Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

The paper presents a hybrid methodological framework for resolving military capability gaps by integrating Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and constructive simulation. The purpose is to enhance defense planning transparency and objectivity. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), expert-driven criteria weights were established, focusing on force protection and operational effectiveness. These were validated via 200 stochastic simulation cycles in MASA SWORD, comparing conventional reconnaissance against UAV-integrated structures. Findings indicate that UAV integration (OCE = 0.7882) provides a 50.6% reduction in friendly fatalities compared to traditional methods (OCE = 0.6945). The framework offers a scalable, auditable tool for evidence-based strategic procurement.

This paper evaluates how the distance between air defence sensors and the command and control (C2) element influences fire-control effectiveness. Three deployment variants at 1, 7 and 20 km were assessed by means of operational analysis and the TOPSIS multi-criteria method using latency, connection reliability, situational awareness (SA), probability of kill (𝑃𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙), survivability and logistical complexity. The baseline model favours the short-distance configuration, but sensitivity analysis shows that greater emphasis on survivability shifts the optimum towards the medium-distance variant. A separation of approximately 5-10 km provides the most robust operational compromise for contemporary air defence employment.