IUM - Revista de Ciências Miliares
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- The digital organization in the Portuguese Air ForcePublication . Páscoa, Carlos Jorge Ramos; Telha, Ana Cristina RodriguesThe commitments and obligations which Portugal has undertaken (and, by extension, the Air Force), which reflect the growing concerns about the environment and the problem of Dematerialisation, and the need for near-real-time awareness has led to the development of computer applications with cockpits that enable the management of multiple application domains. The Organisation is the element that links military institutions to military capabilities and to their operational product. This study aims to optimise the way in which the organisation is managed by comparing planning to execution, aligning organisational concepts and establishing relationships between individual competencies and organisational competencies and functions. Design Science Research methodology was used to analyse and design the Air Force’s Digital Organisation. This was achieved by creating and establishing relationships between organisational concepts and building a computer-based artifact. The study contributes to science because it provides a representation of the organisational contexts, the competencies of organisational agents, the informational concepts that were developed and the traceability of the actions carried out during the study. The findings confirm that the Digital Organisation concept will make the Air Force’s management process more effective and efficient.
- The applicability of positive leadership in the Armed ForcesPublication . Ferreira, Tânia Mora; Rosinha, António José Palma Esteves; Carvalho, Rita João Ribeiro dePositive Leadership, a concept introduced by Kim Cameron in 2008, based on findings from the field of positive psychology, aims to foster a positive work environment, encourage wellbeing and emphasise strengths and positive outcomes. However, in the Armed Forces, where leadership is based on a military culture with a rigid hierarchical structure, the demanding nature of military missions requires a different approach. In light of this contrast between military command and the humanist approach that Positive Leadership proposes, this work will seek to understand if these concepts are compatible and explore how Positive Leadership practices can enrich the military environment. The goal is to analyse how Positive Leadership influences the “Quality of Work Life” and “Organisational Commitment” of military personnel. A mediation model was tested in a hypothetical-deductive study using a quantitative method and a questionnaire survey of Army and Air Force personnel. The findings show that Positive Leadership influences “Quality of Life at Work” and “Organisational Commitment”, especially through the mediating variables “Voice Climate” and “Acquiescent Silence”. Therefore, military leaders should cultivate an environment where voice is allowed and actively encouraged through practices such as feedback, brainstorming and an open-door policy.
- The involvement of the Portuguese Armed Forces in EUTM Mali: improving Portugal's recognition in the Sahel.Publication . Gomes, Luís Miguel Rodrigues; Bernardino, Luís Manuel BrásThis study analysed the involvement of the Portuguese Armed Forces in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM-Mali) to identify proposals for a national strategy for the Sahel. The study used a deductive reasoning methodology, a qualitative strategy and a case study research design based on a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that the European Union has an interest in the security of the Sahel region because some of the threats that come from this region pose a risk to the EU Member States. Due to the situation in northern Mali having escalated, Europe has decided to become more active in the country by conducting missions within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy. The study revealed that the involvement of the Portuguese military in EUTMMali has helped the European Union meet its international commitments in the region, showing that Portugal is committed multilaterally, that it is a producer of regional security and that it has the credibility to influence the European Union’s decisions regarding Africa, and specifically the Sahel.
- Prediction of leadership self-efficacy: a case study in a joint military samplePublication . Gomes, Ana Patrícia Correia; Andrade, Rui Miguel Rodrigues de; Almeida, João Carlos Romano; Caetano, Bruno Manuel Matos; Curto, Rodolfo Dionísio Prego; Mota, Bruno Manuel da Cunha; Rodrigues, Pedro Filipe Resende Martins Silva; Tostão, Ricardo Miguel OliveiraThe main objective of the present study was to analyze the impact of personality factors (Big Five), participation in operational missions, leadership styles and competencies on Leadership Self-Efficacy. This case study employed a quantitative methodology, through the application of a questionnaire to a sample of 103 officers from the Senior Officer Promotion Course 2022/2023 (2nd edition). The main results suggest an explanatory model of Leadership Self- Efficacy (with an explanatory power of 64.2%), where the following variables were identified as predictors: Transformational Leadership, Neuroticism (negative relationship), the importance attributed to Teamwork and Communication competencies, and the quality of Team Interaction. Participation in operational missions (frequency) was not significant in the model, and no significant differences were found in Leadership Self-Efficacy between military personnel with and without experience in operational missions.
- Contribution of the Portuguese Quick Reaction Force to the Protection of Civilians in the Central African RepublicPublication . Silva, Josias Marcos de ResendeIn 2017, following a drastic increase in violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations Security Council decided to deploy a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) within the structure of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Composed of Portuguese commandos, the QRF aims to increase MINUSCA's capacity to protect civilians in CAR. In this context, the purpose of this research was to analyze the role played by the Portuguese QRF as a special operations unit, as well as its contribution to the protection of civilians (POC) in the CAR. Methodologically, this study consisted of a mixed-methods case study on the MINUSCA QRF, in which the quantitative data and analysis played a secondary role in support of the qualitative data and analysis. As a result, it was possible to conclude that the Portuguese commandos have effectively contributed to the reduction of physical violence against civilians by performing POC tasks aimed at the short term. However, as the Portuguese QRF has not conducted POC tasks aimed at the long term, its contribution has been insufficient to establish a safe environment in the Central African Republic.
- Space "Domain" and Earth observation, skills and case studiesPublication . Páscoa, Carlos Jorge RamosThe growing awareness and concerns about space, as well as the legal commitments and obligations undertaken by Portugal, and consequently by the Air Force, have created an urgent need to integrate the space domain into aviation operations. By analysing the relationship between space services and products and intelligence and operations, this study aims to identify how satellite-based Earth observing sensors (and the space skills required to employ them) can be used to make the activities of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) more efficient and effective. A Case Study methodology was chosen to conduct this work and six case studies were designed and analysed using information obtained from satellites. The findings showed that these products can provide vital information to the planning of aviation missions, improving the PoAF’s situational awareness and contributing to the identification of the organisational competencies required to conduct space-related activities. The findings showed that further integration of space products into aviation operations would improve support to decision making.
- The relationship between successful disinformation operations and armed conflict: case study of Russia in the 21st centuryPublication . Domingues, Ivane Gaspar; Dias, Luís Mendonça; Silva, José Serra daSince the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has sought to regain influence over the former countries of that political union using political, information, economic, energy, ethnic and religious tools. The two cases analysed in this paper – the armed invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014 – are unique in the sense that they are territories which Russia claims are in its area of influence, and over which it has used conventional military means to stake those claims. Rapid execution of military operations and the fulfilment of military and political objectives cannot be separated from other so-called unconventional operations. In this study, we analyse information operations, their impact on the territories in question and the immediate consequences of the conflicts. The findings showed that information operations helped prepare the ground by persuading local populations that the Russian narrative was justified, creating organisations and groups of citizens sympathetic to Russian demands, corrupting political and social structures and demoralising the opposing security and defence forces.
- The effect of training and technology on friction in armoured combat: case study of Battle of 73 EastingPublication . Heck, Bruno Lion Gomes; Azevedo, Carlos Eduardo FrancoThe aim of this article is to determine if training and technology are directly or inversely correlated with friction during armoured combat, using the Battle of 73 Easting, which took place during the Gulf War (1991), as a case study. A historical review was carried out to describe the battle and the categorization proposed by Ferreira, Ramos and Franchi (2018) regarding the different types of friction was used throughout the study. The study methodology was an analytical single case study which included a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The findings revealed that training and technology directly affected attrition, giving the US forces the advantage in the confrontation, and that technology correlated especially to the “information” category of friction, while training had more consequences for the “individual” category.
- The influence of a culture of innovation on the development of software-defined radio for the defence sector.Publication . Borba, Gabriela Alves de; Azevedo, Carlos Eduardo Franco; Fronfria Mesa, AntonioThis study examines how the cultures of innovation of the Brazilian Army and the Brazilian Navy influenced the RDS-Defence innovation process. RDS-Defence, or Software-Defined Radio for Defence, is a programme of the Brazilian Ministry of Defence that seeks to develop radios for tactical communications within the Brazilian Armed Forces. The study aimed to determine which elements of the Brazilian Army and Navy’s culture of innovation have either facilitated or hindered the RDS-Defence innovation process. This is an exploratory and qualitative study. A literature review was used to collect data from books, documents and semi-structured interviews with officers who work or worked in the RDS-Defence team. The collected data were analysed using Content Analysis techniques.The findings show that the Armed Forces’ culture of innovation does indeed influence innovation processes. Certain elements of culture of innovation acted as catalysts for innovation, while others impeded the speed of the innovation process to some degree.
- The Atlantic as a space of geopolitical competition in the twenty-first centuryPublication . Alexandre, António GonçalvesThe importance of the oceans lies in their significant attributes for humankind. The resources it contains and its usefulness as a source of power and dominance are among the most relevant. At the beginning of this century, Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver looked at polarity in the post-Cold War era and identified four great powers: Russia because it had fallen from superpower status; China, the European Union (EU) and Japan on the basis that they were regularly discussed as potential adversaries of the superpower - the United States of America (USA) - and/or as potential superpowers. Using inductive reasoning and a qualitative research strategy, this article analyses, on the basis of a case study, the military positioning of China and Russia in the Atlantic basin in the 21st century. The conclusions show that both China and Russia are seeking to strengthen their military presence in the Atlantic Ocean, an area of traditional US and EU influence, due to political and economic factors, which could undermine the existing status quo and lead to an increase in geopolitical disputes between these actors.