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Weapons and Defense Technology

Description

Today's armies are increasingly defined by their ability to innovate and integrate cutting-edge technologies such as cyberweapons, space systems, drones and artificial intelligence, all of which pose new operational and ethical challenges for combatants.

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Military use of aerial drones in the army. A soldier engineer holds an automatic quadrocopter in his hands.
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Terminator Ethics: Should We Ban “Killer Robots”?

Date de publication
01 December 2014
Accroche

Automatic lethal weapon systems are under debate and certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are demanding their precautionary prohibition.

The French Army and the Military Revolution of the First World War

Date de publication
20 March 2014
Accroche

In 1914 the firepower of modern weaponry produced a massacre. To limit losses, the warring parties dug themselves into trenches. The French army was forced to innovate.

Governing the Geostationary Orbit: Orbital Slots and Spectrum Use in an Era of Interference

Date de publication
20 January 2014
Accroche

Outer space, particularly in the telecommunication sector, is benefiting and becoming accessible to more and more actors. But with this trend comes also a reality that is every day more compelling: no meaningful development can be achieved without a clear, stable and predictable interference-free environment for the use and control of all satellites that depend upon ready access to radio frequencies and appropriate geostationary orbital slots to function properly.

Toujours plus chers ? Complexité des armements et inflation des coûts militaires

Date de publication
27 February 2013
Accroche

While French military expenditures have remained relatively constant over the last ten years, equipment production tended to decrease, resulting in capability gaps. This situation highlights the increasing costs of both acquiring and maintaining highly complex modern military equipment. 

The Battle over Fire Support: The CAS Challenge and the Future of Artillery

Date de publication
04 November 2012
Accroche

Traditionally, maneuver units are designed for mobility and control of the ground, while supporting forces (artillery, aviation) deliver fires to protect the former and ensure their freedom of action.

Deterring the Weak: Problems and Prospects

Date de publication
08 October 2012
Accroche

Strong states often fail to deter vastly weaker competitors. This paper explores some reasons of this failure and identifies factors that can increase the prospects that deterrence will succeed in these situations.

Les opérations aéroportées : la profondeur stratégique en question

Date de publication
06 June 2012
Accroche

Airborne operations draw their strategic importance from the scale and magnitude they provide to air-land operations. Yet, their concept of employment, shaped by their historical legacy may seem unfit to contemporary requirements - especially regarding their vulnerability during dropping and penetration phases when troops are isolated and highly dependent on external support.

Cruise Missiles and NATO Missile Defense: Under the Radar?

Date de publication
11 April 2012
Accroche

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the threat of cruise missile proliferation is as equally challenging to NATO as the threat of ballistic missiles. Over the last two decades, the emergence of cruise missiles and UAVs as a threat has been slow, and governments, particularly the United States, have invested much less in cruise missile defenses than in ballistic missile defenses.

Helicopter Warfare: The Future of Airmobility and Rotary Wing Combat.

Date de publication
06 February 2012
Accroche

Military helicopters have evolved into technologically sophisticated weapon systems. Originally designed to counter Soviet armor, attack helicopters now have to cope with a wide spectrum of threats, some of them bringing them back to their counterinsurgency roots.

La guerre des hélicoptères : L'avenir de l'aéromobilité et de l'aérocombat

Date de publication
24 June 2011
Accroche

Military helicopters have evolved into technologically sophisticated weapon systems. Originally designed to counter Soviet armor, attack helicopters now have to cope with a wide spectrum of threats, some of them bringing choppers back to their counterinsurgency roots.

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Aerial Drone
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