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The thesis analyzes the capability transformation process of NATO to measure the progress made by the European NATO member states in narrowing the capability gap between the United States and European forces. Since the end of the Cold War, the capability gap among the NATO members has become a major concern because it hinders NATO's operational ability. Operation Allied Force and new strategic and operational challenges of the 21st century have driven NATO's capability transformation process. The thesis analyzes NATO military capabilities exhibited in Operation Allied Force by analyzing the individual national contributions of the Allies to highlight the imbalance in the capabilities of the Alliance. The thesis then examines the capability transformation process regarding the commitments made by the Allies at the Washington, Prague and Istanbul Summits to reinforce capabilities for modern warfare in high threat environments and narrow the growing capability gap. It focuses on the decisions and achievements of each summit to measure the progress made by the European NATO member states in bridging the capabilities gap between the United States and European forces. To do this, it analyzes military expenditures, defense capabilities, national regulations and strategies that slowed down or reinforced the capability transformation process. The conclusion is that, despite encouraging trends in the capability transformation process, the balance in the military capabilities continues to favor the United States by a wide margin.

This thesis presents a method to compensate for the blanking time distortion in Space Vector Modulated (SVM) voltage source inverters. Blanking time distortion is caused by the delay inserted to prevent the short circuit that would occur if the two transistors in the same inverter leg are both on at the same time. This delay produces harmonic distortion and non-linearity when two-switch phase legs are used in inverters to generate sinusoidal voltages for various types of AC loads. The approach in this thesis uses a Field Programmable Gate Array to create a pulse by pulse compensation technique that adjusts the symmetric SVM pulses in an attempt to eliminate the voltage distortion caused by the blanking time effect. This technique is evaluated through simulation and experimental results. This thesis proves that the delay caused by the insertion of blanking time can be compensated using a Field Programmable Gate Array and that the blanking time delay is not the dominant source of the 5th and 7th lower order harmonic distortion in voltage source inverters at low voltages. / US Navy (USN) author.

Les contraintes environnementales préconisent le remplacement des substances à base de plomb présentes dans les équipements électroniques. Dans ce cadre, nous avons synthétisé par voie sol-gel des solutions solides de (La1-xLnx)2Ti2O7 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) sous forme massive et en couches minces sur des substrats de SrTiO3-Nb orientés (100) et (110). Sous forme de céramiques, les propriétés piézoélectriques des solutions solides à structure pérovskite en feuillet sont révélées. Sous forme de couches minces, l’investigation par diffraction de rayons X (DRX) en mode θ/θ montre que les films présentaient une orientation préférentielle (012) lorsqu’ils sont déposés sur des substrats de SrTiO3 orientés (100) et (001) lorsqu’ils sont déposés sur des substrats orientés (110). Des mesures par DRX haute résolution et des cartographies de l’espace réciproque révèlent l’existence d’orientations supplémentaires sur ces films. Ces orientations sont (025) pour les films déposés sur SrTiO3(100) et (212) pour les films déposés sur SrTiO3(110). Les mesures électriques réalisées à l’échelle macroscopique laissent présager le caractère ferroélectrique des films. Les études menées à l’échelle locale en microscopie à force piézoélectrique (PFM) confirment la ferroélectricité de tous les films. Cette microscopie met en évidence l’existence de domaines ferroélectriques dans lesquels les vecteurs de polarisation présentent des composantes dans et hors du plan du film, en bon accord avec les mesures en DRX HR.Ces résultats prometteurs placent ces solutions solides comme des candidats potentiels dans le cadre du remplacement des substances à base de plomb dans les équipements électroniques. / The environmental constraints advocate the replacement of lead-based substances found in electronic equipments. In this context, we have synthesized (La1-xLnx)2Ti2O7 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) solid solutions as bulks and thin films deposited on SrTiO3-Nb substrates oriented (100) or (110). In ceramics’ form, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of these layered perovskite solid solutions are found. In thin films’ form, the investigation by θ/θ X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a (012) preferred orientation for the films deposited on (100)-SrTiO3 substrates and (001) for (110)-SrTiO3 substrates’ films. The measurements by high resolution XRD and reciprocal space mappings reveal the existence of supplementary orientations on these films, which are (025) for films deposited on (100)-SrTiO3 substrates and (212) for films deposited on (110)-SrTiO3 substrates. The macroscopic electrical measurements suggest a ferroelectric nature in these samples. The local electrical measurements performed by piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) confirm the ferroelectricity in all films. This microscope reveals the existence of ferroelectric domains which the polarization vectors have components in and out of film’s plane, in good agreement with HR-XRD results. These promising results place these solid solutions as potential candidates under the replacement of lead-based substances in electronic equipments.

Many British and American critics have argued that the wartime 'Special Relationship' ended after World War H. Britain, buffeted by postwar shocks such as the end of Lend-Lease and atomic sharing, and by the lack of U. S. support during the Suez Crisis, felt increasingly demoted from its status as a great power, which had formerly been consulted by U. S. leaders on all matters of international importance. Despite those early post-war political dismissals, the USAF and the RAF began a Cold War linkage, which grew into a fifty-year association that was closer than any comparable defence relationship between nations. This work explores that unique relationship and argues that it grew even stronger through decades of mid-level air diplomacy clearly visible in the agreements and arrangements for U. S. Air Power in the United Kingdom. Its conclusions shed new light on the Anglo-American relationship and demonstrate the importance of air power in the diplomatic history of the two nations. It adds substance to the thin body of knowledge of air diplomacy, through an analysis of events, policies, agreements, arrangements, disagreements, and issues, which led to an even stronger transatlantic defence relationship that continues to serve both nations' interests

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This thesis is a critical analysis of the law of self-defence in Scotland and England. It is argued that it is far more difficult to justify the use of lethal force in self-defence than is commonly assumed and that, drawing on the work of Uniacke, the most convincing justification is on the basis of a right to life, accompanied by a theory of forfeiture. That is, the victim of an attack is entitled to protect herself from an aggressor who threatens her right to life. The reason why she is permitted to kill the aggressor, but the aggressor is not permitted to kill her, is because an aggressor forfeits her right to life by virtue of becoming an unjust immediate threat to the life of another. However, the right to life is seen as a fundamental right that should be respected in relation to all human beings, even aggressors, as far as is reasonably possible. This is because, unlike almost all other types of loss, a deprivation of life is something from which the victim can never recover and for which the victim can never be compensated. As such, it is argued that an aggressor's right to life is only forfeited at the point where it is no longer reasonably possible to save both the life of the victim and the life of the aggressor. On this basis, the thesis proceeds to argue that the law of self-defence should contain strict rules on when it is permissible to take the life of another human being. As such, relatively restrictive rules are proposed in relation to five specific aspects of self-defence law: retreat, mistake, self-generated self-defence, imminence and proportionality. It is suggested that Scots law conforms to these strict rules to a greater extent than does English law.

Although many multi-component polymer systems are well characterised, the surface properties of polymers mixed with low surface energy additives have received little attention. In addition, the new branches of scanning probe microscopy that enable high resolution mapping and modification of surface charge distributions have been infrequently applied to polymer surfaces. The surface segregation of a fluorochemical additive directly from a polypropylene host matrix has been investigated by AFM and other surface analysis techniques. The level of surface enrichment was found to be governed by the temperature and duration of annealing. Further investigation revealed that the speed and extent of surface enrichment of the additive increases with polymer molecular weight. The effect of additive structure on surface segregation has also reported. A method of depositing charge onto polypropylene substrates from a high potential scanning AFM tip was developed. The relation between AFM tip- voltage and the level of charge deposited on the substrate suggested that a localised corona discharge was generated. AFM scanning parameters were found to effect the deposition of charge. The charging behavior of fluorochemical doped polypropylene surfaces was investigated on macroscopic scales using a scanning electrometer probe, and on microscopic scales using EFM. Fluorochemical domains at the surface have been found to preferentially accumulate both positive and negative charge. Surface charge distributions were found to become more uniform during annealing. Sub-micron particle capture by charged surfaces was investigated using EFM. In addition, spatially confined amine beads were deposited onto a patch of localised charge and subsequently functionalised to produce a metallic gold coating.