posture control algorithm to which the model is applied. The proposed TUV and control algorithm were verified by experiments under the flow rate environment in the circulating water channel.

Influence on tensile and yield strength in composites of heat-treated AA6463 alloy by copper oxide nano particles

The strength-to-weight ratio provided by AA6XXX alloys and their improved mechanical characteristics have emerged as key requirements for their use in light weight military vehicles, rockets, missiles, aircrafts, and cars, employed for both defense and civil purpose. The effects of the alloying elements that are often utilized for forged AA6XXX alloys are addressed while taking into account their interactions. We address the importance of alloying as well as processing to generate certain qualities and the underlying strengthening mechanisms. These AA6XXX alloys are often and effectively used in structural applications for both civil and military purposes. In this experimental investigation mainly focused on ultimate tensile strength and yield strength variations in AA6463 alloy by Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticle. There are five composites of aluminium alloy and CuO nano particle combinations were created by stir casting method for the comparison with the individual AA6463 alloy specimen. Cuo nano particle concentration increased from 2% to 10% with 2% of variation in volume of material basis in the composite. Individual specimens were prepared and tested as per standards. 94 % of AA6463 with 6% of CuO nano particle mixed composite have the greatest tensile and yield strength among the composites in this investigation.

Possibilities of Using Low-Density C–C Composites for Thermal Protection of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract The study demonstrates the possibilities of using, as well as the features associated with the use of, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military and peaceful purposes. Information is provided on the need to use components that would contribute towards ensuring thermal protection against modern laser weapons. The requirements for such materials are given, according to the field of application of the UAV. An analysis of the available materials that can be used to create thermal protection of UAVs against laser weapons is provided. The thermophysical characteristics of various materials are presented. The work presents technological features of production and properties of low-density carbon–carbon composite materials (CCCM). It is proposed to consider the prospects of using CCCM materials for not only the UAV structural components but also other purposes.

A Study Regarding the Impact of Navigation Data Manipulation on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle GNSS Sensors

Abstract Nowadays, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle systems have proven to be very useful in a variety of applications, such as monitoring and surveying an area of interest, mapping inaccessible terrain, real-time traffic monitoring, reconnaissance missions, transport of loads, and also for military purposes. The movement and stability in the air of these systems is dependent on the on-board sensors such as GNSS sensors, proximity sensors, accelerometer, gyroscope, light and temperature sensors. GNSS sensors are vital devices capable of processing navigation signals to determine the position, orientation and speed of the UAV system during operation. GNSS sensors are also used in many applications that require navigation data as well as highly accurate synchronization data. Both GNSS systems and the sensors that process their data have been shown to be vulnerable to jamming and spoofing attacks. GNSS sensors are of particular importance and the information provided by them requires protection. Considering these things, this paper aims to carry out a study in which several UAV systems will be exposed to signal samples with manipulated navigation data. This study will help us to assess the impact of exploiting GNSS sensor vulnerabilities and the effects it can have during the operation of UAV systems.

Mathematical Models of the UAV Operators

Abstract The operators maintaining different kinds of activities might have different mathematical models regarding their physical and mental status, their skills and experiences, their level of training they own. Recent days more and more attention is paid to wide spread of different UAVs applied both in military and in non-military governmental applications. The UAV production industry is able to manufacture UAVs for different and diverging purposes. However, the effective maintenance of these UAVs requires highly trained and qualified operators. When massive UAV applications support combating ground forces in the war theatre the training of the UAV operators becomes to be one of the crucial criteria. Diversity of the UAV types often fabricated and gunned for military purposes shows difficulties of the training program created for UAV operators. This paper addresses mathematical models of the UAV operators applied both in open and closed loop control systems of the UAVs. Additionally, findings of this paper might support and improve selection process of the UAV operators to reach maximum efficiency of both military reconnaissance and combat applications.

THE MAIN AGENDA OF IMPROVEMENT OF UKRAINE’S MOBILIZATION POTENTIAL BASING ON THE OPTIMIZATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

This article is devoted to the finalization of the theoretical results of the research project ‘The improvement of the methods of the human capital development as a factor for the improvement of Ukraine’s mobilization potential’, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic institute, 2017-2020. The main goal of the research was the search for interdependencies and correlation of two mainstream development processes: human capital development and Ukraine’s mobilization potential for military and other possible purposes of contemporary life. The article describes the main challenges and management models used in Ukraine during the last hundred years to shape mobilization potential and defensive capacity. There is a general interdependence in civil-military relations that could be described as a gradual implementation of certain manning strategies for armed forces in Europe, and later – in the whole world. This situation has been repeated already for several times, and now the global trend is an all-volunteer force, based on the free will of a person to be a soldier. The realities of the Ukrainian situation and military conflicts, where it is involved, demonstrate the contradiction of the current situation, global trends, and expectations of the population of Ukraine. In this article, such analysis is made based on previous and actual military conflicts of Ukraine and Russia in particular. The shaping and control of processes of human capital development could become the basis for the stabilization of paradigm shifts in the current geopolitical situation. The article provides suggestions and practical advice for the improvement of the state policy of Ukraine.

Military AIs impacts on international strategic stability

Technological revolution brought major changes in the system framework of strategic stability. Artificial intelligence (AI) thrives internationally as a disruptive technology and is applied to many fields in the 21st century. This paper evaluates the strength, limitations, and impacts of AI-empowered military application on international strategic stability. Applications of AI technology for military purpose brings both positive and negative impact on nations defending and offending, so the international strategic stability. However, the impact of AI on international strategic stability is mainly negative. For facing stability challenges, nations shall formulate systematic governance of military AI; the global community shall promote friendly multilateral cooperation between each other. In the end, this view offers significant implications for maintaining international strategic stability and improving AI governance capabilities in the foreseeable future.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ТОЧНОСТИ МОДЕЛЕЙ СЛЕДЯЩЕЙ СИСТЕМЫ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ДВИЖЕНИЕМ РТК ВН В РЕЖИМЕ АВТОНОМНОГО НАВЕДЕНИЯ

The effectiveness of the use of autonomous mobile robots largely depends on the motion controlsystem. For a crew car, the question of selecting the optimal driving speed is decided by the driver. Thespeed of movement of autonomous robots, especially over very rough terrain, is significantly lower andthis is caused by the operation of an autonomous control system. In tracked chassis, one of the componentsof speed is known to have such a property as agility, which characterizes the controllability of avehicle under specified conditions. The aim of the study is to increase the efficiency of automatic controlsystems (ACS) for the movement of ground-based robotic systems for military purposes (RTK VN) on thecourse based on the application of the method of two-circuit systems equivalent to combined. The use ofautomatic control systems equivalent to combined systems makes it possible to increase the accuracy ofautomatic control systems by reducing the value of the dynamic error, that is, achieving error invariancewithout violating the stability of the system. The objective of the study is to experimentally determinethe dependences of the steady-state value of the error of reproducing the angle of the course withconstant and linear input influences in single-circuit and double-circuit automatic motion controlsystems of the RTK. In the course of the work, it was proposed to draw up structural diagrams ofautomatic traffic control systems of the RTK VN along the course angle, based on structural diagramsto develop models for conducting experimental studies of the proposed approach by computermodeling methods. In the course of the study, it is proposed to analyze the accuracy of reproducingthe angle of the course based on the data obtained as a result of modeling. As part of the ongoingwork, the task of building motion control systems for autonomous mobile tracked vehicles and robotsis considered. A model of the automatic motion control system of tracked RTCs is proposed based onthe application of the method of two-circuit systems equivalent to combined ones. The simulationresults confirm the efficiency of the proposed approach and show that it is possible to obtain improvedindicators of the functioning of the control system in terms of accuracy and efficiency.The method proposed in the article allows us to solve the problem of improving the efficiency of theRTK motion control system along the course angle in offline mode.

Toward the remote monitoring of armed conflicts.

The war in Ukraine has pushed the role of satellite imagery in armed conflicts into the spotlight. For a long time, satellite images were primarily used for military and intelligence purposes, but today they permeate every aspect of armed conflicts. Their importance in influencing the course of armed conflicts will further grow as progress in deep learning makes automated analysis progressively possible. This article assesses the state of the research working toward the remote monitoring of armed conflicts and highlights opportunities to increase the positive societal impact of future research efforts. First, we map the existing literature, categorizing studies in terms of conflict events that are covered, conflict context and scope, techniques, and types of satellite imagery used to identify conflict events. Second, we discuss how these choices affect opportunities to develop applications for human rights, humanitarian, and peacekeeping actors. Third, we provide an outlook, assessing promising paths forward. While much focus has been on high spatial resolution imagery, we demonstrate why research on freely available satellite images with moderate spatial but high temporal resolution can lead to more scalable and transferable options. We argue that research on such images should be prioritized, as it will have a greater positive impact on society, and we discuss what types of applications may soon become feasible through such research. We call for concerted efforts to compile a large dataset of nonsensitive conflict events to accelerate research toward the remote monitoring of armed conflicts and for interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure conflict-sensitive monitoring solutions.

ESTABLISHMENT AND PRACTICE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR MARINE SURVEYING AND MAPPING IN THE NEW STAGE

Abstract. In 2012, China announced its national strategy of building marine power. With the booming of marine development activity, the demand for marine surveying and mapping has increased sharply. However, education for the discipline lagged far behind the growth in demand. For a long time, education in the marine surveying and mapping discipline has faced two problems. First, the education content is mainly for military purposes, and there is little content about civilian use. Second, the education content is outdated and is far from the frontier science and engineering practice. To address these problems, Shandong University of Science and Technology has been working on the education reformation of the marine surveying and mapping discipline for more than a decade. By cooperating with our education partners from the military college, the universities, and the enterprises in maritime industries, we deeply analyzed the booming need in the marine survey and mapping field, and clarified the connotation and characteristics of the discipline in the new era. The discipline roots in the geodesy discipline, but is also deeply connected with oceanography, electromagnetics, and underwater acoustic. Moreover, it serves the national marine strategy and coastal economic development. Thus, it is an interdisciplinary emphasizing practicality and innovation. To this end, under the framework of military-civilian cooperation and industry-education integration, we establish an education alliance with participants from marine institutes, universities, industries, and users. Based on the close collaboration within the alliance, we built a new education model for undergraduate students in the marine surveying and mapping discipline. During the last decade, more than 3000 undergraduate students have been educated to fill the needs of employers relative to the marine economy. Moreover, more than 500 students obtained the qualifications as international hydrographic surveyors and cartographers, and they make worthwhile contributions to the national marine strategy and marine economic development.

The balloon post during the siege of Paris, 1870–71

This article investigates the development of balloon and pigeon-sent microfilm, both for military purposes and as a propaganda technique in besieged Paris in 1870–1871. It examines the aerial press used to communicate with the provinces, to help coordinate the actions of the French army, and to boost civilian morale. It analyses the content and reception of material sent in these ways and its effect on the mood in Paris, the objectives of the authorities and the state of the war effort and shows how early the French military developed techniques of aviation and propaganda for warfare, even though memory of this was lost and had to be re-invented in later wars.

Fighting with words: humanitarian security and the changing role of law in contemporary armed conflict.

Violence against humanitarians is a commonplace phenomenon in contemporary armed conflict. This paper examines how the manipulation of international legal principles for political or military purposes, a practice known as 'lawfare', impacts humanitarian security in conflict-affected areas. Drawing on a case study of the Syrian conflict (2011-), it finds that lawfare has been used to legitimate systematic civilian targeting by pro-government forces and to delegitimise the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas of the country. Efforts to use legal measures to promote civilian welfare-by way of sanctions or demands for cross-border humanitarian access-have been taken as evidence of Western attempts to politicise humanitarian considerations and international law. In practice, this has meant increased security risks for aid workers and impunity for those implicated in the violence. The paper concludes by calling for more critical research on lawfare and politicisation of international law as part and parcel of civilian protection in conflict-affected areas.

ANALYSIS OF ANTI-DRONE SYSTEMS

The use of drones for military and commercial purposes has grown dramatically over the past two decades, and their missions range from surveillance and reconnaissance to combat support. Technological progress has led to increased capabilities and reliabi

Airborne! UAV delivery of blood products and medical logistics for combat zones.

Innovative solutions to resupply critical medical logistics and blood products may be required in future near-peer conflicts. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being used in austere environments and may be a viable platform for medical resupply and the transport of blood products. A literature review on PubMed and Google Scholar up to March of 2022 yielded a total of 27 articles that were included in this narrative review. The objectives of this article are to discuss the current limitations of prehospital blood transfusion in military settings, discuss the current uses of UAVs for medical logistics, and highlight the ongoing research surrounding UAVs for blood product delivery. UAVs allow for the timely delivery of medical supplies in numerous settings and have been utilized for both military and civilian purposes. Investigations into the effects of aeromedical transportation on blood products have found minimal blood product degradation when appropriately thermoregulated and delivered in a manner that minimizes trauma. UAV delivery of blood products is now actively being explored by numerous entities around the globe. Current limitations surrounding the lack of high-quality safety data, engineering constraints over carrying capacity, storage capability, and distance traveled, as well as air space regulations persist. UAVs may offer a novel solution for the transport of medical supplies and blood products in a safe and timely manner for the forward-deployed setting. Further research on optimal UAV design, optimal delivery techniques, and blood product safety following transport should be explored prior to implementation.

Low cost and easily scalable microwave absorbing material based on three-layer honeycomb sandwich structures

The present work describes a new three-layer structure for developing lightweight and low-cost microwave absorbing material using available honeycomb (HC) structures sandwiched by high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites loaded with a 3% of hybrid mixture of carbon black (CB) and graphite (GF) as dielectric filler (HDPE/HB) or 5% of granitic quarry waste (HDPE/GQW) as magnetic material. The microwave absorbing properties was studied in the X-band frequency range, which is useful for military purpose. Uncoated HC structure presented reasonable microwave absorbing properties, which could be improved by a proper choice of the thickness and cell size. The three-layer structure constituted by HC (4 mm thick) sandwiched by HDPE composites (1 mm thick) with HDPE/GQW composite as the matching layer resulted in minimum reflection loss of − 30.0 dB, which corresponds to electromagnetic wave attenuation higher than 99.9%. The present work illustrates the possibility of developing low cost and lightweight microwave absorbing material with easy and scalable fabrication procedures, for applications in both civil and military fields. The results also provide useful application of the waste generated from crushed gneiss rock during the production of fine aggregates, which is important for the environmental sustainability purpose.

Road Temporary Collapsible Bridges

Abstract. Problem. Bridge crossings on motorways are the most vulnerable facilities. Restoration of bridges destroyed as a result of accidents, natural disasters and military operations is crucial for the functioning of Ukraine's economy and armed forces. The organisation of bridge reconstruction works on motorways remains one of the most challenging tasks. Reconstruction of bridges involves significant expenditure of effort, money and time. The main requirement is to restore destroyed bridges in a short time. The use of sets of temporary collapsible road bridges allows for the restoration of interrupted traffic across water obstacles in a short time. Goal. The goal of the research is to generalise and systematise temporary collapsible bridges of various static systems for civil and military purposes used in Ukraine and around the world. Methodology Methods of analysis and generalisation are used to systematise road temporary collapsible bridges of various static systems for civil and military purposes used in different countries. Results. The data for the use of temporary road collapsible bridges in Ukraine were obtained. The main characteristics of temporary bridges are: the size of spans, bridge length, carriageway width, load capacity, weight of bridge structures, main bridge elements, assembly time, etc. Originality. He article presents the results of generalisation and systematisation of temporary collapsible bridges of various static systems for civil and military purposes used in Ukraine and around the world. Practical value. The objective of the study was to familiarise a wide range of bridge specialists with the peculiarities of using various designs of temporary collapsible bridges and further modelling of organisational and technical solutions for their use in the context of military aggression against Ukraine.

Optimization of response function on hydromagnetic buoyancy-driven rotating flow considering particle diameter and interfacial layer effects: Homotopy and sensitivity analysis

Alumina is one of the modern era and most utilized ceramic materials. One example of an electrical insulating substance is alumina. It has an enhanced temperature, chemical stability and higher thermal conductivity. It is mostly used in medical, industry, household items, military purposes, production of batteries and electrical parts. Therefore, the authors have formulated a mathematical model of the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic mixed convective flow of a nanofluid containing Alumina nanoparticles past a stretching surface. Preliminary assumptions bound the nanofluid flow to be rotational, electrically conducting, dissipative, buoyancy driven, thermally heated and convective. An important investigation based on the effects of nanoparticle diameter and nanolayer of the nanofluid makes the novelty of this investigation. The modeled problem is solved with a homotopic approach, which is suitable for the solution of the highly nonlinear differential equations and has quick convergence. The outcomes of the present analysis are shown with the help of Tables and Figures. The outcomes showed that the higher resistive force at the sheet surface caused by the higher solid volume fraction (varies from 1% to 4%), diminishes the primary velocity, while escalates the secondary velocity. Additionally, the greater solid volume fraction (which ranges from 1% to 4%) raises the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid flow, resulting in an increasing conduct in the thermal function. The enhancing nanolayer to base fluid conductivity ratio (which ranges from 1.1 to 65.25), results in an increase in both velocities and thermal functions, gives the nanofluid flow a higher thermal conductivity. Additionally, the local Nusselt number and skin friction increase as a result of the higher thermal conductivity. The primary velocity and temperature are reduced due to the decrease in thermal and momentum boundary layer thicknesses brought on by the rising nanoparticle diameter (which ranges from 1 nm to 50 nm). The rate of heat transfer is significantly achieved at the higher levels of the volume fraction and radiation factor while heat source is at lower level. The friction rate at the surface is dominant at higher level values of magnetic and volume fraction factor and medium level of rotation factor. The transport of heat has highest sentivity at the middle level of thermla radaition and volume fraction of the nanoparticle and low level of heat source, while the highest sensitivity of friction factor is observed at the middle level of thermal rotation and high level nanoparticle volume fraction and magnetic factor.

An Electric Vehicle Assisted Charging Mechanism for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The global greenhouse effect and air pollution problems have been deteriorating in recent years. The power generation in the future is expected to shift from fossil fuels to renewables, and many countries have also announced the ban on the sale of vehicles powered by fossil fuels in the next few decades, to effectively alleviate the global greenhouse effect and air pollution problems. In addition to electric vehicles (EVs) that will replace traditional fuel vehicles as the main ground transportation vehicles in the future, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have also gradually and more recently been widely used for military and civilian purposes. The recent literature estimated that UAVs will become the major means of transport for goods delivery services before 2040, and the development of passenger UAVs will also extend the traditional human ground transportation to low-altitude airspace transportation. In recent years, the literature has proposed the use of renewable power supply, battery swapping, and charging stations to refill the battery of UAVs. However, the uncertainty of renewable power generation cannot guarantee the stable power supply of UAVs. It may even be very possible that a large number of UAVs need to be charged during the same period, causing congestion in charging stations or battery swapping facilities and delaying the arranged schedules of UAVs. Although studies have proposed the method of that employing moving EVs along with wireless charging technology in order to provide electricity to UAVs with urgent needs, the charging schemes are still oversimplified and have many restrictions. In addition, different charging options should be provided to fit the individual need of each UAV. In view of this, this work attempts to meet the mission characteristics and needs of various UAVs by providing an adaptive flight path and charging plan attached to individual UAVs, as well as reducing the power load of the renewable power generation during the peak period. We ran a series of simulations for the proposed flight path and charging mechanism to evaluate its performance. The simulation results revealed that the solutions proposed in this work can be used by UAV operators to fit the needs of each individual UAV.

USE OF GEO-INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES WHEN CONDUCTING COMBAT OPERATIONS IN MODERN CONDITIONS

The article considers the actual problem of the specifics of attracting additional resources when conducting military operations in modern conditions using the latest technologies and geo-information systems. The purpose of the article is to systematize modern technical means, namely geo-information systems for military purposes, which significantly affect the outcome of hostilities. An important task is the use of the latest technical and organizational developments. The authors consider in detail the advantages of using geographic information systems with up-to-date databases of attributive information and their use by both command and rank-and-file members of the Armed Forces. This will be facilitated by the spread of specialized applications that can be installed on an ordinary smartphone. In turn, the speed of making an informed decision will be influenced not by the availability of relevant information but also by the speed of decision-making. The solution to this problem will be facilitated by the developed interface of the latest software tools. The authors of this study solve the following tasks: they analyses the features of modern military operations and the conduct of hostilities with the help of modern technology and software tools. The authors systematize the features of attracting additional resources when conducting hostilities in modern conditions. The article proposes a general scheme for the use of human resources in modern warfare, as well as the collection, and processing of information, the formation of a database, and further use of data with the help of military GIS. The authors suggested using the interaction of satellite communications, modern methods of obtaining intelligence, and the interaction of headquarters and units directly performing combat tasks. As a promising direction for the development of the Armed Forces, it proposed to attach tasks to a digital information map and to accumulate and transfer information using modern geodatabases and data processing by modern battle management systems such as «ARTA» and «DELTA». Keywords: geoinformation technologies, geoinformation systems, armed forces, civil society, intelligence, database, UAV

Western Technology and China's Industrial Development: Steamship Building in Nineteenth-Century China, 1828–1895 by Hsien-ch'un Wang

Reviewed by: Western Technology and China's Industrial Development: Steamship Building in Nineteenth-Century China, 1828–1895 by Hsien-ch'un Wang Bert Becker (bio) Western Technology and China's Industrial Development: Steamship Building in Nineteenth-Century China, 1828–1895 By Hsien-ch'un Wang. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. Pp. xvi + 229. Hsien-ch'un Wang's book describes the process of transferring steam-engine technology to China in the nineteenth century and the subsequent impact on Chinese technical education and shipbuilding. It highlights how Chinese senior officials either welcomed or hindered technological innovation and progress. Steamship building depended on government subsidies. The book demonstrates the scientific and technological underpinnings of this transfer process. Wang presents the early attempts to build steamers in China in a very readable and even exciting way, with colorful descriptions enhanced by impressive images. Wang writes that once Chinese officials understood the importance of steam power for military purposes, they recruited European technicians and instructors, starting an education process that lasted until the end of the century. Translating steam-engine management manuals and popularized science textbooks from European languages introduced Chinese readers to new terms and concepts. The Fuzhou Navy Yard serves as a case study illustrating the fundamental problems of transferring Western science to China. The major value of the book is that Wang largely and consistently employs Chinese primary and secondary sources. Furthermore, he compares China's path to modern shipbuilding with the Japanese experience around the same time. His aim is to reject common notions that the Chinese government in its years of decline was too inept to acquire steam technology (as U.S. historian John Fairbank's seminal studies suggest), or that internal socioeconomic or political dynamics or a deep-rooted conservative society (as other historians argue) sufficiently explain China's difficulties handling steam technology. Wang sees China's techno-scientific settings as the major factor impeding technological progress. Before the 1911 revolution brought an end to the Qing dynasty, structural inefficiencies such as the dominance of senior officials making poor decisions, a weak fiscal system, and a lack of funds had prevented major progress in China's shipbuilding industry. Remarkably, Wang addresses the problematic lack of private initiatives that turned the Chinese "age of steam" into a government-sponsored phenomenon. Yet he does not draw the logical conclusion that the manic absolute state control of technical developments was perhaps the main reason why China lost out to [End Page 645] its rival Japan, suffering a humiliating military defeat in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95). Historians interested in the history of science will find much important and useful information in Wang's book on China's knowledge of Western sciences at the time. It is fascinating to read that missionaries were the first to introduce technical books and discover how "collaborative translations" and complicated teamwork between (mostly English-speaking) foreigners and Chinese translators worked in practice. This is described in such a sophisticated and detailed way that the book is also valuable for linguistics experts. Educational historians will learn about the lack of curricula science in China, the establishment of new schools teaching scientific subjects, and individual students pursuing a science education in China and abroad. For maritime and business historians of China, the chapter on the Fuzhou Navy Yard's founding and development is certainly the most interesting. It is well situated in the context of global shipbuilding history, demonstrating the French and British naval schools' diverse influences creating and shaping the Chinese Navy. Wang rejects the notion that the Navy Yard's progress was hampered by Chinese staff preferring civil service to a technical career. He considers government intervention crucial, an assumption that is reinforced when comparing the Fuzhou Yard with the British Royal Naval Dockyards. By subcontracting work to private shipbuilders such as the prominent marine engineering company Armstrong, the British Admiralty stimulated competition, driving private shipbuilders to develop new designs that attracted contracts from the Royal Navy or even foreign governments. Unable to play a similar role, the Fuzhou Navy Yard received insufficient funding from the central government to provide domestic shipbuilders with the financial resources they needed. It is revealing to learn that, from...