Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

This article analyzes the career planning model for officers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces as one of the key instruments to develop human capabilities and ensure military readiness. The purpose of the study is to assess how the interaction between vertical and horizontal career paths is defined in officer career planning documents and what impact this interaction has on the development of officers’ competencies, leadership continuity, and institutional resilience of the defence system.

Military is an institution which is one of the most significant national security guarantees. Lithuanian armed forces military psychologists findings of soldiers who leave the service before time show that the main reason is that organization is not able to ensure individual needs of personnel. The problem of this report is - how the military organization is able to implement function of national security combining individual officers and collective organizational values in the context of contemporary society? For this research was applied qualitative research method, using semi-structured interview technique.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been developed for military purposes and are therefore particularly advanced and developed in military aviation. Under the circumstances, UAVs and drones are used these days not only in the military but also in the civilian industry.

The article deals with the inter-war Lithuanian aviation in the period of 1919-1940. By using all available historical and literature resources, the author aims to analyze the inter-war aviation cooperation and perform historical analysis of aviation institutions. Having reviewed the historical development of these institutions, it can be concluded that since their establishment the main purpose has been the country’s defence in case of armed attack. Military aviation has become the core of aviation. The cooperation of the aviation institutions during the Soviet occupation is not analyzed. The authors claim that processes of development of strengthening of Lithuanian aviation istitutions are interreated to sustainable security phenomenon.

This paper is focused on the current state of opinions and positions on issues of education and development of commanders within the Lithuanian and Austrian Armed Forces. The contribution presents the results of a questionnaire survey entitled „Analysis of current situation, opinions and attitudes to the issue of education and development of military commanders (managers) of chosen subjects in subordination of the National Defence System of Lithuania“and „Analysis of current situation (opinions, attitudes) of the issue of education and developmet of managers (military leaders) of chosen subjects in subordination of the Austrian Armed Forces“. The selected areas provide a current overview of the opinions and attitudes of the views of awareness and opportunities for consultation, development of managerial skills and leadership managing at the beginning effect on the function, development needs, barriers, educational and development activities attendance and integration of new elements to training. Attention is paid to the methodology of Crew Resouce Management from a civilian and military point of view, its history, focus, aplication, etc. This paper focuses on the use of CRM at United States Navy and Marine Corps, United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Coast Guard and other world´s military services.