Use Of Small Arms Research Articles

Acoustic aspects in the construction and upgrading of military firing ranges - Part 1

Military firing ranges are indispensable facilities to train armed forces in handling and use of small arms. In the past, such ranges were outdoor installations. Due to noise problems around some of these shooting ranges they will be replaced more and more by indoor shooting facilities, which increases the noise impact on the personnel. First, the design of shooting ranges must consider the internal and external firing safety. However, acoustics comes next. There are two different but equally important objectives. The facilities should be built in such a way that (1) the noise impact on the hearing of personnel and (2) the noise impact on the neighbourhood is as low as possible. The design of shooting ranges should already take these aspects into account during the planning phase. This article focusses on the topic of acoustic safety (1) and is divided into two parts. Part I: The first part describes the procedure acoustic safety and demonstrates how requirements for surfaces in planned facilities are determined from computer-aided calculations using ray tracing in combination with the AHAAH model.

Acoustic aspects in the construction and upgrading of military firing ranges - Part 2

Military firing ranges are indispensable facilities to train armed forces in handling and use of small arms. In the past, such ranges were outdoor installations. Due to noise problems around some of these shooting ranges they will be replaced more and more by indoor shooting facilities, which increases the noise impact on the personnel. First, the design of shooting ranges must consider the internal and external firing safety. However, acoustics comes next. There are two different but equally important objectives. The facilities should be built in such a way that (1) the noise impact on the hearing of personnel and (2) the noise impact on the neighbourhood is as low as possible. The design of shooting ranges should already take these aspects into account during the planning phase. This article focusses on the topic of acoustic safety (1) and is divided into two parts. Part II: The second part of the article describes the practical application of the new directive, with its acoustic material and measurement requirements, based on a recent tendering procedure in which various companies were offered the opportunity to develop acoustic wall and ceiling systems for indoor shooting ranges as part of a so-called competitive dialog.

ВДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ОДНОГО ІЗ НАПРЯМІВ НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВОГО РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ФІЗИЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ПЕРСОНАЛУ ЯК СКЛАДОВОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ В УСТАНОВАХ ВИКОНАННЯ ПОКАРАНЬ

The article defines the need to make changes to the regulatory and legal acts on the handling of weapons by personnel of bodies and institutions for the execution of punishments, taking into account the need to provide firearms and special equipment and training in the rules and methods of applying elements of physical security, which in turn are a component of general security in penitentiary institutions for the transition to the latest, modern types of weapons according to NATO standards. It is noted that in order to ensure the security of places of deprivation of liberty is one of the main tasks defined by legislative and other normative legal acts of Ukraine (in particular, the Criminal Code of Ukraine, laws of Ukraine: “On State Criminal and Executive Service”, “On pre-trial detention”, rules of internal procedure of institutions for the execution of punishments and the rules of the internal procedure of pretrial detention centers of the State Criminal and Executive Service of Ukraine), which are in front of the personnel of bodies and institutions for the execution of punishments. In today’s realities, Order of the State Department on Issues of Execution of Punishments of the penitentiary institutions No. 86 dated May 17, 2001. “Small arms shooting course for members of the rank and command staff of the Criminal and Executive System” has lost its relevance against the background of the reform of the penitentiary service system with the need to switch to the latest, modern weapons in accordance with NATO standards and the implementation of the recommendations of the European Penitentiary Rules. The article states that the problem of handling weapons exists and it must be solved as soon as possible for the reliable protection of personnel and contingents under guard in the penitentiary institutions, which is an urgent necessity in today’s conditions. That is why there was a real need to develop a new normative-legal Act on the training of penitentiary institutions personnel, which will be intended not only for the skillful and effective use of small arms during the performance of official tasks: “A small arms shooting course for members of the rank and command staff of the State Criminal and Executive Service of Ukraine”, and mastering the skills of shooting with the latest weapons, according to NATO standards. Key words: physical safety, shooting course, handling of weapons, performance of official tasks.

Implications of Cross Border Proliferation of Small and Light Weapons (SALWs) for Nigeria’s National Security: A Study of Kaduna State, 2010-2020

This work examined the security implications of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in Nigeria laying more emphasis on Kaduna State. The work relied on both primary and secondary data. For the primary data, they were obtained through an in-depth interview with key stakeholders who are abreast with issues of the subject matter, this included all three arms of the armed forces, the police, customs, immigration, and those who have been victims of attack and culprits who were arrested with SALWs. While secondary data were sourced from textbooks, journal articles, seminar papers, and newspapers, among others on the subject matter. The work adopted the relative deprivation theory as a framework of analysis. Findings of the work show that there were serious security implications of the proliferation of SALWs for Kaduna state which has led to an increase in crime rate, political violence, conflicts, and disruption of economic activities within the period under review. The study, therefore, recommends inter-agency and bilateral cooperation on border patrol, adequate equipment and training of security personnel, proper remuneration for security agents, improved government policies and framework to grow the economy and create jobs, strict adherence to prescribing laws and regulations governing the possession and use of small arms and light weapons among others.

A set of components of psychophysical readiness of representatives of security and defense sector institutions of Ukraine with law enforcement functions for the use of small arms, as the basis of personal safety in extreme conditions of SCA

Summarizing the results of the monitoring of specialized Internet sources, taking into account the results of the analysis of scientific and methodological and reference literature, it was established, that the urgent issue of the development and approval of pedagogical models (technologies), methods, pedagogical conditions for the formation of psychophysical readiness of future officers of institutions of the security and defense sector of Ukraine with law enforcement functions for the use of small arms is devoted to the insufficient number of scientific works, this, in turn, emphasizes the relevance and practical component of the chosen direction of scientific research.
 The main goal of the study is to test directions for improving the components of the psychophysical readiness of future law enforcement officers to use service firearms. Research methods: abstraction, measurement, expert evaluation, survey, comparison, observation (mathematical statistics), etc.
 In the process of research and analytical work, directions for improving the components of psychophysical readiness of future law enforcement officers for the use of service firearms were developed and tested. Taking into account the content of educational and professional training programs for future law enforcement officers, the practical experience gained by representatives of the institutions of the security and defense sector of Ukraine during armed resistance to the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, directions for improving the components of the psychophysical readiness of representatives of the studied category to use firearms were identified and scientifically substantiated, that is, psychological and combat readiness appear as separate components. In turn, combat readiness consists of: from physical (special physical), fire, tactical-special and situational readiness. The effectiveness of the implementation of directions for improving the components of the psychophysical readiness of future law enforcement officers for the use of firearms has been experimentally proven, in particular, it was found that during the experiment, the number of Eg acquirers with a low level of formation decreased significantly (by 43%), while at the same time, the number of respondents with a high level of formation of psychophysical readiness to use of firearms increased (by 16%). The results of the theoretical research are implemented in the system of special physical and fire training (professional education) of cadets: Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs and Kyiv Institute of the National Guard of Ukraine.
 Prospects for further research in the chosen field of scientific intelligence provide for the improvement of the system of special physical training of future police officers with an emphasis on the use of special obstacle courses.

PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FORMATION OF READINESS OF FUTURE OFFICERS OF SECURITY UNITS IN DEPARTMENTAL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE USE OF SMALL ARMS

Relevance. In the current geopolitical situation, military personnel have a great responsibility to ensure national security. The fulfillment of this task is impossible without the training of qualified personnel in higher military educational organizations. The use of small arms retains its importance in modern combat. In this regard, the presented work is relevant.
 Purpose. The aim of the work is to design and construct pedagogical technology for the formation of readiness of future officers of security units in departmental educational organizations for professional activities related to the use of small arms.
 The method or methodology of the work. The methodological basis of the research is formed by methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis, synthesis, diagnostic experiment and pedagogical observations.
 Results. The results of the work are to present and substantiate the effectiveness of the use of the didactic information complex during the teaching of Fire training in higher military educational organizations.
 The scope of the results. The results of the research can be applied in the field of methodology of teaching individual academic disciplines in higher military educational organizations.

"One in the breech, five in the magazine": British Aircrew Armament of the First World War

Prior to the successful adaptation of machine guns to military aircraft by means of fixed or flexible mounts, pilots and observers wishing to attack or defend themselves from enemy aircraft were obliged to make use of small arms—pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Whereas a body of research into those armaments integrated into aircraft exists, no dedicated study of aircrew weapons has thus far been published. In an effort to shed light on this little-understood aspect of firearms history, this article summarises the small arms, other than machine guns, known to have seen air service with the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during the first two years of the First World War (1914–1918). It also addresses, as far as is practicable, their usage and effectiveness with reference to period examples.

Methodology for Assessing the Level of Threats when Using Small Arms against Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The article considers a methodical approach to assessing the level of threat to the civilian population in the case of the use of small arms for shooting at unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This approach is based on modeling the process of bullet flight in the vertical plane, based on the algorithm for determining the probability of accidental human impact, which allows, depending on the kinetic energy of the bullet, to calculate the probability of accidental death and probability of accidental injury. Based on the simulation, the indicators of the probability of human injuries depend on the angles of the shot, which allows to justify the restrictions when firing UAVs from small arms.

МЕТОДИКА ФОРМУВАННЯ ВИМОГ ДО ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ШУМУ ПОСТРІЛУ ДЛЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ПРИХОВАНОГО ВИКОНАННЯ ВОГНЕВИХ ЗАВДАНЬ СИЛАМИ БЕЗПЕКИ

A shot from a small-arms weapon is accompanied by a sound that helps the enemy to reveal the fact of using the weapon and unmask the location of the shooter, so sound masking is necessary in some cases. To increase the concealment of the use of small arms, devices for reducing the sound level of the shot (PZRZP) and samples of silent (low-noise) weapons are used. Existing models of low-noise weapons and devices for reducing the noise of a shot are mostly designed for defense forces and cannot provide an acceptable level of acoustic concealment in the conditions of fire missions by security forces. Modern manufacturers are proactively developing gunshot noise reduction devices and offer their products illustrating the comparative reduction of gunshot noise with and without the use of a gunshot sound reduction device. In this case, for the conscious choice of devices for reducing the sound level of a shot, it is necessary to have reasonable requirements for the characteristics of the sound of the shot, which ensure the covert use of weapons in certain conditions of the execution of the firing task. Thus, there is a need to improve the methodical apparatus for the formation of requirements for gunshot noise characteristics for the most justified choice of a gunshot sound reduction device from among those offered by the market or being developed or modernized. The article has developed a methodology for the formation of requirements for the characteristics of gunshot noise to ensure covert execution of fire missions by security forces. The specified technique allows you to form requirements for the characteristics of gunshot noise, which ensure covert execution of a firing task in certain conditions, as well as to check the possibility of implementing these requirements on the basis of one or another sample of weapons, taking into account the possibility of correcting gunshot noise parameters and applying sound masking. In addition, the developed technique can be used to form requirements for the technical characteristics of devices for reducing the sound level of a shot and low-noise weapons at the stages of their development and modernization.

СТРІЛЕЦЬКА ЗБРОЯ ДЛЯ ПІДВОДНОЇ СТРІЛЬБИ

The article analyses the possible risks that may arise during the use of small arms for underwater shooting when combat swimmers are performing combat missions. The shortcomings that affect the accuracy and range of underwater and airborne special weapons are identified, which will reduce the likelihood of abnormal situations that can lead to tragic consequences and failure to perform the assigned combat mission. Ways to develop new small arms for use under water and on land have been identified. Extensive research into the development of underwater small arms was launched after World War II. The result is a variety of systems: rubber, spring, pneumatic, fire. Based on a brief analysis of the main characteristics of the weapon, which uses the energy of a compressed spring, the energy of a stretched rubber bundle or compressed air to throw the defeating element, it is possible to conclude that these types of underwater weapons are large, large weight and low rate of fire. They are characterized by a small power of the shot, which provides the actual movement of the bullet (harpoon, needle) at a distance of 5-10 m and a low firing density. Fulfillment of these requirements (the effect of the bullet on the target, the density and accuracy of firing, the distance of effective firing), as shown by the calculations and results of experiments, can be ensured only through the use of firearms (in which to throw the element using powder energy). Today, the armies of developed countries have a number of similar systems. Among the most significant developments is the BUW-2 submarine pistol, developed in 1971 in Germany by AJW. This is a multi-charge semi-automatic launcher that fires, active-jet bullets with hydrodynamic stabilization. The cartridges are located in 4 barrels, which create a disposable unit. In terms of firing distance, the pistol has an advantage over most samples of weapons used for spearfishing. Keywords: pistol, assault rifle, accuracy, APS, SPP.

Criminal law policy of Ukraine in the field of illicit arms trafficking in a special period

The article is devoted to the analysis of the features of criminal law policy in the field of combating crimes involving weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, at the current stage of aggravation of the criminal situation and the Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine. The lack of clear legal regulation of firearms possession in Ukraine leads to the fact that the line between legal and illegal possession is sometimes blurred. Many weapons in Ukraine, which were previously considered legal, have now been classified as "illegal" for a number of reasons. The analysis of the bills proposed for the regulation of the order of arms circulation in Ukraine is carried out. It is stated that in judicial practice in the application of Art. 262, 263, 263-1, 264 of the Criminal Code, as well as other crimes committed with the use of weapons, there are significant errors due to am-biguity in the interpretation of crime, doctrinal interpretation of these rules and their legislative imperfec-tions, gaps in criminal law policy and lack of uniform application practice. The above circumstances de-termine the relevance of the study of the legal regime of arms trafficking in Ukraine and criminal policy in the field of combating crimes involving weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices. It is emphasized that a significant amount of weapons is in illegal circulation in Ukraine. This sit-uation is complicated by a number of factors, including the significant amount of weapons left in the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014 (and, consequently, the looting of state reserves), and the influx of weapons across uncontrolled border areas. The main problems are related to the shortcomings of the legal system governing the possession and use of small arms, as well as the lack of a central register of firearms, which makes it extremely difficult to fight illicit arms trafficking.

Research of influence ballistic characteristics of weapons on the shooting efficiency taking into account the safety of the small arm use

The object of research is the process of performing a fire mission by employees of the security forces in the presence of unauthorized persons in the direction of fire. The paper investigates the influence of the ballistic characteristics of weapons on the effectiveness of performing fire missions by security forces, taking into account the security of the use of weapons. The purpose of the use of weapons by security forces is usually the cessation of the offender or its detention. In this case, the deaths or injuries of a hostage or an unauthorized person as a result of the use of weapons should qualify as failure to fulfill the assigned fire mission. An analysis of the tactics of actions and features of the use of weapons by security forces indicates that the main reason for the danger of the use of small arms for unauthorized persons is the excessive distance of the bullet’s flight, at which it maintains lethal action. At the same time, with this the distance of the lethal action of a bullet is one of the factors that can be corrected. It depends on a combination of the ballistic characteristics of the weapon, namely the muzzle speed and the ballistic coefficient of the bullet. The analysis of known studies shows that the existing scientific and methodological apparatus for determining the effectiveness of firing does not allow to determine the effectiveness of the execution of the fire mission, taking into account the safety of the use of small arms due to the imperfection of the corresponding models. The model of the process of performing the fire mission has been improved by taking into account the influence of the ballistic characteristics of the weapon on the probability of hitting unauthorized persons, which makes it possible to assess the safety of the use of weapons. As a result of the study of the influence of ballistic characteristics of weapons on firing efficiency, taking into account the safety of the use of weapons, it was found that there is a need to minimize the difference between the aiming range of the weapon and the range at which the bullet maintains lethal action. Excessive energy of a bullet increases the likelihood of hitting an outsider due to an increase in the area of the danger zone of its destruction as a result of through penetration of the target. The probability of performing a fire mission with a limitation on the safety of using weapons is positively affected by increasing the stability of the muzzle speed of a bullet.

Методичний підхід до оцінювання рівня загроз цивільному населенню у разі застосування стрілецької зброї по безпілотних літальних апаратах

Результати досліджень, що опубліковано в статті, будуть корисні для керівників військових колективів всіх рівнів, які відповідають за забезпечення безпеки цивільного населення в ході застосування зброї. В статті розглядаються методичний підхід щодо оцінювання рівня загроз цивільному населенню у разі застосування стрілецької зброї по безпілотним літальним апаратам (БпЛА). Проаналізовані існуючі документи, які регламентують застосування стрілецької зброї, встановлено, що питання безпеки цивільного населення при виконанні стрільб по повітряних цілях в них не розглядалося, що дозволило визначити невирішене наукове завдання, що полягає в формуванні методичного підходу до оцінювання рівня загроз цивільному населенню у разі застосування стрілецької зброї по БпЛА. Запропоновано наукове обґрунтування визначення ймовірності випадкового влучання кулі в людину, що розташована на певній відстані від стрілка при стрільбі по БпЛА. В якості показника оцінки рівня загроз цивільному населенню при застосуванні стрілецької зброї по БпЛА обґрунтовано використання показника “ймовірність випадкового влучення кулі в людину”. Наведений методичний підхід до оцінювання загроз цивільному населенню, який ґрунтується на імітаційному моделюванні процесу польоту кулі у вертикальній площині, основою якого є алгоритм визначення ймовірності випадкового влучення кулі в людину, який дозволяє, в залежності від кінетичної енергії кулі, розрахувати імовірність випадкового вбивства та імовірність випадкового поранення людини. Представлені розрахункові співвідношення, які дозволяють в залежності від кінетичній енергії кулі розрахувати ймовірність випадкового вбивства та ймовірність випадкового поранення людини.
 Використовуючи можливості імітаційного моделювання, запропоновано встановлювати показники ймовірності ураження людини в залежності від кутів пострілу, які дозволять обґрунтувати обмеження під час стрільби по БпЛА із стрілецької зброї. На основі запропонованого методичного підходу, визначені напрямки подальших досліджень щодо визначення ймовірності випадкового влучення кулі в людину під час стрільби зі штатної зброї калібрів від 5,45 мм та 12,7 мм по повітряним цілям типу БпЛА, які дозволять вжити заходи щодо забезпечення мінімального рівня загроз цивільному населенню.

Proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALWs) and Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Kaduna State, Nigeria (2012 to 2018)

Hardly a year passes without a media report of deadly ethnoreligious conflicts in various parts of Nigeria which results in the wanton destruction of lives and property of the citizens. In the mainstream discourse, the use of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) has been variously attributed, as the trigger for the recurring ethno religious conflicts. However, this paper attempts to unravel, using evidence from primary and secondary sources, which builds upon the fragile-state theoretical framework of analysis, the phenomenal recurring incidences of ethno religious conflicts in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on Kaduna state where the phenomenon was most endemic, from 2012 to 2018. The study adopted a time-series survey research design. A multi-stage purposeful sampling technique was adopted in selecting three hundred and thirty-seven (337) respondents from the three local government areas in the study area. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Though our research question was: ‘did the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) precipitates the recurring ethnoreligious conflicts in Kaduna state during the period 2012 to 2019?’; the findings, however, reveal that a multicollinearity of factors, notably, high-level of illiteracy, endemic poverty, unemployment, inequality and widespread drug-abuse among the youths, concomitantly explains the behavior of our dependent variable, i.e., the recurring ethno-religious conflicts in Kaduna state during the period 2012 to 2018. To mitigate and possibly annihilate this ever-recurring social anathema in Nigeria, the Nigerian government, should, as a matter of urgency, address the multifaced vices of poverty, unemployment, social and economic inequality as well as endemic illiteracy bedeviling the society in Nigeria in general, but particularly in Kaduna state.

МАТЕМАТИЧНА МОДЕЛЬ УДАРНО-СПУСКОВОГО МЕХАНІЗМУ ПІСТОЛЕТА МАКАРОВА ЯК ОБ'ЄКТА ДІАГНОСТУВАННЯ

Makarov pistol and its modifications are the most common small arms in the world. Although more than 65 years have passed since the creation of the Makarov pistol, it has a large reserve of possibilities for upgrading both the design of the gun itself and its ammunition. At present, there are about 25 domestic and foreign versions of this pistol, and in terms of the «circulation» of the issue, it is second only to the Kalashnikov assault rifle. One of the components of combat readiness of armament is its reliability. Increasing the reliability of small arms is one of the most important challenges facing developers, manufacturers and personnel that operates it. In conditions of combat operations, increasing the reliability of weapons ensures the success of the tasks. The experience of the military use of small arms shows that specimens of high combat qualities can not be recognized if they do not provide the required reliability of action. Under the reliability of weapons means its ability to store in time within the established limits the value of all parameters that characterize the ability to perform the required functions in the specified modes and conditions of use, maintenance, storage and transportation. Reliability of the operation of small arms is a set of properties that characterize the reliability of work. Many years of experience in operating Makarov pistol have shown that the firing mechanism is the least durable, increasing the life of which will increase the performance of the pistol. The article presents a mathematical model for diagnosing of a firing mechanism of Makarov pistol as an object of diagnostic for the purpose of detecting malfunctions depending on their characteristics, which will significantly increase the life of the pistol. A diagnostic matrix and a flow chart for its synthesis have been built.

Small arms and light weapons: the disjunction problem

ABSTRACTGrowing in range and urgency, humanitarian needs now pose increasingly acute questions for national security policy formulation. Whether over forced migration, food scarcity or nefarious electronic penetration, state security preferences face uneasy accommodations with individual needs be it for child survival, basic sustenance or rights to privacy. This paper deliberates a further field of increasingly apparent value contest: that involving the transfer, diversion and lethal use of small arms and light weapons (SALW). After outlining the scale of this phenomenon, existing regulatory mechanisms over SALW transfers are assessed. It is argued that these controls are inadequate, a deficiency that is embedded within a range of inter-linked disjunctions. They are outlined in a model that is evaluated against empirical findings. Where SALW control inadequacy is causally connected to the disjunctive model, it is argued, current levels of SALW-induced casualties are unlikely to abate. The paper concludes by considering feasible options for enhanced management of global SALW proliferation.

Approaches to estimation of efficiency of shooting from small weapons

In the process of further re-equipping units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the latest models of small arms, the modernization of existing weapons and the adoption of new weapons is taking place. This raises the task of providing divisions with such weapons, whose properties would ensure the defeat of the goals set in various combat conditions. A large number of scientific works are devoted to the study of this issue, in which the procedure for determining the effectiveness of small arms shooting is described in detail. Today it became necessary to determine the combat effectiveness of small arms equipped with the latest sights, various additional devices, as well as shooting at targets in the means of personal protection. In this paper, the methods of system analysis and comparison consider existing approaches to determine the effectiveness of shooting and methods of calculating performance indicators and generalize the main criteria for assessing the effectiveness of firing from small arms. As a result of the analysis of the approaches under consideration, the following conclusions were drawn: for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of small arms shooting, indicators such as the probability of hit the target, the probability of defeating the target, the average ammunition dispersion to fulfill the fire task, the average time spent on the task; Determining the effectiveness of firing in accordance with the existing techniques requires carrying out large-scale and sufficiently complex mathematical calculations, as well as numerous statistical testing of landfills. The main task of further research is to study the effectiveness of the military use of small arms with collimator (thermal) sights and additional devices designed to increase the effectiveness of weapons.

Policy by Other Means: Collective Self-Defense and the Politics of Japan's Postwar Constitutional Reinterpretations

Policy by Other Means:Collective Self-Defense and the Politics of Japan's Postwar Constitutional Reinterpretations Adam P. Liff (bio) keywords japan, security policy, u.s.-japan alliance, collective self-defense, japanese constitution [End Page 139] executive summary This article analyzes Japan's landmark cabinet decision reinterpreting the constitution to allow the limited exercise of collective self-defense (CSD) in both a historical and a contemporary context and assesses its implications for the conditions under which Japan may use military force. main argument In July 2014, a historic cabinet decision reinterpreted Article 9 of Japan's 1947 constitution to allow the use of force to aid an ally under attack, overturning 60 years of authoritative constitutional interpretations categorically prohibiting Japan's exercise of CSD. The decision was followed by a revision of the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines and landmark legislation intended to transform Japan's security policy. Yet the change is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Japan's self-imposed precondition for the use of force by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) remains uniquely strict: an armed attack posing an existential threat to Japan's security. Nor is this the first case of a major reinterpretation of Article 9. Though its original wording remains untouched, the article's effective policy significance has changed repeatedly over 70 years in accordance with shifting domestic political winds and perceived strategic exigencies. Specific to post-2014 developments, understanding what changed and why—especially how Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his allies' push for full exercise of CSD failed—elucidates the strategic, political, and normative factors shaping changes to Japan's security policy and the U.S.-Japan alliance. policy implications • While Japan may now legally exercise "limited" collective self-defense, unique, self-imposed conditions appear so strict that the use of force in support of allies or partners outside a defense-of-Japan scenario seems unlikely. • Security legislation in effect since 2016 opens up space for more expansive JSDF logistical support for U.S. military operations, bilateral planning, and exercises, as well as new authorities that somewhat resemble collective security or CSD operations in peacetime, including use of small arms during UN peacekeeping operations and protection of foreign militaries engaged in activities contributing to Japan's defense. • Without formal constitutional revision (at a minimum), however, more ambitious efforts to fundamentally transform Article 9's interpretation or the scope of scenarios in which Japan can use force overseas are unlikely without major domestic political realignments. [End Page 140] On July 1, 2014, global headlines were awash with news of Japan's historic cabinet decision "reinterpreting" its never-revised 1947 constitution to allow the country for the first time to exercise collective self-defense (CSD)—the UN Charter–sanctioned right to use force to aid an ally under attack. This substantively unprecedented, controversial decision spearheaded by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe overturned 60 years of authoritative government interpretations forbidding the exercise of CSD on constitutional grounds. It sparked a political firestorm domestically, and its policy impact was swift: in April 2015, Tokyo and Washington rewrote the seminal document articulating the allies' respective responsibilities and procedures for operational coordination. In March 2016, landmark legislation intended to transform and "normalize" Japan's security posture and expand the roles and missions of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) came into effect. The debate that was sparked by the Abe administration's push to enable Japan to exercise CSD without formally revising the constitution's famous Article 9 "peace clause" became a revealing focal point for the latest intense contestation of core issues permeating Japan's postwar domestic politics. These issues range from the legitimacy and appropriate role of Japan's de facto military and alliance with the United States to deeply sensitive domestic political issues concerning civil-military relations, Japan's democratic institutions, and even national identity. The political atmosphere was highly incendiary. Domestic and overseas criticism of Abe's allegedly unprecedented affront to Japan's democratic norms and constitutionalism was widespread, while warnings of resurgent Japanese "militarism" abounded and opposition parties disparaged bills codifying the reinterpretation in law as "war legislation" (senso hoan) that would inevitably trap young Japanese in foreign wars "on the far side of the...

Child Soldiers: Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front

Child Soldiers: Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front

Mitigation of armed criminality through an African indigenous approach

Insecurity with the use of small arms has become a disturbing theme in Kenya increasing over the past two decades. Rural areas have seen escalating levels of armed inter-communal resource conflict, with rustling of large numbers of cattle and loss of lives. Official security forces may be weak in such areas, or may be corrupt, demanding bribes to provide their services. In such circumstances communities may resort to providing their own solutions, which have their merits and demerits. One such homegrown solution has come out of Kuria. The Sungusungu are indigenous police, attached to a traditional Iritongo or court owned and funded by the community, and later hesitantly supported by the modern public administration. Their efforts at managing armed criminality in the late 1990s were unexpectedly successful, bringing law and order and leading to a transformation in the district. This article considers their successes and also notes real and potential problems with this concept of indigenous policing, with regard to its wider application.