AN INTRODUCTION TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Significance Follow-on action from Washington and responses from foreign actors will shape the US government’s adversarial policy towards China in semiconductors and other strategic technologies. Impacts The Biden administration will likely conclude that broad-based diversion of the semiconductor supply chain away from China is not feasible. The United States will rely on export controls and political pressure to prevent diffusion to China of cutting-edge chip technologies. The United States will focus on persuading foreign semiconductor leaders to help develop US capabilities, thereby staying ahead of China. Washington will focus on less direct approaches to strategic technology competition with China, notably technical standards-setting. Industry leaders in the semiconductor supply chain worldwide will continue expanding business in China in less politically sensitive areas.


Significance Although low commodity prices deterred investment in recent years, this is changing as the market rallies. The creation of a regional electric vehicle (EV) supply chain straddling the Canada-US border has the potential to transform the Canadian mining sector while loosening China’s grip on the minerals used in high-performance batteries. Impacts Canada is the world’s eighth-largest cobalt producer and has significant copper, graphite and rare earth deposits. Fortune Minerals, which is developing a cobalt mine in Northwest Territories, has held funding talks with the US Export/Import Bank. First Cobalt is building North America’s only cobalt refinery to give battery makers an alternative source to the DRC. Several of the country’s mines are using cutting-edge technologies to reduce their carbon emissions.


Perceptions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Deshmukh

This paper seeks to provide an overview of conflict mineral trade by analyzing it through an economic lens. Using data gathered from news sources, the memo first defines the term “conflict minerals” and identifies that the primary actors involved in the conflict mineral market are rebel militia groups and multinational corporations. The trade is mutually beneficial for these actors as it serves as the primary source of revenue for militia groups and allows multinational corporations to buy minerals at low costs. The memo also highlights the struggles legitimate Congolese miners face, as they face threats from militia groups and low market prices Also identified is Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank act, legislation which forces multinational corporations to list their mineral suppliers, thereby increasing supply chain transparency. While implemented with good intentions, it is extremely unsuccessful in stifling the conflict mineral trade as it lacks substantive regulatory measures. Furthermore, the EU and US plan to implement opposing conflict mineral trade policies — the EU looks to increase supply chain transparency while the US looks to repeal Section 1502 of Dodd Frank (an action which would decrease supply chain transparency). This paper believes that coordinated and homogenous action on the part of both federal governments and IGOs is necessary in order to concretely enforce restrictions on conflict mineral trade.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-196
Author(s):  
Alexander Ivanovich Lyozin

RAND Corporation is a think tank in the USA. It is a corporation in which experts of different fields of science write analytical works devoted to that or other problem. RAND has strong authority in the USA. Many works on Vietnam were done by the state order of the USA (from the Ministry of Defense), including Robert Komers works (conducted by the request of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at the U.S. Department of Defense). It is the research of this expert that is discussed in this paper. The paper looks at the biography of Robert Komer in the context from the conflict in Vietnam to cooperation with the RAND Corporation. In Vietnam, on the personal instructions of the US President Lyndon Johnson, Komer was the head of the program of appeasement or officially: the program of Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS). Having completed his activities in Vietnam, Komer shared his experience and knowledge in reports for the RAND Corporation. His works are addressed to the problems of the counterpartisan war. The paper describes the work of Robert Komer in the framework of the RAND Corporation. In conclusion, the relevance is emphasized. Due to the events such as the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, Komers activities in the implementation of the CORDS program in Vietnam have gained increased interest from many modern experts.


Author(s):  
D.B. Izyumov ◽  
E.L. Kondratyuk

The article discusses the concept of cybersecurity and its features, presents a list of US regulatory documents in the field of cyberspace and cybersecurity, as well as significant research and development work and programs in the field of development of cybersecurity technologies conducted by the Department of Advanced Research Projects of the US Department of Defense (DARPA). The most common foreign technologies used to protect computers, smart devices, routers, networks and cloud environments, as well as the main scientific and technological problems of the development of cybersecurity technologies, are summarized.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth C. Britch ◽  
Kenneth J. Linthicum ◽  
Robert L. Aldridge ◽  
Todd W. Walker ◽  
Mattie J. E. Rush ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT United States military troops in the field are exposed to the environment and are thus at high risk for transmission of arboviruses, and degradation of mission from continual harassment from insects. Passive vector control, such as application of residual insecticides to US military materials common in the field such as tents and camouflage netting, has been shown to be effective and can contribute to a successful integrated vector management (IVM) plan in the field to reduce this risk. However, other common US military field materials have not been evaluated with residual pesticides. In this study we conducted the first known investigation of the efficacy and longevity of a residual pesticide containing λ-cyhalothrin applied to HESCO® blast protection wall geotextile. We exposed treated material to a temperate Florida environment and found that this treatment can be effective against sand flies, filth-breeding flies, and mosquitoes for at least 6 wk. This study provides evidence that residual treatment of this US military material may be leveraged as an IVM component to enhance the US Department of Defense pest management system.


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