Western Military Research Articles

Manoeuvre Warfare in the Baltic

NATO is facing a doctrinally contradictory defence posture in the Baltic States, as those countries are investing in a static defence line even while Western militaries adhere to manoeuvrist operational approaches. Lukas Milevski argues that political imperatives and tactical conditions make static defence more appropriate than manoeuvre warfare. Politically, NATO’s policy of defending every inch and the Baltic experience of Russian occupation require forward defence. Second, the Russian border will always stop offensive manoeuvre. Tactically, the increasing difficulty of crossing the battlefield intact improves the chances of tactical defence and throws doubt upon the necessity of defensive operational manoeuvre. ◼

الاستشراق: الماضي والحاضر

This paper sheds light on the various stages, reasons, goals and agendas that the discourse of Orientalism has gone through since early centuries onwards. It exposes the critical ideological hostility between the West and the East, as well as Christianity and Islam, which has resulted in the proliferation of countless fabrications, misconceptions and lies within the discourse of Orientalism considering the Orient. The paper attempts to prove that Orientalism is a solely Western style that has never ever been pure or realistic in representing the Islamic East. However, it has always been negative and unfair in dealing with everything related to the Orient. Indeed, it is used as both a preparation and justification for the Western military and ideological clashes and colonization on the Orient. This paper includes an introduction, two sections and a conclusion. The first section provides a detailed background about the various reasons behind the appearance and development of Orientalism throughout history while the following section tracks the origin of Orientalism from the past up to the present day. The paper concludes that Orientalism is not a new phenomenon and it cannot be understood as a homogeneous discourse, yet it has changed, transformed and mutated throughout history. It is the huge Western body of literary, historical or sociological texts that only aims at dominating, restructuring and having authority over the Orient.

Citizens of Russia on hybrid socio-political reality in the country

The strategic intent of the current U.S. administration to win a geopolitical victory over Russia with the help of Ukraine’s nationalist elite is becoming a catastrophic reality, as the Russian Federation’s special military operation and a series of failed “offensives” by Ukraine’s armed forces evolve. Existential threat has forced the Russian state and civil society to mobilize in the shortest possible time armed forces, economy and military-industrial complex to repel the Western military proxy intervention. The scientific sociological information about the socio-political potential and reserves of the Russian society, its readiness, nature and degree of motivation for the defense of the Fatherland are of crucial importance for an effective management of the current disposition along Russia’s western borders. The Scientific-analytical and informational work is complicated by the fact that the picture of the hybrid socio-political reality of the country’s life is purposefully distorted by the enemy by means and channels of mass propaganda and communication in order to disinform the population and the armed forces. The empirical basis of the article is the data of sociological monitoring “How are you Russia?” about the current aspects of civil society life, based on the analysis of which conclusions are drawn about feasible resources and trends in the development of the socio-political situation in our country and the world. Sociological measurements in 2023, compared with data from previous years, allow us to conclude that Russian society has a high resource for socio-political stability and consolidation. Thus, an analysis of the structure of current anxiety showed that SVO did not have a critically destabilizing effect on the life of any group of Russian society. The share of those who believe that the political system needs to be radically changed decreased in 2023 to a minimum (16%) over the last 30 years of measurements. The overwhelming majority (73%) of Russians believe that the main threats to Russia come from abroad. The index of socio-political sustainability returned in 2023 to the zone of stable and sustainable development, reaching its highest value in 30 years of monitoring measurements. The noted positive trends show that Russia successfully continues the searching for a balance and symphony of interests in the modern hybrid social reality.

More Conflicts, More Deaths—Everyone Talks about Winning the War, but No One Talks About Achieving Peace

This article examines the multifaceted challenges posed by the current global conflict landscape, emphasizing the interconnectedness of development, security, and peace. Firstly, the article highlights the increase in both state and non state conflicts, with fatalities nearly doubling from 2021 to 2022. This escalation is marked by significant conflicts like the Russia–Ukraine war and the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, contributing to the deterioration of global security. The analysis also touches on the failure of regional and international organizations such as the African Union, ASEAN, and the United Nations in effectively managing these conflicts and maintaining peace. Secondly, the article delves into the evolving nature of warfare, including the rise of digital attacks and hybrid warfare, which blend conventional and unconventional tactics. This section underscores the need for a new, comprehensive peace architecture to address the array of modern threats, including climate change and pandemics, which extend beyond traditional military concerns. Finally, the article discusses the concerning decline of anti-war movements in the West, particularly in light of recent conflicts like the Ukraine war. This decline is attributed to various factors, including the perception of Western military actions as inherently benevolent and the shift in activism focus to issues like climate change and social justice. The article argues that this decline has profound implications for democratic processes and the global pursuit of peace.

War Becoming Phantasmal: A Cognitive Shift in Organized Violence beyond Traditional Limits

The entirety of human existence suggests multiple war theories and competing belief systems on what war is and how it can or cannot be exercised, even if we often are preoccupied with the current framework. Premodern societies differed from modern ones on whether humans or something divine or supernatural control the contexts and outcomes of war. Collectively, our species retains a firm appreciation of the assumed limits of what constitutes organized violence for political, social, or cultural aims, depending on the group and context. Yet in the twenty-first century, we may finally have set into motion the seeds of an unfamiliar, potentially incomprehensible, and likely transformative pathway where artificial intelligence or transhuman modifications may reveal what is called a “phantasmal transformation of war.” Complexity science explains reality and war so that earlier attempts—particularly those of the classical or natural science period and earlier prescientific attempts—are illuminated as insufficient or irrelevant outside of narrow or contextual applications. Today, Western militaries remain wedded to what is explained as a “Newtonian-style worldview” for understanding war, with select terms assimilated from complexity science and others ignored entirely. Indeed, modern military theorists assume an almost ideological devotion to what is largely a pseudo-scientific, static mode of framing war. Humans paired with certain advanced technology may also redefine war beyond previous physical domain and kinetic circumstances, including new manifestations in space, in cyberspace, and through accelerated human-machine teaming arrangements. Such novel conflict may in some applications exceed both human design and comprehension, potentially existing in planes or manifestations that are either undetectable by humans, rendered incomprehensible by select human actors, or potentially in modes that exceed the witting participation and awareness of our species.

The Israel-Hamas conflict: ‘You might not be interested in attrition, but attrition is interested in you’

ABSTRACT This article discusses the Israel-Hamas conflict, focusing on the ‘survive-win’ cycle and the concept of attrition in armed conflict. It highlights how power differentials between combatants – like Hamas and the Israeli Defense Force – lead to strategies like positional warfare and Fabian tactics, ultimately resulting in wars of attrition. Further, research illustrates that attrition is a fundamental aspect of conflict, challenging the idea that Western militaries should avoid the approach. Moreover, precision munitions in urban areas, such as Gaza City, still lead to significant casualties and collateral damage, urging a realistic acknowledgment of attrition in warfare.

Politics of France for obtaining European strategic autonomy in outer-space exploration

The development of such an immense strategic domain as an outer-space is based upon two pillars – civil and military. Space is a subject of competition between the most influential world powers, with the participation of state and inter-state structures, as well as private companies. Areas of panEuropean cooperation in the space sector are analyzed, including the participation of France and the EU and ESA, and the key and in some cases the leading role of France in these processes. The geopolitical significance of the outer-space in global competition and the evolution of the position of European powers and specifically of France in relation to the military component of space exploration are studied. Outer-space and cyber-space now are interpreted in Western military strategies as the fourth and the fifth “domains” of military operations, together with land-, sea- and air-domains. Western powers are coordinating and integrating their military-space activities. France and the governing structures of the European Union place an emphasis on assuring the strategic independence of Europe from the USA and from the technologies of “third countries” in space exploration, the military exploration of space included. The EU pays great attention to the formation and development of the “space economy” and the links between the state space programs with the private sector and private investments. The outer- space in the third decade of the XXI century has become a domain of everyday and constant activities of “space powers”, and because of the role of space technologies in the areas of communications, internet and cell communications, geo-positioning, TV-broadcasting, etc. widely interfere in the life of all other states on the planet. The militarization of the outer-space in different formats is actively progressing and requires active political efforts to ensure its peaceful use.

Afghan Scholars’ Response to Perspectives on the Afghanistan War: Arrogant Conquest; Disgraceful Withdrawal

In response to the special issue on the Afghanistan War published by Armed Forces & Society, this article offers alternative perspectives regarding America’s longest war from the point of view of scholars who experienced the war firsthand and continue to live in its aftermath. We argue that Afghanistan was invaded by Western militaries who came to experience political failures and moral regrets. The soil could be conquered, but the Afghan nation has always strictly rejected foreign rulers and dictations. As our research critically evaluated the special issue articles published in the Armed Forces and Society Journal, we believe these articles fall short of reasonable analysis by only considering and analyzing the military strategies, war tactics, and failed stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. Civilian casualties owing to military operations by U.S.-led forces, not establishing an inclusive central government, strong resistance of the Taliban, ignoring the Afghan nation’s core ambitions, Pakistan’s double game policy, and high level of corruption led the U.S. to defeat. Nevertheless, we conclude that the U.S. approach to getting revenge for 9/11 victims and restoring their dignity through banzai attacks, blind bombardments, and night raids in civilians’ homes in Afghan cities and villages and taking innocent lives must be recognized, remembered, and condemned.

European military surgical teams in combat theater: A survey study on deployment preparation and experience

IntroductionAdequate (predeployment) training of the nowadays highly specialized Western military surgical teams is vital to ensure a broad range of surgical skills to treat combat casualties. This survey study aimed to assess the self-perceived preparedness, training needs, deployment experience, and post-deployment impact of surgical teams deployed with the Danish, Dutch, or Finnish Armed Forces. Study findings may facilitate a customized predeployment training. MethodsA questionnaire was distributed among Danish, Dutch, and Finnish military surgical teams deployed between January 2013 and December 2020 (N = 142). The primary endpoint of self-perceived preparedness ratings, and data on the training needs, deployment experiences, and post-deployment impacts were compared between professions and nations. ResultsThe respondents comprised 35 surgeons, 25 anesthesiologists, and 39 supporting staff members, with a response rate of 69.7 % (99/142). Self-perceived deployment preparedness was rated with a median of 4.0 (IQR 4.0–4.0; scale: 1 [very unprepared]–5 [more than sufficient]). No differences were found among professions and nations. Skills that surgeons rated below average (median <6.0; scale: 1 [low]–10 [high]) included tropical disease management and maxillofacial, neurological, gynecological, ophthalmic, and nerve repair surgery. The deployment caseload was most often reported as <1 case per week (41/99, 41.4 %). The need for professional psychological help was rated at a median of 1.0 (IQR 1.0–1.0; scale: 1 [not at all]–5 [very much]). ConclusionsMilitary surgical teams report overall adequate preparedness for deployment. Challenges remain for establishing broadly skilled teams because of a low deployment caseload and ongoing primary specializations. Additional training and exposure were indicated for several specialism-specific skill areas. The need for specific training should be addressed through customized predeployment programs.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Chinese Public Support for War

AbstractThis study examines how the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Western responses influence Chinese public opinion on the use of force. Using two original, preregistered online survey experiments, first in June 2022 and then in June 2023, we show that the Russian invasion is associated with a modest but statistically significant increase in Chinese support for using military force in international affairs in general and against Taiwan in particular. However, information on Western military measures aiding Ukraine curbs the modest impact of the invasion. Such information is especially effective in reducing support for an outright military invasion of Taiwan. Causal mediation analyses reveal that the Russian invasion influences public opinion by inducing optimism regarding military success and pessimism regarding peaceful resolution of the conflict. These findings suggest that foreign military aggression and subsequent international countermeasures can sway domestic public opinion on using military force.

The Rhodesian “War in the Bush” (1965–1979) in Western Military Studies

The Rhodesian “War in the Bush” (1965–1979) in Western Military Studies

Characteristics of bone metabolism disorders in military personnel in the Arctic regions: prospective study

OBJECTIVE. To study characteristics of bone metabolism disorders in military personnel in the Arctic regions.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS. The survey was conducted and medical documentation of 189 male soldiers aged 23–42 (average age - 29,6±5,6) was studied. Depending on the duty station all the surveyed were divided into two groups: I – 107 soldiers, performing military service in the Arctic regions with at least 2 years of experience, II – 82 soldiers from the Western Military Region. Complaints, anamnesis data, objective status (including anthropometry) and medical documentation were assessed and studied in the surveyed military personnel. For estimating bone-mineral density, the method of calcaneus ultrasonography, using «GE Healthcare Achilles» densitometer was applied. The content of total calcium, inorganic phosphorus as well as the concentration of bone resorption markers – СТХ and NTX in the blood serum were used as analyzed laboratory rate of bone metabolism.&#x0D; RESULTS. The study showed that almost half of the military personnel in the Arctic regions (48,6%) had the rate of bone-mineral density below the average value for healthy men of the same age group. It was noted that prevalence of osteopenia in the Arctic is significantly higher compared to military personnel from temperate regions. When studying bone resorption markers, it was noted that the group of Arctic military personnel experienced statistically significant increase in NTX, characterizing the rate of degradation in the newly formed bone as well as the tendency towards increase in CTX, reflecting the rate of degradation relative to the old bone.&#x0D; DISCUSSION. The main link in the pathogenesis of low bone-mineral density in military personnel in the unfavorable Arctic environment is D3 vitamin metabolism disorder by lowering its formation in the skin and also it limited intake with food. High prevalence of disorder in bone-mineral density among Arctic military personnel might indicate the need for a more rigorous selection process in the Arctic regions with a mandatory in-depth survey of the bone metabolism system (determination of total calcium content, inorganic phosphorus, D3 vitamin) as well as performing according to osteodensitometry. It is advisable to conduct an annual survey of the Arctic military personnel at the duty station, involving a visiting military-medical commission with a therapist or rheumatologist as its member.

The Primitivisation of Major Warfare

Despite optimistic technological visions, future warfare is likely to consume and destroy military equipment and personnel at rates for which the West is ill prepared. Medium and larger militaries in particular may be primitivised during and by future warfare: they may become more socially, organisationally and technologically primitive versions of themselves. This is a process with historical and contemporary precedents, as experienced by Germany’s Wehrmacht during the Second World War and the Russian army in Ukraine today. The tactical and operational realities of sustained military campaigning against a major adversary may well primitivise Western militaries too, a challenge for which better technology is at once a partial answer and a vulnerability. Primitivisation has implications not only for defence-industrial and personnel policies, but also force design and ultimately employment.

Effects of 12-Month Training Intervention on Physical Fitness, Body Composition, and Health Markers in Finnish Navy Soldiers.

Most Western adults do not meet the recommendations for sufficient activity, and obesity is a global problem. Similar trends are also seen among Western military personnel. Many successful physical training interventions have been carried out in military environments, but the interventions have been quite short term, and the training has been supervised. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-month voluntary motivational training intervention among the Finnish Defence Forces' (FDF) Navy soldiers. In total, 77 FDF Navy soldiers, serving in missile patrol boats, took part in the study. The intervention group (IG) contained 45 participants and the control group (CG) contained 32 participants. The IG was divided into four teams that carried out the intervention, while the CG took part in only the measurements. Most of the participants (65%) in the IG reported that they had increased their exercise volume during the intervention, but no major beneficial impacts on the physical fitness, body composition, or health markers were observed. Nevertheless, there was a clear diversity visible between the subgroups in the IG. The team that reported the most exercise had the best motivation and the most motivated team coach and also had the most improved physical fitness and body composition results. The present study points out that in military environments, long-term voluntary training interventions may not be as successful as short-term supervised interventions. The results also suggest that in voluntary training interventions among military personnel, the participants' motivation to exercise is a key factor when improving physical fitness.

Some Legal Aspects of Western Military Aid to Ukraine

The article deals with the some legal aspects of Western military aid to Ukraine. The first part briefly analyzes the Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine from a "just war" perspective. The following part is devoted to individual perspectives of different branches of international law on military aid to Ukraine - the law of neutrality, ius ad bellum, ius in bello, issues of co-belligerency and state responsibility for complicity in internationally illegal actions. The conclusion summarizes the findings and gives an answer to the question why Western aid to Ukraine mostly does not violate the norms of international law.

Western Estimates of Russian Military Capabilities and the Invasion of Ukraine

ABSTRACT The poor performance of the Russian military during the invasion of Ukraine came as a surprise to many in the West. This prompted a debate about why Russian capabilities had been overestimated. Fingers were pointed at the work of Western military analysts who, in the eyes of some critics, had based their estimates almost entirely on numbers and technology, resulting in mistaken predictions of a quick and decisive Russian victory. It has since been suggested that changes to the practices of Western military analysis are required if similar future failures are to be avoided. This article takes stock of this debate, proposing that the reasons for Western overestimates of Russian military capabilities and the lessons to be learned from this are far more complex than suggested by the critics. Discussing the political nature of military assessments and defense debates, the problems inherent in military analysis, and the difficulties associated with predicting outcomes in war, it concludes that laying blame for overestimates of Russian military power on Western experts is a fallacy. Expectations of achieving accurate future military assessments by refining the analytical base need to be tempered.

The Significance of Chinese Art Songs by Huang Tzu (1904 - 1938)

Chinese art song, a type of Chinese New Music, was a musical genre referring to the songs composed particularly in the 1920s. It is undeniable that it was a product of the real contact and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Imagine listening to music like Schubert or Puccini, you may suddenly realise that the language is not German or Italian, but an exotic language (Mandarin, also mixed with different Chinese dialects). Chinese art songs indeed had such characteristics. Its appearance was epoch-making. Before the 19th century, the gate of Chinese traditional culture was closed and self-sufficient, but due to the invasion of Western powers, this gate soon collapsed. Western culture also swept China along with the military trend in the early 20th century, causing earth-shaking changes in China, in which Western music was also introduced into China. Some intellectuals enlightened by modern thoughts and knowledge believed that in addition to learning western military and technology, they should also absorb their philosophy and culture, so that China could rise in all directions and catch up with Western powers. The theme of this research revolves around one of the intellectuals (composers) of this period, Huang Tzu (1904-1938) who challenged and responded to the culture shock through composing Chinese New Music. After studying in the United States in 1926, he returned to Shanghai, China. Like the intellectuals at that time, in addition to being proficient in various fields like science, he also dabbled in music. Many of Huang Tzu’s music revolved around the concept of "nationality". It refers to an approach: borrowing Western compositional techniques to highlight the values of traditional Chinese aesthetics. This research did not aim at describing the characteristics of music or literature in Chinese art songs itself. Yet, it finally allowed me to discover more about how intellectuals dealt with issues of cultural exchange between the East and the West a hundred years ago. What would be the effects if Western music elements, such as harmony, form, techniques and musical instruments were added to the Chinese traditional music language and habits? From a cultural perspective, what significance did this incur?

Military Assistance to Ukraine and Its Significance in the Russo-Ukrainian War

The interest of social sciences in the military dates back ages, and currently, special attention is being paid to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The present paper also follows this research trend, and it intends to analyze both the tactical and operational levels of war by investigating how the military assistance provided by Western states and international organizations to Ukraine is influencing the course of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Subsequently, the paper studies the military assistance in all three phases of the war, beginning from the invasion of Crimea, through the Donbas offensive, to the phase of Ukrainian counter-offensives. The research method used by this paper was to review and synthesize the existing but scarce and sometimes disinformative literature. The findings suggest that Western military aid began cautiously by providing only non-lethal, defensive weapons, but it was of crucial importance in the second phase of the war by guaranteeing heavy weaponry. The paper concludes that Western military assistance, especially from the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, and Germany, has had a significant role in the Russo-Ukrainian war, without which Ukrainian forces may not have persisted to now.

Tensions of Modernity: Privilege, Precarity, and Colonial Nostalgia among European Security Contractors in East Africa

AbstractPrivate security work can be a brutal world of short-term contracts, exploitation, and under-regulation, where the imperative of profit is expected to trump collective notions of military brotherhood. Why then do so many demobilized soldiers turn to it as a vocation? While a rich body of work has revealed the vulnerabilities of demobilized military life, ethnographic investigations into how contractors experience and make sense of precarity are less common. Drawing on fieldwork with military veterans of European descent working and living in East Africa, this article argues that a central, yet underexplored, feature of contemporary security work is colonial nostalgia. Some contractors read the travelogues of colonial adventurers, while others trace their family genealogy to ancestral colonial frontier soldiers. A few even write their own memoirs in similar fashion. Writing, reading, and living the colonial past through this contractor canon serves several present-day functions. First, the parallels between risk-taking colonial adventurers and the kind of rugged individualism associated with homo economicus masks the tensions and fissures that emerge from soldiers’ discharge from the military and subsequent remobilization as privatized contractors. Secondly, colonial nostalgia forms part of a larger political critique of Western military interventions, of which many of these contractors experienced first-hand. Here, private security work is imagined as replicating an older, more effective tradition of frontier soldiering that is rooted in a logic of settler-colonialism. Finally, fantasies of a colonial past feed into contractors’ attempts to market themselves to clients and to organize their everyday work.

‘Shaping hearts and minds: claret operations in Borneo, 1965–1966’

ABSTRACT For Western militaries, the choice between enemy-centric and population-centric approaches to unconventional warfare is really no choice at all. Contemporary counterinsurgency doctrines are clear on the decisive importance of hearts and minds in delivering success: in these conflicts, the population is the prize. As this article identifies, however, context may limit in important ways the relevance of many hearts and minds activities. Despite the scale of Commonwealth military success against Indonesia during Operation Claret in 1965–66, and despite the declared importance of hearts and mind activities in support of this success, the specific context that existed during the campaign limited the extent to which hearts and minds could exert a decisive impact. In particular, the limited nature of Commonwealth objectives, which did not seek to change the political ownership of the border area, meant that the local population could not, in the long term, be protected from the consequences of choosing to side with Commonwealth forces. Therefore, despite often being well disposed to Commonwealth troops, rational concerns for their own well-being limited the willingness of border villagers to provide overt help.