Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

Physical fitness is a fundamental component of military readiness, with aerobic capacity representing a key determinant of operational performance. In military education settings, training time is often limited, which increases the need for efficient and targeted conditioning strategies. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been widely discussed as a time-efficient method capable of eliciting meaningful physiological adaptations. However, evidence regarding its specific effects on aerobic capacity in military populations remains inconsistent. Therefore, further evaluation of structured HIIT interventions under real-world military conditions is warranted. First-year military students (n ≈ 80–90) were randomly assigned to either an intervention group completing a structured nine-week HIIT-based program or a control group following standard conventional physical training. The study was conducted across two consecutive measurement seasons using a randomized pre–post design. Aerobic capacity was assessed before and after the intervention using maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) determined via graded exercise testing. Both training programs were implemented within the regular physical training curriculum. The present study provides insight into the effects of a systematically designed HIIT intervention on aerobic capacity in a military student population. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how structured high-intensity training compares with conventional military physical training in terms of VO₂max adaptation. These results may help inform the development of efficient conditioning strategies within time-constrained military education environments. The study was conducted within a real-world military training setting, which may limit strict control over all external training influences. The duration of the intervention and the absence of intermediate physiological measurements may also have influenced the observed adaptations. Additionally, variability in sample size across measurement seasons should be considered when interpreting the findings.

Contemporary military operations increasingly face incidents in which the nature of the hazard is initially unclear, involving possible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, or combined threats. In the Czech military environment, the role allocation between the Military Police and other military actors in uncertain chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRN-E) incidents is not fully standardized. As a result, the Military Police may be expected to involve in scene control, personnel protection, preservation of evidentiary value, and escalation decisions despite limited organic CBRN capabilities. This article proposes an experimental research design for evaluating Military Police response to uncertain CBRN-E incidents under controlled but operationally realistic conditions. The model integrates tactical, technical, legal, and forensic variables and introduces a structured evaluation framework focused on decision latency, exposure risk, evidentiary integrity, coordination effectiveness, and procedural compliance. The study supports future standardization of response procedures, training, and coordination between the Military Police and specialized military units.

Obstacles alone may not be sufficient to stop or destroy a target completely, but they can degrade its mobility. This helps to make firepower more effective. This study examines when using both counter-mobility measures (CM) and firepower effects (JF) together yields greater effectiveness than using them separately. Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB 2025a were used to compare CM, JF, and CM+JF. The comparison is based on the probability of detection (PD) and the weapon system availability rate (WSAR). Synergy is measured in two ways: (i) Ddiff, which shows how many more targets are destroyed with CM+JF compared to using CM and JF separately, and (ii) the index S, which shows the total effect of CM+JF compared to the sum of the CM and JF effects. The results showed positive synergy in most cases, with 44 of the 50 combinations having a positive lower bound for the 95% confidence intervals of Ddiff.

The paper presents the Virtual Reality (VR) - Augmented Reality (AR) Simulator Kit designed for Call for Fire (CFF) training within the framework of fire support. It describes the system’s modular architecture, the use of mixed reality, voice control, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based analysis of standardized CFF communication. Pilot validation confirmed the technical functionality of the solution, as well as its ability to objectively assess procedural correctness and monitor reaction time and error rates. Its main contribution lies in linking immersive training with the broader context of fire support command and control. The originality of the paper consists in integrating VR/AR, AI, and analytical evaluation into a single training ecosystem.

Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) have become central to NATO’s approach to future warfare, requiring the integration of military effects across Land, Sea, Air, Cyberspace, and Space. This article analyses whether the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) adequately reflects the capability requirements generated by the MDO concept. Drawing on unclassified NATO documents and open sources, the study identifies structural misalignment between domain‑centric capability planning and the integrative, data‑centric demands of MDO, and outlines implications for the adaptation of NATO defence planning.

In this paper, we argue that disciplined disobedience, a more pronounced interpretation of mission command, is a function of battlefield realities and force composition, rather than preconceived tactics or doctrine. Although theoretically sound, its effective implementation depends, in large part, on real-world battlefield limitations such as the obstruction of effective communication, limitations to force concentration, and external pressures such as an overwhelming enemy advantage in manpower or equipment, and the composition of the Army’s source population. However, even under ideal circumstances, disciplined disobedience can still be hampered by a military that does not sufficiently differentiate between responsibility and blame.

This paper examines the strategic airlift capability of the Czech Armed Forces in the context of multinational alliance mechanisms. The study combines a DOTMLPFI-based capability assessment, expert consultation, and scenario-based modelling conducted in the LOGFAS environment. Three transport variants were evaluated: SALIS (An-124), SAC (C-17 Globemaster III), and framework nation support (C-5 Galaxy). The results indicate that the Czech Armed Forces remain structurally dependent on multinational heavy airlift solutions due to the absence of national strategic transport platforms. While the C-5 scenario proved most efficient, the SALIS mechanism appears to be the most realistic and operationally feasible option under current Czech conditions.

This study evaluates the implementation of NATO environmental protection requirements across operational phases using a checklist-based gap analysis. Eight environmental domains within the Czech Armed Forces were assessed by comparing current and target states of compliance. Results indicate overall high to full implementation, with full compliance achieved in waste management, POL handling, HAZMAT and water management. Higher implementation gaps persist in air quality, energy management, and infrastructure planning, reflecting sensitivity to operational constraints. The findings confirm that environmental compliance is phase-dependent and influenced by infrastructure, logistics, and resource availability, highlighting the need for scalable and early integrated environmental measures.

Understanding how soil systems respond to atmospheric forcing is critical not only for environmental science but also for defence operations requiring accurate terrain assessment. This study quantifies depth‑dependent and delayed soil responses to meteorological drivers using lag‑correlation analysis across six operational military monitoring stations (2022–2024). The results demonstrate that soil–atmosphere coupling exhibits strong station‑specific variability, with response times ranging from hours to several weeks depending on soil type and depth.

Assessment of the operational environment for military operations planning increasingly requires, alongside physical terrain evaluation, the systematic integration of socio-economic, institutional, and security-related data into coherent analytical frameworks. Traditional geopolitical and regional analyses often treat these dimensions separately, limiting the capacity to evaluate territorial stability as a multidimensional and spatially differentiated phenomenon. This contribution introduces the Socio-Economic Area Stability (SEAS) model, conceptualized as a geospatial composite index designed to quantify territorial stability through the structured synthesis of heterogeneous spatial indicators. The model builds upon principles of composite indicator construction and geospatial data modelling grounded in ISO 191XX standards, transforming conceptual socio-geographical structures into a spatially explicit analytical framework. Investigation results confirm that the proposed index architecture is internally coherent, theoretically grounded, and structurally compatible with multi-source spatial datasets.