https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/ Strategic Defense Studies en daily 1 Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0330 https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2370.html Knowledge and awareness of the military thought of the colonial powers is of special importance and since the two schools of socialism and fascism are the main schools of Western civilization and less attention has been paid to the military thought of these two, therefore knowing the military thought of these two School is a problem that this article deals with. Based on this, the main question of this research is: ((What are the points of commonality and difference in the military thought of the two schools of socialism and fascism?)) in order to answer this research question with the method of comparative comparison and using the analytical approach- A description has been made based on the views of the thinkers of these two schools, taken from their written works. The research findings show that the main points of commonality between the military theories of these two schools are concepts such as: the relationship between politics and war, the necessity of war to create national and military unity, the sociological view of war, the negation of peace and the necessity of war, the necessity of force military and the necessity of militaristic government are summarized and it seems that both schools have common views on the nature of war and defense and the causes of war. The socialist school introduces the elimination of war by war, helping to realize politics, solving class differences, and war as the cause of peace as the goals of war, and in the view of fascism, the preservation of states, the promotion of the moral health of society, and progress and dynamism as the main components of the goal. War and defense are considered. In general, it can be said that these two schools do not differ much from the point of view of military thinking. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2371.html The present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the strategic education methods in the national defense universities of Iran and the world. In terms of purpose, application, and in terms of data collection, a qualitative approach, a synthesis research method, and a quasi-systematic method have been used. And the statistical sample of the research included the national defense universities of Iran and the world, and in order to confirm the validity and reliability of the research, the strategies of Peaty, Thomson and Steve (2012), Charms (2010) and Lincoln and Gaba (1985) were used. These strategies include reliability, trustworthiness, verifiability, and transferability. All together, it increased the credibility of the research and provided the possibility of transferability of the findings to other similar contexts. The results of the research led to the identification of the themes and elements of strategic education methods in national defense universities, these themes are in the form of goals and objectives, course content, teaching methods, evaluation methods, space, activity and learning time appropriate to strategic courses. It was organized in national defense universities. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2372.html The purpose of this article is to identify the effective factors of emergency evacuation, to examine the current situation of the airport, to identify dangerous bottlenecks and to evaluate the impact of bottlenecks during evacuation. The statistical population includes 53 specialists. The research method is descriptive-analytical, in terms of solving the combined problem and in terms of the type of explanatory results. Random sampling method and Cochran's formula was used. Analysis has been done based on Any Logic and Anp software. After conducting documentary and library studies, interviewing and completing a questionnaire, the factors affecting emergency evacuation were identified, and then two models A and B were simulated in Any Logic software, according to the current conditions, and dangerous bottlenecks were identified in points D, C, and E. has been By comparing the two models, we find that the time in model A with a total discharge time of 52 minutes and a simulation time of 3.17 minutes is more reduced compared to model B with a total discharge time of 62 minutes and a simulation time of 4.23 minutes. He placed the removal of obstacles, the removal of entrance gates as the first priority and the removal of airline office cubicles in the corridor of the traffic route on the north side of the building as the second priority. In examining the results of Anp, the two parameters of using two emergency doors and removing obstacles have been assigned the highest ranking with weights of 0.287 and 0.262, respectively. Previous researches or looking at the current conditions have entered the evacuation issue. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2373.html Russia's main strategy over the past years has been to prevent NATO's advance and influence to the east and Russia's close security environment and prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union. Based on this, during a special operation, which is considered a preventive measure from the Kremlin's point of view, to prevent future threats, the war between Russia and Ukraine began. The main goal of the research is to explain the characteristics, scenarios and goals of the war between Russia and Ukraine in the formation of the new world order. The type of research is applied and it has been carried out in a systematic qualitative manner using exploratory method and content analysis, the method of collecting data is documentary and library and interview with 10 experts. According to the findings of the research, the features of war are described in 9 different categories, the war between Russia and Ukraine is erosive and both countries are practically caught in the swamp of war. What happened to Ukraine today is the result of trusting the West. Russia pursued three maximum, medium and minimum goals in this war, which has reached the minimum goal of controlling the Donbas region. The results of the research show that the war between Russia and Ukraine has 35 special features. Russia has won the minimum war in terms of military form, but it has failed from the point of view of the "war of narratives". Ukraine's military doctrine has changed from "defensive to offensive". Russia's military doctrine has changed from "offensive to defensive". The primary result of this war is the formation of the multipolar order and the end of the unipolar order centered on America. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2374.html Creativity and innovation play a very important role in the response of military organizations to changes in the operational environment, and study of the history of wars proves this well.One of the dimensions of military creativity and innovation in the Armed Forces is the individual dimension.The purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the components and indicators of the individual dimension of creativity and innovation of the Armed Forces personnel.Accordingly, the main question is what are the components and characteristics of the individual dimension of military creativity and innovation?The statistical population of this study was purposefully estimated of 47 commanders, managers, experts and researchers of the Armed Forces and the sample population was selected according to the statistical population and in full.Type of research, applied; The research method is descriptive (contextual-case) and correlational and specifically based on structural equation modeling.In this study, in a questionnaire, the components and indicators of the individual dimension of military creativity and innovation with a range of five options of formal and content preparation and validity, as well as their reliability using Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis, were confirmed.The findings showed a 95% confidence level; "Individual characteristics" with a significant coefficient of the path equal to 10.281, "Value characteristics" with a significant coefficient of the path equal to 10.966, "Thinking style" with a significant coefficient of the path equal to 9.469, "Knowledge and skills" with a coefficient of significance Significance of the path equal to 7.276 is considered as components and indicators of the individual dimension of military creativity and innovation. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_2499.html The current research was written with the aim of identifying the implementation strategies and the appropriate requirements for the implementation of the training and excellence strategies of the commanders and managers of AJA with an emphasis on Jihadi management. The statistical population of this research includes the elites and experts of Aja in the four forces of Aja and scholars, clerics and university professors of the armed forces outside Aja in the number of 40 people. The current research is in the category of applied-developmental research and a combination of quantitative and qualitative data (with a mixed approach) including interviews and open and closed questionnaires has been used. In this research, in order to achieve the main goal of the research, first by conducting in-depth interviews with research experts, the appropriate solutions and requirements for the implementation of strategies were identified, then by setting up and distributing a questionnaire among experts and conducting One Sample Test, the identified cases were identified. were approved and finalized. The results obtained from the analysis of the obtained data indicate the identification and approval of 21 implementation solutions and 29 requirements for the implementation of the strategy. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3899.html This study aims to identify the geopolitical and geostrategic factors of the Russia that influence the formation and development of the defense strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a regional and global strategic power, Russia has played a significant role in its interactions with Iran, largely due to its distinctive geographical position. Geopolitics, understood as the study of the impact of geographical location on international politics, is employed here to examine how Russia utilizes its position in northeastern Europe and Central Asia to safeguard and expand its influence in bordering regions. Such influence is reinforced through military and economic cooperation with regional states, including Iran. Geostrategy, on the other hand, refers to the strategic use of geographical space to achieve long-term national objectives. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method and applies a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through library-based research and in-depth interviews with ten experts, and subsequently validated by sixty specialists and practitioners. The findings led to the identification of thirty-six geopolitical and geostrategic indicators related to the Russia, which were classified into six dimensions: military–security, political, geographical, economic, social, and cultural–civilizational. Among these indicators, twenty-six were identified as strengths and ten as weaknesses. Overall, the findings indicate that these geopolitical and geostrategic factors constitute key determinants in shaping and influencing the defense strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in its strategic engagement with the Russia. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3900.html Ensuring an effective level of preparedness in passive defense across the three fundamental layers of national governance—namely governance, critical infrastructures, and the population—requires a strategic perspective grounded in leveraging strengths, exploiting opportunities, and mobilizing national drivers, capabilities, and instruments. Achieving resilience against emerging threats necessitates the formulation and implementation of appropriate strategies at the national level. In this regard, establishing coordination, integration, synergy, and shared conceptual frameworks between civilian and military domains under the guidance of executive institutions and in alignment with the country’s defense and security policies constitutes a core requirement of strategic national management. Such an approach inevitably calls for comprehensive and inclusive strategies. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study is to formulate preparedness strategies for passive defense in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research is applied–developmental in purpose and employs a descriptive–analytical methodology with a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, the expert population comprised specialists in strategic studies, passive defense, and related disciplines. Data saturation was achieved after conducting semi-structured interviews with nine experts. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from 113 university faculty members, passive defense managers, and defense and military experts. The findings resulted in the identification of 19 macro-level strategies derived from 23 strengths, 32 weaknesses, 19 opportunities, and 16 threats. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3901.html Attention to the characteristics of physical geography and the spatial distribution of population across a country’s territory constitutes a significant component of national power. Beyond influencing regional and international dynamics, these factors also play a key role in territorial spatial planning. Effective spatial planning contributes to sustainable development and long-term security. From a defense perspective, population represents a strategic and vital element in spatial planning and national development. This study seeks to answer the question: What is the role of spatial planning in geographical defense with an emphasis on population? The research is developmental applied in purpose and adopts a descriptive–exploratory method with a mixed-methods analytical approach. Data were collected through document and literature review, as well as expert opinions obtained via interviews and focus group discussions. The findings identify key geographical defense factors with an emphasis on population, derived from spatial planning functions, and evaluate them within both national and transnational environments. The relative importance of these factors was determined using a Likert scale. Results indicate that spatial planning supports comprehensive defense by systematically examining the overall spatial characteristics of society and facilitating the balanced distribution of population and the strategic placement of cultural, social, economic, political, and military activities across the country. Furthermore, given Iran’s geopolitical position, attention to spatial planning particularly in coastal regions and islands can strengthen military strategy and national defense doctrine. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3902.html This study examines the environmental factors influencing the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in confronting social media warfare. In today’s rapidly evolving communication environment, where social media platforms exert a profound influence on public opinion and societal discourse, IRIB the principal official media organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Drawing upon theoretical foundations derived from Islamic teachings, including Qur’anic verses and narrations, and employing strategic analytical frameworks such as SWOT analysis, this research identifies the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Notably, these factors were not derived solely from theoretical inquiry but were extracted through in-depth interviews with national media and strategic management experts. The identified factors were subsequently reviewed, evaluated, and refined through an interactive validation process involving the same experts, thereby enhancing the scientific rigor and credibility of the findings. The results indicate that IRIB’s effectiveness in the complex arena of social media warfare depends on comprehensive strategic planning, intelligent foresight, effective utilization of both potential and existing domestic media capacities, and the establishment of operational and content-based coordination among relevant institutions. Ultimately, the study proposes a set of strategic and practical recommendations that provide a roadmap for strengthening IRIB’s resilience against emerging cyber-media threats and for sustaining and enhancing its media authority. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3903.html Hezbollah of Lebanon is regarded as one of the most successful models within the resistance movement, drawing upon the discourse of the Islamic Revolution, and has demonstrated notable effectiveness across multiple domains. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study is to examine the cultural, military, political, and economic functions of Hezbollah in Lebanon.The research adopts an applied developmental design and employs a grounded case-study approach using a mixed-methods framework (quantitative–qualitative). The study sample consists of 27 participants, and data were collected through both field-based and library research methods.The findings indicate that the most significant cultural functions of Hezbollah include deepening and drawing inspiration from the Islamic Revolution, as well as its trans-ethnic and trans-sectarian orientation. The key military functions encompass resistance against the Zionist regime and terrorism, liberation of occupied territories, support for Palestinian groups, establishment of a multilayered defense structure, and logistical and operational support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.Major political functions include participation in national dialogue and resolution of internal disputes, involvement in governing institutions and constitutional reform, coalition-building with political groups, movement-oriented diplomacy aimed at strengthening state capacity, and the formation of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council.The principal economic functions identified are deprivation alleviation, wealth generation through the implementation of infrastructure and development projects, and combating economic corruption. Overall, the results demonstrate that Hezbollah of Lebanon prioritizes four main functional domains: cultural–social (22 indicators), military–security (28 indicators), political (20 indicators), and economic (13 indicators). https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3905.html The South Caucasus, as one of the most sensitive geopolitical regions, has witnessed profound social and economic conflicts between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia over recent decades. These conflicts, rooted in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, reached a critical turning point during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, significantly reshaping the military and security dynamics of the region. The main objective of this study is to analyze the role of social and economic conflicts in shaping the military thought and defensive strategies of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as to examine the implications of these developments for the Islamic Republic of Iran.This research adopts a qualitative approach and employs a descriptive–analytical method. Data were collected and analyzed from documents, library resources, and credible international reports. The findings indicate that in Azerbaijan, social challenges combined with the utilization of oil revenues led to military modernization and a technology-oriented approach. In contrast, Armenia, constrained by economic limitations, emphasized popular mobilization and traditional defense strategies. Armenia’s defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War prompted a reassessment of its defense structure and a growing inclination toward modern military technologies. These developments have resulted in increased instability along Iran’s northwestern borders, the active involvement of external actors, and heightened threats to Iran’s geopolitical interests, particularly through the Zangezur Corridor. The results underscore the necessity for revising Iran’s defense and security strategies and enhancing the country’s technological and intelligence capabilities. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3906.html Examining the nature of military threats and the outcomes of recent wars in the West Asia region, along with the rapid advancement of military technologies—particularly in relation to the characteristics of aerial threats—has made scientific and systematic attention to air defense an unavoidable necessity. Combat capability constitutes the primary factor in the execution of missions within any military organization and encompasses three dimensions: physical, non-physical, and force-multiplying. These dimensions play an undeniable role in strengthening the combat capability of the armed forces, including air defense units. Rapid and complex transformations, together with the continuously evolving nature of aerial threats, have further intensified the need to enhance air defense combat capability in order to effectively counter a wide range of aerial threats, thereby elevating its strategic importance. The objective of this study is to identify and explain the most significant factors contributing to the enhancement of air defense combat capability in proportion to aerial threats. Given the priority of air defense within the defense doctrines of most countries, as well as the adoption of extensive aerial offensive strategies by adversaries as their primary operational approach, the authors have sought to address this issue through systematic research. This applied–developmental study adopts a mixed-methods approach and employs a descriptive–analytical methodology. The statistical population and research sample consisted of 60 participants, selected through a census method. The collected data were analyzed, followed by synthesis and evaluation. The findings indicate that the factors enhancing air defense combat capability in response to aerial threats comprise three main components: tangible components with 17 subcomponents, intangible components with 20 subcomponents, and force-multiplying components with 14 subcomponents.   https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3907.html The Asia–Pacific region, as one of the most significant geographical and geopolitical areas, plays a decisive role in shaping and transforming global order and security in the twenty-first century. One of the key theoretical frameworks for analyzing this region is Barry Buzan’s Regional Security Complex Theory, which is grounded in five core indicators: security interdependence; social structure (patterns of amity and enmity); geographical proximity; anarchic structure; and relative autonomy. The present study aims to identify and analyze the security challenges confronting the Asia–Pacific region based on these five indicators. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach and is conducted using library-based and online sources. According to the findings, the most significant security challenges include, under the first indicator, the interdependence of territorial disputes, non-traditional threats, and the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Under the second indicator, challenges stem from historical and identity-related issues such as historical legacies of war and occupation, collective memories, ideological divides and value-based confrontations, the spectrum of power relations, multilayered security architecture, and discursive competition between the Asia–Pacific and the Indo-Pacific frameworks. Under the third indicator, challenges arise from the interconnection and overlap of crisis-prone zones across the subregions of this vast area. Based on the fourth indicator, challenges are associated with the absence of comprehensive regional authority, arms competition among major powers, dual policies adopted by states, and the inefficiency of regional institutions. Finally, under the fifth indicator, challenges are examined in relation to the relative autonomy of states within the region. The results indicate that security challenges in the Asia–Pacific region are deeply intertwined and complex, exerting significant impacts on the stability and security of neighboring regions as well as the global system. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3908.html Cognitive warfare, recognized as one of the key dimensions of fifth-generation warfare, focuses on human minds and perceptions and influences the opponent’s thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors through soft and covert methods. This form of warfare is regarded as one of the most effective and tangible manifestations of soft warfare. The rapid development of convergent sciences and technologies, along with extensive investments by military research organizations in the field of cognitive sciences, indicates that the human brain and mind have become the primary battlefield of the new century. In this context, media and audience cognition play a fundamental role in the infiltration and domination of public thought by adversaries. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze novel approaches and tools of cognitive warfare in the cultural and social domains. The research adopts a qualitative approach and employs a descriptive–analytical method. Data were collected through documentary and library-based studies as well as expert panel sessions. The statistical population of the study consists of 20 experts in the relevant field. Using qualitative data analysis software (MaxQDA), latent content analysis was conducted, through which open, axial, and selective codes were extracted, analyzed, and interpreted. Subsequently, expert panel sessions were held to validate the findings. The results indicate that novel approaches to cognitive warfare in the cultural and social domains encompass 32 concepts organized into 8 categories, while novel tools comprise 10 concepts classified into 4 categories. These findings can serve as a foundational framework for operational planning and future research aimed at countering cognitive warfare in cultural and social arenas. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3909.html Futures studies entail numerous implications for military intelligence organizations, assisting managers, analysts, and intellectual stakeholders within these institutions in updating their concepts, methods, and theoretical frameworks through the application of this relatively new and dynamic field of knowledge. This study aims to support military intelligence organizations in renewing various components of their structures by identifying and analyzing the implications of futures studies. Accordingly, it seeks to answer the following question: What are the implications of futures studies for military intelligence organizations? The present research is applied in nature and adopts a qualitative approach. Data were collected through library-based research and semi-structured interviews. The primary method of data analysis was thematic analysis, conducted within the methodological framework of implication analysis. Overall, the findings indicate that, given the core mission of military intelligence organizations—namely, fulfilling future-oriented military intelligence requirements—futures studies can support the intelligence cycle that underpins these organizations’ activities by offering specific methodologies and highlighting key underlying assumptions. The most significant implications of futures studies for these organizations are, respectively, observed in the stages of planning and direction of the intelligence cycle, analysis and production, dissemination, and integration. Furthermore, the implications of futures studies are predominantly associated with its methodological tools, among which scenario planning, the Delphi method, and trend analysis exhibit the greatest relevance and impact, respectively. . https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3910.html The environment has increasingly emerged as a critical component across various societal levels and has gradually become a central concern of macro-level governance in contemporary societies. The present study seeks to develop a model of good governance with a specific focus on environmental issues. Due to the lack of prior research in this area, expert opinions were employed to identify the proposed model. A sample of forty experts was selected, and through in-depth interviews, thirty influencing factors were extracted and subsequently classified into six categories: governance, legal, executive, economic, industrial, and information technology factors. In the next stage, the importance of each factor was determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the factors were weighted and prioritized accordingly. The results indicate that the main factors influencing good governance in enhancing environmental quality are as follows: legal factors ranked first with a weight of 0.239; industrial factors ranked second with a weight of 0.190; governance factors ranked third with a weight of 0.155; information technology factors ranked fourth with a weight of 0.092; executive factors ranked fifth with a weight of 0.069; and economic factors ranked sixth with a weight of 0.057. Furthermore, the findings reveal that sustainable urban and rural development was identified by experts as the most significant factor. In contrast, the enactment of enforceable environmental laws, transparency, and the development of civil society were identified as the weakest factors, indicating that these elements were considered less important by experts. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3697.html The enhancement of a country's defense capabilities is dependent on the improvement of knowledge, skills, behavior, and the insights of its armed forces' human capital, and purposeful and planned training and education can be considered the most fundamental foundation for this matter. Guiding elements such as missions, visions, principles, objectives, and policies direct the development of these strategies within the organization. The aim of this research is to develop strategies for training and education in the Navy in the area of senior instructors. This research is applied in nature and was conducted using a descriptive method, employing both field and library document collection methods. A comprehensive environmental study was conducted on the Imam Khomeini Naval University in Nowshahr, the Baqir al-Uloom Training Center in Rasht, and other training centers of the Navy.After analyzing the content of environmental studies and modifications, integrating and refining factors, and holding expert sessions using the Delphi technique, a questionnaire in the form of a thesis was presented to 15 experts on strategic issues. After various discussions, 12 internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and 4 external factors (opportunities and threats) in the area of the elite training and education of the Navy were identified, and ultimately, five strategies in the domain of elite training were developed. https://sds.sndu.ac.ir/article_3727.html The main goal of this research is to extract, identify, and analyze the factors affecting the provision of housing for armed forces personnel in the Tehran metropolis in the horizon of 1430. In this research, the content analysis method was used to extract and identify the key factors affecting the provision of housing for armed forces in the worn-out textures of the Tehran metropolis and analyze them in SPSS software. Out of 21 factors obtained from different sources, they were categorized into 16 and in an exploratory study, 7 key influential factors were finally counted: economic-physical-social-cultural-demographic-macro-environmental-geographical-political-management. Then, from among the 61 influential indicators under the above topics, 20 effective drivers were identified. By analyzing them in the MigMag software, the top 5 drivers that had achieved the highest scores were identified, which are: Land consolidation approach - attention to the applicants' nationality or locality - land allocation from the textures - housing as working capital and investment by military organizations. Then, by combining 5 key uncertainties extracted from the scenario wizard, 32 possible futures were produced and merged into 3 favorable, intermediate and pessimistic scenarios. The main axes of the favorable scenario are: priority allocation of land from worn-out textures - increasing employment - using housing as working capital and improving residential indicators. Of course, the realization of the favorable scenario requires multilateral inter-organizational cooperation, and the establishment of a housing base for the armed forces in the Ministry of Defense has been proposed as a proposal.