“Without external threats to repel, the world’s 15th-biggest standing army is turning into a de facto police force Few places illustrate the modern role of the Brazilian army better than Tabatinga, a city of 62,000 on the shared border point between Brazil, Colombia and Peru. The frontier, protected by Amazon rainforest, has not budged since the Portuguese built a now-ruined fort… Read More
“War is hell; the less of it the better. Yet it has also been a near constant feature of human history, and a constant stimulus to political evolution. Defence is a textbook example of a public good. Security benefits all residents of a country, and cannot be denied to citizens who prefer not to pay for it. There is… Read More
“Vietnam attempts a delicate strategic balancing act Near the point where Vietnam bulges deepest into the South China Sea lies Cam Ranh Bay, perhaps the finest natural deep water harbour in South-East Asia. France based a fleet there in colonial times. Russian ships made use of it in the Russo-Japanese war, Japanese ones during the second world war… Read More
“What do you do when the enemy taking aim at you is a nine-year-old? One of the worst dilemmas soldiers face is what to do when they confront armed children. International law and most military codes treat underage combatants mainly as innocent victims. They offer guidance on their legal rights and on how to interrogate and demobilise them. They have… Read More
Research Paper Title Cognitive Load During Route Selection Increases Reliance on Spatial Heuristics. Background Planning routes from maps involves perceiving the symbolic environment, identifying alternative routes, and applying explicit strategies and implicit heuristics to select an option. Two implicit heuristics have received considerable attention, the southern route preference and initial segment strategy. Methods The current… Read More
Know the difference between tactics and strategy. In simple terms tactics are short-term actions that bring a benefit; strategy is broader and about putting yourself in a better overall position, even if there is nothing to be gained immediately. The best commanders in the military and life are good at both. Points to note You… Read More
Discussion Paper Title Falling Short in Measures of Effectiveness. Extract “PSYOP [psychological operations] has been an integral part of military operations since the world’s earliest documented battles, with the first cases being cited as occurring over 3,000 years ago. The idea of understanding, and ultimately exploiting, the motivations and vulnerabilities of an enemy in order… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 