Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

The study deals with the role of volunteering and reserve forces in the security and defence systems of selected European states in the context of a changing security environment. It focuses on the institutional and personnel anchoring of voluntary military service, active reserves and other forms of involvement of the wider public in the defence of the state, both in the field of armed forces and in the broader framework of internal security and crisis management. It seems increasingly clear that volunteer and reserve models are becoming a key tool for strengthening defence capacities, increasing the resilience of the state and deepening civil-military cooperation, especially in conditions of limited personnel resources of professional armies. The text also points out the differences between the individual states under review (Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) in terms of the degree of integration of volunteers, the scope of their tasks, the intensity of training and their relationship to compulsory military service. Attention is also paid to a certain extent to informal or insufficiently regulated security activities, including the potential for their politicisation or misuse by extremist actors. The study aims to contribute to the expert debate on the possibilities of effectively involving volunteer potential in complex national defence systems. The paper advances the argument that volunteering is no longer a peripheral addition to defence systems, but constitutes a structural pillar of modern defence architectures, particularly in states relying on professional armed forces and whole-of-society approaches.

This article addresses the issue of protecting civilian space assets that are utilized by states, and particularly by armed forces. It examines the unique characteristics of operating in the space environment, importance of these space assets, the concept of the military use of space, and the strategies applied in the United States to ensure the protection of such assets. The authors propose five protective measures: war risk insurance; physical protection of the ground segment; in-orbit physical protection; deterrence; and threat information sharing.

The capacity of military organisations to sustain operational effectiveness depends increasingly on their ability to lead and retain Generation Z personnel (born 1996 – 2012) – the first fully digital cohort entering professional armed forces worldwide. This narrative literature review synthesises evidence on the leadership challenges and opportunities associated with Generation Z, with particular focus on the Czech Armed Forces (CAF). Drawing on generational theory, transformational and adaptive leadership models, as well as empirical military research (2019 – 2025), the paper identifies three analytical dimensions: generational characteristics in military contexts, leadership and development requirements, and institutional adaptation within the CAF. Evidence-based implications are developed for leadership doctrine, training design, and organisational culture.

With the changing global security situation, increase in external threats or emergence of new ones (cyberattacks, non-conventional warfare models, etc.), countries must feel concern regarding consolidation of their security. In this regard, both the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine are taking measures to enhance and expand their military forces. One of the means to fortify military forces is attracting citizens to serve in the civilian national defence service. Authors of the article employ a comparative aspect to analyse the need for statutory servants serving in the civilian national defence service, as well as reveal the number and type of professionals to be required by the national defence system and explore benefits provided by such statutory servants as well as their purpose in the army. Additionally, in the article authors reveal administrational-legal status of civilian national defence services in both the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine, its place in the system of other militarised or civil public administration institutions. Comparative aspect is also used to analyse administrative legal status of statutory servants of civilian national defence service, peculiarities of admission of statutory servants to the national defence system and their service therein, as well as possibilities for motivation and stimulation of citizens to exercise service in the civilian national defence service. Therefore, the article aims to answer the question of what could motivate citizens to carry out service in the civilian national defence service, what incentives (needs, interests, values, stimulus, realisation of importance of certain matters, remuneration, etc.) would result in motivation (attitude and interest in) to serve in the Lithuanian Armed Forces and to participate in international operations.

The article describes the research of the development of the shadow economy, defines its essence, discloses main reasons for its occurrence; describes its structure, Identifies factors that promote its development; evaluates the system of combating measures and reveals the results of controlling it. Policy implications are being suggested.