Military and defence strategy Books

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Book SynopsisThe Intelligence Community (IC) is a group of executive branch agencies and organisations that work separately and together to engage in intelligence activities necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the United States. The U.S. government uses intelligence to improve and understand the consequences of its national security decisions. In this book, the Intelligence Community''s Vision 2015 is examined, which enhances interagency intelligence organisations and helps consumers understand the mission, background, opportunities, and challenges facing the Intelligence Community today.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an examination of American war and military operations casualty lists and statistics. It provides tables, compiled by sources at the Department of Defense (DOD), indicating the number of fatalities and numbers of wounded among American military personnel serving in principal wars and combat actions from the Revolutionary War to the current Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as operations in Afghanistan and related conflicts.

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Book SynopsisThe Navy''s five Atlantic Fleet nuclear powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) are all homeported at Norfolk, VA. The Department of Defense endorses the Navy''s desire to establish a second Atlantic Fleet CVN home port in Mayport, Florida, to be ready by 2019. Transferring a CVN from Norfolk to Mayport would shift the local economic activity associated with homeporting a CVN, which some sources estimate as being worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year. This book explores the issues for Congress as to whether to approve, reject or modify DOD''s proposal to transfer a CVN to Mayport. Congress''s decision on the issue could affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the local economies of Mayport and Norfolk.

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Book SynopsisCentral America faces significant security challenges. Criminal threats, fragile political and judicial systems, as well as social hardships such as poverty and unemployment contribute to widespread insecurity in the region. Consequently, improving security conditions in these countries is a difficult, multifaceted endeavour. Because U.S. drug demand contributes to regional security challenges and the consequences of citizen insecurity in Central America are potentially far-reaching, the United States is collaborating with countries in the region to implement and refine security efforts. This book examines the extent of the security problems in Central America, the current efforts being undertaken by Central American governments to address them, and U.S. support for Central American efforts through the Central American Regional Security Initiative.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents research in the study of current politics and economics of South and Central America. Topics discussed include U.S.-Latin America trade; the proposed U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement; agriculture in pending U.S. free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea; Mexico-U.S. relations; Argentina''s defaulted sovereign debt; politics and economic conditions of Paraguay and Uruguay; Brazil''s WTO case against the U.S. Cotton Program and gangs in Central America.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents current research in the study of the European Union (EU). Topics discussed include European Union enlargement and Turkey''s accession negotiations; maritime policy and economic performance in the European Union; The Lisbon Treat and the EU''s reform process; European parliament and climate change and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

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Book SynopsisThis book presents new developments in the politics and economics of Northern and Western Asia. Topics discussed include Iran''s nuclear program and Tehran''s compliance with international obligations; the United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and proposed U.S. nuclear cooperation; politics, elections and benchmarks in Iraq; private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan; U.S. relations with Qatar, Lebanon and the Palestinians; U.S. security assistance to the Palestinian authority and U.S. foreign aid to Israel.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents new developments in the politics and economics of South, South-eastern and Central Asia. Topics discussed include how enterprise risk management (ERM) could enhance shareholders'' wealth; the current state of the ERM implementation in Malaysia; household food expenditures in Central Asia; developments in Taiwan-U.S. relations; a temporal case-based procedure for cancellation forecasting; regional developments and implications for U.S. interests concerning Central Asia; U.S. relations with the Association of South-east Asian nations (ASEAN); Japan-U.S. relations and China''s political system.

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Book SynopsisHistorically, the U.S. military''s Special Operations Forces (SOF) have had primary responsibility for training, advising and assisting foreign military forces. Today, although this mission has not been completely relegated to conventional forces, the National Security Strategies of the current and previous administrations direct the U.S. military services to organise, train and equip themselves to carry out these activities on a larger scale with conventional (non-SOF) forces. This responsibility in its broad sense of building the capacity of partner states has been termed "security force assistance" (SFA). This book presents the distillation of best practices and lessons learned from the contemporary operating environment in Iraq and Afghanistan with regard to security force assistance, and offers recommendations that build upon recent initiatives within the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive approach to improve U.S. SFA.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides important recommendations for how the Department of Defense can better face the rapidly changing security environment of the 21st century by increasing its adaptability. The study used business and government case studies to derive its definition of adaptability which identified the key elements as the ability and willingness to anticipate the need for change, to prepare for that change, and to implement changes in a timely and effective manner in response to the surrounding environment. Strategies were identified to promote the elements of adaptability in the Department of Defense (DoD), with an ultimate goal of improving mission effectiveness, including aligning enterprise functions to support mission outcomes; reduce uncertainty through better global awareness; prepare for degraded operations; enhance the adaptability of the workforce and changing the culture.

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress decided that enhancing the security of the United States'' borders was a vitally important component of preventing future terrorist attacks. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 consolidated most federal agencies operating along the U.S. borders, which was charged with securing the borders; territorial waters, terminals, waterways, and air, land, and sea transportation systems of the U.S. and managing the nation''s ports of entry. This book examines today''s U.S. border issues, key agencies and their missions and the future of commercial trucking across the Mexican border. Also discussed herein is the south-west border violence related to gun and drug-trafficking from Mexico, border searches of laptop computers and other electronic storage devices and expanding the barriers being deployed along the U.S. international land border.

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Book SynopsisA primary mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimise the damage, and assist in the recovery from terrorist attacks that do occur in the United States. To support this mission, DHS has had an intelligence component since its inception in 2003. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, assigned the original DHS intelligence component, was given the responsibility to receive, analyse, and integrate the law enforcement and intelligence information. This book provides an overview of the DHS Intelligence Enterprise and how it is organised and examines the key departmental activities and issues involved in thwarting terrorism.

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Book SynopsisThe case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who allegedly attempted to ignite an explosive device on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 2009, refocused attention on the responsibilities of the Departments of State and Homeland Security for the visa process. He was travelling on a multi-year, multiple-entry tourist visa issued to him in June 2008. In the aftermath of the Abdulmutallab case, policy-makers explored what went wrong and whether statutory and procedural revisions were needed. This book explores the policy questions which centre on whether immigration law needs to be strengthened, whether funding should be increased, and which agency should take the lead.

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Book SynopsisThe Global Positioning System (GPS) provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data to users world-wide. The U.S. Air Force, which is responsible for GPS acquisition, is in the process of modernising the system. This book discusses the Department of Defense''s plans to develop and purchase new satellites and also the challenges in sustaining and upgrading the GPS.

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Book SynopsisVoting is fundamental to our democracy, yet many U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote do not take advantage of their constitutional right to vote in federal elections. For instance, about 62 percent of eligible citizens voted in the November 2008 general election and about 42 percent voted in the November 2010 general election. Policy-makers, legislators, researchers, and advocacy organizations have explored ways to make voting more convenient with the goal of increasing voter turnout. Various bills have been introduced in Congress since 1995 to increase voter convenience by changing the day of presidential and congressional elections from Tuesday to the weekend. This book focuses on issues related to implementing weekend elections and The Help America Vote Act.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors explore educational, geographical and cultural issues in Argentina. Topics include the present state of knowledge and research on the Loess of Cordoba, Central Plains; the place of Argentina within the global rugby setting; native cultural diversity in the Argentine Gran Chaco region; archaeology of the Highlands of Argentina; and critical problems for fresh water supply to summer resorts on the Eastern coast of the Buenos Aires province.

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Book SynopsisIn the early 1990s, Georgia and its breakaway South Ossetia region had agreed to a Russian-mediated ceasefire that provided for Russian "peacekeepers" to be stationed in the region. Moscow extended citizenship and passports to most ethnic Ossetians. Simmering long-time tensions escalated on the evening of August 7, 2008, when South Ossetia and Georgia accused each other of launching intense artillery barrages against each other. Georgia claims that South Ossetian forces did not respond to a ceasefire appeal but intensified their shelling, "forcing" Georgia to send in troops. This book provides a post-conflict assessment of the Russian-Georgian conflict of August 2008, with a focus on the implications for U.S. interests and the organisational change in the Russian airborne forces.

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Book SynopsisAir Force war-fighting capabilities have a proud heritage of being born from the very best science and technology our Nation can create; indeed, the very history of the United States Air Force is closely intertwined with the development of advances in science and technology. Yet today, "flattening" of the world is making it increasingly challenging for the U.S. to maintain technology superiority over potential adversaries. A growing number of nations soon will have the ability to transform science and technology advances into militarily significant capabilities. Over the next decades, we will increasingly face potential adversaries having peer or near-peer capabilities. This book examines the key areas of science and technology that the Air Force must focus on over the next two decades to enable technologically achievable capabilities that can provide it with the greatest U.S. Joint force effectiveness by 2030.

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Book SynopsisOn 5 January 2012, President Obama announced a new defence strategic guidance entitled "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense". This new guidance is significant because it is explicitly intended to reshape future Department of Defense (DOD) priorities, activities, and budget requests for the next decade. While the guidance is intended to steer DOD decision-making as it reduces defence spending by about $487 billion over the next 10 years, to meet the initial budget caps set in the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, it does not account for the possibility of sequestration, further significant, across-the-board cuts that could be required pursuant to implementation of the BCA. This book highlights and analyses key strategic-level issues raised by the new guidance.

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Book SynopsisSince 2000, the U.S. military has been building up forward-deployed forces on the westernmost U.S. territory of Guam to increase U.S. presence, deterrence, and power projection for potential responses to crises and disasters, counter-terrorism, and contingencies in support of South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, or elsewhere in Asia. Since 2006, three joint exercises based at Guam called the "Valiant Shield" have boosted U.S. military readiness in the Asian-Pacific region. The defence build-up on Guam has been moderate. China still has concerns about Guam''s build-up, suspecting it to be directed against China. There has been concern that China and North Korea could target Guam with missiles. Still, Guam''s role increased in engaging with China''s military. This book examines the U.S. defence build-up on Guam with a focus on defence deployments; the costs and challenges in meeting construction timelines; and proposed military treatment facilities on Guam.

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Book SynopsisThe federal government''s role in protecting U.S. citizens and critical infrastructure from cyber attacks has been the subject of recent congressional interest. This book discusses selected legal issues that frequently arise in the context of recent legislation to address vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyber threats, efforts to protect government networks from cyber threats, and proposals to facilitate and encourage sharing of cyber threat information amongst private sector and government entities.

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Book SynopsisOver the years, the United States has been concerned about threats to Latin American and Caribbean nations from various terrorist or insurgent groups that have attempted to influence or overthrow elected governments. Although Latin America has not been the focal point in the war on terrorism, countries in the region have struggled with domestic terrorism for decades and international terrorist groups have at times used the region as a battleground to advance their causes. This book examines Latin America as a national security threat with a focus on Iran''s increasing activities with Venezuela; drug-trafficking related violence in Mexico and Columbia; and Cuba''s lack of cooperation in antiterrorism efforts.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of instances in which the United States has used its armed forces abroad in situations of military conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes. A survey of past U.S. military ventures abroad, without reference to the magnitude of the given instance is discussed with a focus on military deployments in multinational operations associated with NATO or the United Nations; U.S. military presence in Okinawa and the Futenma base controversy; and U.S. defence deployments in Guam.

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Book SynopsisAccording to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 10 (HSPD-10): Biodefense for the 21st Century, a national bioawareness capability providing early warning, detection, or recognition of a biological weapon attack is an essential component of biodefense. To contribute to this national capability, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operates the BioWatch program, which uses routine laboratory testing designed to detect an aerosolised biological attack for five specific biological agents considered high risk for use as biological weapons. The BioWatch program is a federally-managed, locally operated system with collectors deployed primarily in outdoor locations in more than 30 major metropolitan areas. This book provides an overview of the BioWatch Generation-3 Acquisition program with a focus on meeting mission needs for effective biosurveillance.

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Book SynopsisThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the third largest cabinet-level department in the federal government, employing more than 200,00 staff in a broad range of jobs. Since it began operations in 2003, DHS employees have reported having low job satisfaction. DHS employee concerns about job satisfaction are one example of the challenges the department faces implementing its missions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has designated the implementation and transformation of DHS as a high risk area, including its management of human capital, because it represents an enormous and complex undertaking that will require time to achieve in an effective and efficient manner. This book examines how DHS''s employee morale compared with that of other federal employees; the extent to which DHS and selected components have determined the root causes of employee morale; and the targeted action plan objectives.

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Book SynopsisThe United States confronts a wide array of threats at U.S. borders, ranging from terrorists who may have weapons of mass destruction, to transnational criminal smuggling drugs or counterfeit goods, to unauthorised migrants intending to live and work in the United States. Given this diversity of threats, how may Congress and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set border security priorities and allocate scarce enforcement resources? In general, DHS''s answer to this question is organised around risk management, a process that involves risk assessment and the allocation of resources based on a cost-benefit analysis. DHS employs models to classify threats as relatively high- or low-risk for certain planning and budgeting exercises and to implement certain border security programs. This book examines risk management as it relates to national security threats with a focus on border security; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risk assessments; and the publishing of scientific papers with potential security risks.

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Book SynopsisThe Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), provides the President a broad set of authorities to ensure that domestic industry can meet national defence requirements. In the DPA, Congress has found that "the security of the United States is dependent on the ability of the domestic industrial base to supply materials and services for the national defence and to prepare for and respond to military conflicts, natural or man-caused disasters, or acts of terrorism within the United States." Through the DPA, the President can, among other activities, prioritise contracts for goods and services, and offer incentives within the domestic market to enhance the production and supply of critical materials and technologies when necessary for national defence. Since 1950, the DPA has been reauthorised over 50 times by Congress, most recently in 2009. The majority of DPA authorities will expire on September 30, 2014, unless reauthorised. This book examines some of the extensive history of the DPA, focusing primarily on its creation and most recent legislative reauthorisation.

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Book SynopsisThe Department of Homeland Security''s (DHS) mission includes law enforcement elements, which require the department, through its components, to manage various types of firearms. DHS''s annual ammunition purchases have declined since fiscal year 2009 and are comparable in number to the Department of Justice''s (DOJ) ammunition purchases. In fiscal year 2013, DHS purchased 84 million rounds of ammunition, which is less than DHS''s ammunition purchases over the past 5 fiscal years. DHS component officials said the decline in ammunition purchases in fiscal year 2013 was primarily a result of budget constraints, which meant reducing the number of training classes, and drawing on their ammunition inventories. This book addresses trends in DHS''s ammunition purchases since fiscal year 2008, how DHS''s purchases compare with DOJ''s, and what factors affect DHS''s purchase decisions.

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Book SynopsisThe integration of drones into U.S. skies is expected by many to yield significant commercial and societal benefits. Drones could be employed to inspect pipelines, survey crops, and monitor the weather. One newspaper has already used a drone to survey storm damage, and real estate agents have used them to survey property. In short, the extent of their potential domestic application is bound only by human ingenuity. This book explores some of the legal issues that will inevitably generate with the introduction of drones into U.S. skies. This book also discusses the fourth amendment''s implications and legislative responses; background and considerations for Congress of drones in domestic surveillance operations and pilotless drones; and provides a report to Congress on future unmanned aircraft systems training, operations, and sustainability.

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Book SynopsisThe United States uses a number of policy tools to address the threat of attack using chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. These include a set of financial and technical programs known, variously, as cooperative threat reduction (CTR) programs, nonproliferation assistance, or, global security engagement. Congress has supported these programs over the years, but has raised a number of questions about their implementation and their future direction. Over the years, the CTR effort shifted from an emergency response to impending chaos in the Soviet Union to a broader program seeking to keep CBRN weapons away from rogue nations or terrorist groups. It has also grown from a DOD-centered effort to include projects funded by the Department of Defense (DOD), the State Department, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This book summarizes cooperative activities conducted during the full 20 years of U.S. threat reduction and nonproliferation assistance. It also provides basic information on the Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF) legislation.

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Book SynopsisTo measure the performance of its global distribution pipeline, the Department of Defense (DOD) has established three metrics: (1) logistics response time -- number of days between the time a customer submits an order and receives it, (2) customer wait time -- number of days between the time a maintenance unit, a subset of customers, submits an order and receives it, and (3) time-definite delivery -- a measure of the probability that a customer will receive an order within an established logistics response time. However, these metrics do not provide decision makers with a complete representation of performance across the entire global distribution pipeline. This book assesses the extent to which DOD has established metrics for its distribution performance; is able to accurately measure its performance against distribution standards; and has taken actions to identify causes and develop solutions for any gaps in distribution. Furthermore, the book reviews the extent to which DOD has developed and implemented corrective action plans that address challenges in the three focus areas; an effective program for monitoring and validating the effectiveness and sustainability of supply chain management corrective actions; and an ability to demonstrate supply chain management progress.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the epitome of the interpretation and application of tactical principles in various armies, discussed in the light of the tactical views and methods prevailing in Germany, and amplified by numerous examples from military history.Table of ContentsTranslators Preface; Preface; Introduction; War; Strategy and Tactics; The Method of Instruction; Drill Regulations; Organization and Equipment; The Formations; The Power of Firearms and Expedients for Minimizing Losses; The Employment of Infantry Fire; Deployments for Action; Machine Guns; Infantry Versus Cavalry; Infantry Versus Artillery; The Attack; The Attack on an Enemy Deployed for Defense; The Defense; The Retreat; Containing Actions; The Infantry Combat According to Various Drill Regulations; The Expenditure and Supply of Ammunition; Index.

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