Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

The aim of this paper is to analyze the legal definition, organizational status, and forms of deployment of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic within the crisis management system and during declared states of emergency. Methodologically, the paper is based on a normative analysis of applicable legislation, a content analysis of relevant academic sources, and a synthesis of findings derived from practical implementation experience. The results identify persistent ambiguities in competences and limitations of the legal framework governing the domestic deployment of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, particularly in the areas of command, coordination, and the interpretation of assistance-related tasks. The paper therefore contributes to the professional debate on the need for doctrinal and normative anchoring of civil-military cooperation under the conditions of the Slovak Republic. The findings indicate the need to refine the legal framework in order to increase the effectiveness of crisis management and civil-military cooperation. The main contribution of the paper lies in a generalizable and systematic linkage between the normative and operational dimensions of the deployment and functioning of the armed forces within the state crisis management system.