CEEOL - Browse Subjects Result

We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.

Intelligence Challenges at the European Union Level

Author(s): Robert Calinoiu,Danut Mircea Chiriac / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Since its creation in 1950, as an organisation of states sharing primarily economic interests, the European Union (EU) has been developed continuously on multiple levels, the security and defence domain being one of the most dynamic starting in 2000. Therefore, in 2001, there were established the Political and Security Committee – PSC, the EU Military Committee – EUMC, and the EU Military Staff – EUMS – within the General Secretariat of the EU Council. Eventually, after the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in 2009, EUMS has changed the subordination to this structure. One of the five directorates of EUMS is the Intelligence Directorate – DINT whose mission is to provide strategic intelligence to its customers. Along the process of developing and improving the intelligence activity, in 2007 the EEAS leadership made the decision of creating the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity – SIAC, bringing together the military expertise of DINT and the civilian intelligence knowledge of the EU Intelligence Centre (INTCEN). Since its inception, DINT has proved to be a very effective fusion centre of the national intelligence products, issuing strategic documents of significant interest for the EU and national leaders alike, and positively influencing the EU and member nation’s security. Nevertheless, the importance of a flawless functioning of DINT and SIAC results not only from its successes but also from failures, which could have had a major impact on the security of some European states or at the EU level. One of this is the shot down of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over the Ukrainian airspace, whose case study we will present in the present article.

More...

The Influence of Migration on Societal Security in the European Union

Author(s): Delia Mihaela Marinescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The complexity and globalisation of migration are normal processes of functioning and evolution of contemporary European society, currently facing the COVID-19 pandemic that will exacerbate existing security risks by imposing on member states and the North Atlantic Alliance important integral decisions related to both the humanitarian crisis of refugees correlated with the provision of public health measures and their economic and social impact on social security. There is a constant evolution of the issue of international migration within the EU, but also a concern for permanent improvement of its legal framework, migration bringing both benefits and costs for the area of freedom, security and justice of the EU. In fact, migration is a fundamental threat to the cohesion and identity of society, the fundamental components of societal security. A concept developed by the “Copenhagen School”, migration can be considered the main source of societal insecurity as it can threaten society’s identity and change its composition.

More...

Important Stages in the Development of the EU Capacity to Perform Autonomous Operational Commitments. Case Study – Operation Artemis

Author(s): Dragoş ILINCA / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

In 2003, the EU decided to develop the operational tempo by launching its very first military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Known as “Operation Artemis”, this represented an essential stage within the process of developing the EU autonomous profile in crisis management. By using the case study of Artemis Operation as a research method, I intended to highlight the development of the main parameters of the future EU operational design. Within this approach, I also followed the process of setting-up the conceptual framework related to rapid reaction capabilities, especially Battle Groups. In this respect, Artemis had an essential role in adapting European cooperation to the challenges of planning and executing tasks in a demanding operational environment.

More...

Realities and Perspectives of EU-NATO Cooperation in Security and Defence

Author(s): Romeo Buhai / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The scale of geopolitical changes over the past decade has led major regional and global actors to re-evaluate their options, identify new ways of responding to threats and risks in the international security environment, by adapting theirs security policies and strategies, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, by participating into new partnerships or other forms of institutional and military cooperation, or through the development of existing ones. NATO-EU security and defence cooperation is part of this trend of reconfiguring the current security environment, trying to identify the best solutions that respond effectively to current and future threats, while maintaining a balance on the role of the two major organisations in achieving this goal. The article broadly outlines the progress made by the European Union in extrapolating its role, from that centred on the economic field to that of security and defence, in the organisation’s determination to become a leading security actor at regional and global level.

More...

Perspectives on Adapting Military Structures to the Requirements of Current and Future Operational Environments

Author(s): Paul Tudorache,Lucian Ispas / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Approaching the current and future operational environments requires that military structures and, in particular, the tactical ones, should have the ability to conduct operations, regardless of the campaign themes (peace military engagement, peace support operations, security operations, and combat operations), which involves the simultaneous or successive use of tactical activities and core functions in order to generate the desired effects and, implicitly, to attain the end state. In this regard, an operational adaptation of the tactical military structures is required, generating, at the same time, implications at the level of the force structure, not only by reconfiguring the organic headquarters (HQ), but also by reorganising the combat (CBT), combat support (CS) and combat service support (CSS) forces. Therefore, highlighting the specific aspects of the combat power’s adaptation, by analyzing the established war fighting functions (WFF), the finality of the article will seek to identify the main adjustments of the military decision making process (MDMP), as a fundamental planning methodology used by tactical military structures, with organic staff.

More...

Relational Approaches to the Resilience of Operational Logistics

Author(s): Gheorghe MINCULETE / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The demands of modern warfare imposed by technological innovation and digitalisation have made operational forces prepare and act in a highly complex confrontational environment, which entails increasing resilience and flexibility. The management and execution structures of the logistic support systemically integrated in the operational devices of the joint forces are prepared and act in their turn in the conditions of increased risks, which causes them to become increasingly resilient. Knowing that during the two Gulf conflicts, the logistic losses of the responsible structures far exceeded those of the fighting and support forces, I consider that it is all the more necessary to study, design and implement the requirements to increase resilience of the operational logistical forces, for the fulfilment of future missions. In this scientific communication I address, from a relational point of view, the issue of resilience of logistics systems (subsystems) integrated with operational forces acting at the tactical and joint levels.

More...

Ways of Employing ISR Structures from Land Forces in Exercises Conducted on National Territory

Author(s): Valeriu-Adrian Jianu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The ISR structures (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) of the Land Forces participate constantly in exercises on national territory, bringing a substantial contribution to intelligence support of decision-makers in all operation stages. Through their specific capabilities, ISR structures will cooperate uninterruptedly both horizontally and vertically in information gathering. Digitalising, applying information technology on ISR capabilities will provide the commander and his staff with multiple levers that will enable him to make decisions much quicker and to exploit the resulting plan much more efficiently, thus reducing the duration of operations.

More...

The Dispute Revival for the Superpower Status

Author(s): Romică Cernat / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The resurgence of Russia and the rapid development of China have created a new period of rivalry for superpower status. The debates of the main global actors on the relaunch of competition have led to a review of the importance of the great strategy and geopolitics as a starting point for analysing the defence funding level, strategy, plans, and programmes. The post-Cold War period of international relations, which began in the early 1990s and generally was referred to as the unipolar stage, with the United States as the sole superpower, passed into a new phase, marked by events with global consequences from 2006 until 2014. The international environment has shifted to a fundamentally different situation characterised by a resurgence of dispute by China and Russia and the challenges of these two countries to the specific mechanisms of the US-led international order, which operated even after the end of the First World War. Counter-terrorism and other military operations in the Middle East, which have been the focus of discussions on military-specific issues following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, continue, but now are a less dominant element in US military concerns, other areas related to China and Russia becoming now relevant.

More...

The Impact of the Security Environment on the Defence Strategies of Small and Medium States

Author(s): Ioana Rieber / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The dynamic of regional and global changes implies the existence of strategies that allow the streamlining of the activity of defence and security structures. Depending on the risks, vulnerabilities and threats that must be approached militarily or non-militarily, the medium and small states have drafted strategic documents, taking into account the internal and external dimension of security. Their security depends on a great extent on external factors, the turbulences from the international system posing a serious challenge for a small state. If small and medium states are placed in the vicinity of a great revisionist, undemocratic power, its security can be achieved only by creative strategies. The emphasis is therefore laid on the existence of flexible and powerful military capabilities, necessary to identify and counter the threats and on membership of alliances/coalitions of alliances.

More...

Warfare Generations – Conventional and Unconventional in Warfare Evolution

Author(s): Cosmina-Andreea Neculcea / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The current article highlights the evolution of warfare generations and how the conventional/ unconventional relationship has changed over time. Looking from this perspective, for the t ime being, no paradigm allows a complete comparative analysis of the armed confrontations. As the humankind has evolved, the conflict has known a continuous evolution, the nature of warfare being in a perpetual transformation and adaptation to the evolution of technology. The change consists of the fact that the quantitative dimension has decreased in importance, in relation to the qualitative dimension, and information has taken the place of firepower. The information field has become the main battlefield, and remote actions, without direct contact, have become the main means of achieving objectives. In this article, the evolution of warfare is presented in several distinct phases, also called generations. Therefore, each age corresponds to a warfare generation, grouped based on certain common features

More...

The Perspective of War and Modern Armed Fight

Author(s): Olguta-Mihaela Bodnar / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This article addresses the current forms of modern warfare and armed fight based on Toffler’s statement, “The world is constantly changing”. This change of the armed conflict is violent, explosive and very rapid, being like a reaction of the new to the old. The 21st century began in the spirit of this spontaneous reaction by producing structural changes in the concept of the armed fight, by adopting other forms of armed conflict than conventional ones, namely by asymmetric, irregular and hybrid conflicts in the last 10 years. Military conflicts are like a chameleon, they change their colours to adapt to the new transformations of the security environment.

More...

Dimensions of Hybrid Conflict and Coordinates for Countering Its Effects

Author(s): Aurelian Raţiu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The fields of war have changed in time, which has caused transformations, both in the approach to confrontation and in the physiognomy and typology of actions. The military conflict has been characterised by irregularity: traditional and non-traditional actors acting directly or indirectly, with their own forces or through intermediaries (proxy forces), creating their own conventional or paramilitary military structures, and carrying out conventional actions concurrently with terrorist activities specific to insurgency or organised crime. The solutions for countering the hybrid conflict must be understood in terms of summing up the known (conventional) and the less known characteristics of the conflict, as well as of developing new, unexpected, surprising (irregular) ones, determined by the evolution in the operational field.

More...

Cyberspace in the Operations Planning Process

Author(s): Nicolae Macovei / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Ensuring cyber security has become increasingly important and culminated in the recognition of cyberspace as an operational environment, along with land, water, air and space. Operations in the cyber environment must be planned, integrated and synchronised with operations in other operational environments. The armed forces carry out cyberspace operations and support activities in this field as part of the joint operation. In the modern war, the superiority in the cyber environment ensures a decisive advantage to the commanders from all echelons. This is achieved through a human, technological and procedural combination. The military is accustomed to seeing the effect of their actions on the battlefield, in a physical environment. However, cyber operations take place in a virtual environment, and their effects are sometimes difficult to identify.

More...

Shaping the Operational Environment Through Cyberattacks

Author(s): Marian Stefan / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The current geopolitical and geostrategic context, the scale of politics, economics, culture and religious interests, information and cyber problems, the global medical crisis, as well as other non-military measures nowadays occupy a special place in shaping the operational environment. Their importance is felt not only during the escalation of crisis situations and their management and control, but also in military operations, marking the architecture of contemporary conflicts. A variety of present and involved actors, together with the multitude of risks and threats they generate, change the paradigm of the classic operational environment, towards multidimensional operational approaches in relation to the five traditional dimensions we are already familiar with from the military literature: land, air, sea, space and the electromagnetic spectrum, to which now the environment and the information environment are added. Overlapping these environments and creating an integrated battlespace image is a paradigm shift that must be understood and assumed. Social platforms and information warfare, artificial intelligence and self-learning programmes used in the military environment redefine the future security environment and the operation environment both in peacetime and in situations of crisis or at war. This study proposes a holistic presentation of the problems and challenges at the level of the international operational environment, presenting different typologies of threats identified at the level of the informational component by instrumenting cyberattacks attributed to state and non-state entities. The shaping of theoretical concepts is accompanied by a series of examples presented in order to provide a detailed perspective on events that have affected the information environment.

More...

Risks to National Security in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s): Carmen Moise / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it not only the risk of infection with a new virus but also the possibility of attacks on national security by affecting national critical infrastructure. Maintaining a greater focus on national security is a necessity in any situation. During this pandemic period, the most affected critical infrastructure sector is health. We hope that the measures taken will lead us to a stabilisation of the situation and not to witness a more pronounced affectation of this sector. We must also pay special attention to the trust in the public administration in order not to be undermined by state or non-state actors with various economic and geostrategic interests on the Romanian territory.

More...

Considerations regarding the Role of Human Resources in Ensuring National Security

Author(s): Elena-Alexandra Mazilu,Mircea-Dănuț Chiriac / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

A considerable contribution to ensuring national security goes to the military system. Within this system, more than ever, the human resources management represents an essential field, with deep implications, we can say determining in ensuring and guaranteeing the security state of our country. According to the continuous process of change, like in all the domains, also in the military domain it is necessary to develop new strategies, especially in the recruiting and training areas, because these two areas are very important in building a solid and professional team, a strong human resources system which contributes to achieving the strategic goals of national security. Regardless of the level of military equipment, the quality of human resources remains an essential factor in the process of training and the efficiency of military action.

More...

Coherence, Synergy and Sustainability in the Development of the Romanian Naval Forces in the Medium and Long Term

Author(s): Ovidiu Portase / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Changes in the environment where the Romanian Naval Forces operate determine the need for continuous adaptation and transformation to meet these conditions. The drafting of an institutional development strategy is a necessary, opportune action that ensures the imperative framework for coherent, synergistic, and sustainable development. In this article, the author presents some considerations related to the structure and content, but also the drawing up and implementation process for a medium- and long-term development strategy, along with its applicability and impact on the Romanian Naval Forces. The drafting of a medium- and long-term development strategy would ensure the single vision and synergy needed in the inititation and efficient implementation of all FNR initiatives, programmes, and development projects, useful elements not only to the FNR constituent members, but also to its collaborators, partners, and allies, elements that could pave the way for the convergence of efforts beyond the area of defence for the entire naval domain.

More...

Short Analysis of the Beginning and Use of Biological Means

Author(s): Gabriela Sarbu,Vasile Bogdan / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Since immemorial time, armed confrontations made use of elements with biological potential for damage, which were already present in nature. The naturally occurring high-risk diseases were skilfully used to bring decisive operational advantages, thus tilting the victory to those who intelligently used the already existing possibilities in the environment. Gradually, with the development of technology and the impact of scientific research, biological factors of high impact on the living force were identified, developed and used in the operational space. The triggers of biological attacks are able to quickly cause serious illness and death of contaminated persons, as well as the decommissioning of targets and land. The action mode is generated by the ability to spread rapidly, achieved by dissemination in air, water or on the ground or by personal contact between individuals. Diseases that can be triggered by using them at critical moments or in carefully selected spaces allow reaching the specific objectives of the aggressor entity. During a turbulent 20th century, deeply involved in a fierce competition for world domination, the great powers noticed the major destructive potential as well as the surprising operational innovations offered by the biological weapon. As a result, they switched to discreet and careful research, followed by testing of the advantages that can be obtained in armed conflicts, through the offensive use of the new weapon into the belligerent area. If, during the First World War, the significant concerns belonged to Germany and Great Britain, during the Second World War, the case of Japan must be given priority.

More...

Ranking of Replacing Medical Equipment – An Element of the Rational Use of Resources

Author(s): George Udroiu,Ghiţă BÂRSAN,Toma Pleşanu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Maximising the value of medical equipment, in the context of financial constraints in the health system and the ongoing demands of clinical staff for new acquisitions, as an effect of the accelerated pace of technological development, requires the implementation of prudent management of the replacement process of existing medical technology, by aligning with the strategic objectives of the medical organisation and the epidemiological context of the moment. The development of replacement lists for healthcare equipment and the prioritisation of replacement should be done by employing a system of scores/marks given to medical equipment following the evaluation of clinical and non-clinical factors, both quantitative and qualitative, considering health care unit benefit, social impact and the costs associated with operational support. This estimated planning process, augmented on the basis of data from the medical equipment inventory programme and the expertise of clinical engineering structures of the hospitals, is a dynamic tool for substantiating needs and optimising capital expenditures.

More...

The Generation and Role of the 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons

Author(s): Gabriela Sarbu,Vasile Bogdan / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

In the first half of the twentieth century, the humankind experienced two devastating global conflagrations that caused millions of victims. The killer vectors were the destructive effects of f irearms and, to a lesser extent, death was brought by terrifying actions utilising combat gases and biological agents. During the Cold War, the great military powers of the world continued their efforts to produce, develop, and store biological means meant to secure their victory in future wars. As a result, the spectrum of biological threats had to be reduced, and relaxation measures were taken. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Biological Weapons and Toxins and on their Destruction, a document signed in 1972, has the undeniable merit in this respect. However, it must be acknowledged that this Convention was not the first step taken. Previously, in 1925, the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous and Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare was signed. Although the effectiveness of this Protocol was low, the importance of such initial agreement is huge, as it opened the road to biological disarmament, and to increasing trust among nations. Arguably, following the severe Covid 19 pandemic, the 1972 Convention needs measures, policies, and actions to substantiate the desire of powerful states to gradually and totally eliminate biological arsenals worldwide.

More...