Papers by Tato Kvamladze
NATO Security in a New Environment, 2023
International Centre for Defence and Security, 2023
For several centuries, conscription service has been intertwined with national sovereignty and st... more For several centuries, conscription service has been intertwined with national sovereignty and statehood. The French Revolution had introduced the ‘mass army’ concept, superior to chivalry and territorial defence and
protection of sovereignty became a cross-class obligation for all citizens – not a duty for the selected few.1 Conscripted armies have long served as a ‘melting pot’ for multi-ethnic and multi-faith societies on their way towards a nation-state.
International Centre for Defence and Security Briefs, 2023
Albeit heavily sanctioned, Iran has, nonetheless, demonstrated a robust weapon system manufacturi... more Albeit heavily sanctioned, Iran has, nonetheless, demonstrated a robust weapon system manufacturing capacity over the last decades. Exhausted by the Islamic revolution and an 8-year war with neighbouring Iraq, Teheran managed to upbuild a self-sufficient defence industry from the ashes of the war. It started with low-tech reverse-engineering of 3rd generation fighters and tanks and ended with indigenously producing high-accuracy and long-range ballistic missiles. Adding fuel to the regional fires, Iran exported $435 million worth of weaponry to its 'weaker' partners. However, Iran was also importing arms, having bought $5.5 billion in Russian weapons from the late 1980s till 2020. In 2022, the state of affairs has dramatically changed, and now Russia is desperate to procure Iranian-made drones and ballistic missiles.
Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences, 2018
Few topics in international relations consistently attract as much
academic and policy interest a... more Few topics in international relations consistently attract as much
academic and policy interest as nuclear proliferation. Literature
on the subject tends to focus on the following questions: Why do
states seek nuclear weapons? How do they acquire the components
necessary to build them? What are the consequences of nuclear
proliferation? Does nuclear proliferation change the balance of
power? These issues will remain salient in the years to come as
the Iranian nuclear weapon programme continues, heightening the
crisis between regional leading states.
The Public Policy Paper Series, 2017
In order to overcome the existing threats and defend national security and sovereignty, the armed... more In order to overcome the existing threats and defend national security and sovereignty, the armed forces of a country need to be flexible, mobile and original. The distribution of the existing scarce resources according to priorities is vital for the formation of efficient defense systems and effective armed forces.
The policy paper Analyzing the Efficiency of Georgia’s Defence Spending presents three main stages of the development of the Georgian defense systems and differing approaches of the Georgian government, in terms of the distribution of the defense budget and resources, during each of these stages. The main purpose of the document is to analyze, both qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, the 2005-2016 macroeconomic indicators of Georgia and the 2005-2008, 2009-2012 as well as 2013-
2016 defense budgets, aiming to reveal an optimal way of distributing the resources possessed by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. It should be pointed out that the distribution of our country’s defense budget does not satisfy the minimum standards for maintaining the defense capacities of Georgia, as determined based upon the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recommendations.
The paper presents three alternative efficient models of distributing Georgia’s defense spending together with a detailed analysis of their expected results.
DEFENSE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY, 2014
Defence Resource Management System (DRMS) represents the tool to establish and develop short and ... more Defence Resource Management System (DRMS) represents the tool to establish and develop short and mid-term planning within the Defence system in Georgia. The paper describes general overview of DRMS process and its principles, authority, purpose, organization and responsibilities. This paper explains phases of PPBS – planning, programming, budgeting and execution by defining steps, responsible office, and guideline documents and explicates roles of Management Team (MT) and their functions in defence resource management process.
Books by Tato Kvamladze
University of Georgia Publishing , 2024
This document was prepared by the Security, Policy and Nationalism Center (UGSPN) at the School o... more This document was prepared by the Security, Policy and Nationalism Center (UGSPN) at the School of Social Sciences of the University of Georgia. Within the project, a comprehensive analysis of Georgia’s
security and defense area was carried out, based on which the security challenges and institutional failures facing the country have been considered and two competing models of rational defense formulated and recommended. The first (1) model is fully tailored to the needs of the security and defense system without any presumption of the resources (especially financial) limitation; and the second (2) model is a relatively realistic one based on the financial capabilities and constraints of the country. Structurally, the document is divided into three sections. The first section is entirely dedicated to the review of the desired models of the Defense Forces. The review begins with the formulation of the threats and challenges facing the country, and global processes relevant to the context of regional security. The next phase lays out the vision of the future of warfare and on its basis, the requirements for operational and combat capabilities are formulated. Following this, the document eventually reviews in detail the desired structure of the Defense Forces (including an alternative variant), its capabilities and equipment, staffing, logistics and infrastructure, including budgetary calculations for the period set for the transformation of forces. The second section of the document reviews the institutional arrangement of defense and security - functional efficiency of the Parliament, Minister of Defense, General Staff, NSC, Defense Council and President, which is essential for security and defense policy, its planning and democratic oversight. The third section reviews interagency cooperation in the area of security and defense, which is critical for effective response to military and other types of crises. This primarily implies coordinated action of the Georgian Defense Forces with other agencies to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure, response to natural disasters, protection of border and maximum security along the occupation line (ABL). Based on the purpose of the document, recommendations are formulated in all three sections and cover a wide range of measures (agency and structure, legal, finances and resources, doctrine, etc.). In case of their fulfillment, it is possible to achieve the stated objectives: 1. Substantial institutional enhancement of the security and defense sphere/system of Georgia; 2. Rapid development of the Defense Forces and enhancement of combat capabilities, adequate for the combat objectives; 3. Significant increase of efficiency in interagency coordination and joint response to various types of crises.
Thesis Chapters by Tato Kvamladze
US Naval Postgraduate School MBA Project, 2020
Since the end of the Cold War, the development of advanced military technologies has affected arm... more Since the end of the Cold War, the development of advanced military technologies has affected arms production by creating new demands for modern weapons that are more effective but also expensive. This project explores the impact of the arms trade on the defense industrial bases (DIBs). Within the framework of this project, I examined the importance of the international arms transfer, military expenditure, and cooperation with partner countries. Achieving a defense autarky depends on many factors, but these are most important: the share of the defense budget used for military R&D and weapons procurement, and the diversification of product lines for domestic and international markets. With the aim of achieving defense autarky, states should reduce their dependency on foreign suppliers and seek technology transfer and cooperation to boost indigenous production capacity. Through comparative case studies, this project analyzed attempts to develop self-sufficient DIBs in Turkey, Iran, and Ukraine. Each study provided a review of the factors that influenced these attempts, including procurement and maintenance of armories, distribution of defense spending by categories, arms exports and imports, defense-industrial policies, and defense markets with key stakeholders. Using this analysis, I provided key policy recommendations for the development of a self-sufficient DIB in Georgia, which is at a crossroads in this field.
Uploads
Papers by Tato Kvamladze
protection of sovereignty became a cross-class obligation for all citizens – not a duty for the selected few.1 Conscripted armies have long served as a ‘melting pot’ for multi-ethnic and multi-faith societies on their way towards a nation-state.
academic and policy interest as nuclear proliferation. Literature
on the subject tends to focus on the following questions: Why do
states seek nuclear weapons? How do they acquire the components
necessary to build them? What are the consequences of nuclear
proliferation? Does nuclear proliferation change the balance of
power? These issues will remain salient in the years to come as
the Iranian nuclear weapon programme continues, heightening the
crisis between regional leading states.
The policy paper Analyzing the Efficiency of Georgia’s Defence Spending presents three main stages of the development of the Georgian defense systems and differing approaches of the Georgian government, in terms of the distribution of the defense budget and resources, during each of these stages. The main purpose of the document is to analyze, both qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, the 2005-2016 macroeconomic indicators of Georgia and the 2005-2008, 2009-2012 as well as 2013-
2016 defense budgets, aiming to reveal an optimal way of distributing the resources possessed by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. It should be pointed out that the distribution of our country’s defense budget does not satisfy the minimum standards for maintaining the defense capacities of Georgia, as determined based upon the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recommendations.
The paper presents three alternative efficient models of distributing Georgia’s defense spending together with a detailed analysis of their expected results.
Books by Tato Kvamladze
security and defense area was carried out, based on which the security challenges and institutional failures facing the country have been considered and two competing models of rational defense formulated and recommended. The first (1) model is fully tailored to the needs of the security and defense system without any presumption of the resources (especially financial) limitation; and the second (2) model is a relatively realistic one based on the financial capabilities and constraints of the country. Structurally, the document is divided into three sections. The first section is entirely dedicated to the review of the desired models of the Defense Forces. The review begins with the formulation of the threats and challenges facing the country, and global processes relevant to the context of regional security. The next phase lays out the vision of the future of warfare and on its basis, the requirements for operational and combat capabilities are formulated. Following this, the document eventually reviews in detail the desired structure of the Defense Forces (including an alternative variant), its capabilities and equipment, staffing, logistics and infrastructure, including budgetary calculations for the period set for the transformation of forces. The second section of the document reviews the institutional arrangement of defense and security - functional efficiency of the Parliament, Minister of Defense, General Staff, NSC, Defense Council and President, which is essential for security and defense policy, its planning and democratic oversight. The third section reviews interagency cooperation in the area of security and defense, which is critical for effective response to military and other types of crises. This primarily implies coordinated action of the Georgian Defense Forces with other agencies to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure, response to natural disasters, protection of border and maximum security along the occupation line (ABL). Based on the purpose of the document, recommendations are formulated in all three sections and cover a wide range of measures (agency and structure, legal, finances and resources, doctrine, etc.). In case of their fulfillment, it is possible to achieve the stated objectives: 1. Substantial institutional enhancement of the security and defense sphere/system of Georgia; 2. Rapid development of the Defense Forces and enhancement of combat capabilities, adequate for the combat objectives; 3. Significant increase of efficiency in interagency coordination and joint response to various types of crises.
Thesis Chapters by Tato Kvamladze
protection of sovereignty became a cross-class obligation for all citizens – not a duty for the selected few.1 Conscripted armies have long served as a ‘melting pot’ for multi-ethnic and multi-faith societies on their way towards a nation-state.
academic and policy interest as nuclear proliferation. Literature
on the subject tends to focus on the following questions: Why do
states seek nuclear weapons? How do they acquire the components
necessary to build them? What are the consequences of nuclear
proliferation? Does nuclear proliferation change the balance of
power? These issues will remain salient in the years to come as
the Iranian nuclear weapon programme continues, heightening the
crisis between regional leading states.
The policy paper Analyzing the Efficiency of Georgia’s Defence Spending presents three main stages of the development of the Georgian defense systems and differing approaches of the Georgian government, in terms of the distribution of the defense budget and resources, during each of these stages. The main purpose of the document is to analyze, both qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, the 2005-2016 macroeconomic indicators of Georgia and the 2005-2008, 2009-2012 as well as 2013-
2016 defense budgets, aiming to reveal an optimal way of distributing the resources possessed by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. It should be pointed out that the distribution of our country’s defense budget does not satisfy the minimum standards for maintaining the defense capacities of Georgia, as determined based upon the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recommendations.
The paper presents three alternative efficient models of distributing Georgia’s defense spending together with a detailed analysis of their expected results.
security and defense area was carried out, based on which the security challenges and institutional failures facing the country have been considered and two competing models of rational defense formulated and recommended. The first (1) model is fully tailored to the needs of the security and defense system without any presumption of the resources (especially financial) limitation; and the second (2) model is a relatively realistic one based on the financial capabilities and constraints of the country. Structurally, the document is divided into three sections. The first section is entirely dedicated to the review of the desired models of the Defense Forces. The review begins with the formulation of the threats and challenges facing the country, and global processes relevant to the context of regional security. The next phase lays out the vision of the future of warfare and on its basis, the requirements for operational and combat capabilities are formulated. Following this, the document eventually reviews in detail the desired structure of the Defense Forces (including an alternative variant), its capabilities and equipment, staffing, logistics and infrastructure, including budgetary calculations for the period set for the transformation of forces. The second section of the document reviews the institutional arrangement of defense and security - functional efficiency of the Parliament, Minister of Defense, General Staff, NSC, Defense Council and President, which is essential for security and defense policy, its planning and democratic oversight. The third section reviews interagency cooperation in the area of security and defense, which is critical for effective response to military and other types of crises. This primarily implies coordinated action of the Georgian Defense Forces with other agencies to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure, response to natural disasters, protection of border and maximum security along the occupation line (ABL). Based on the purpose of the document, recommendations are formulated in all three sections and cover a wide range of measures (agency and structure, legal, finances and resources, doctrine, etc.). In case of their fulfillment, it is possible to achieve the stated objectives: 1. Substantial institutional enhancement of the security and defense sphere/system of Georgia; 2. Rapid development of the Defense Forces and enhancement of combat capabilities, adequate for the combat objectives; 3. Significant increase of efficiency in interagency coordination and joint response to various types of crises.