Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

In recent decades, the importance of supply chain management has increased due to the frequency and severity of disruptions. The issue of supply chain resilience is widely discussed in the scientific literature. It should be noted that most studies focus on the functioning of commercial supply chains. Given the lack of a systematic approach to the specific threats and measures to ensure the resilience of military supply chains within the context of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LAF), the objective of this article is to present the main findings of the research conducted to identify threats that are crucial for the supply chains important to the LAF and to outline measures that are taken to cope with the identified external threats.

The aim of this article is to analyse the approaches to population sheltering in Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden. The research methodology is based on a previously published article by the authors [1], in which the relative criteria of approaches to population sheltering in selected countries were identified and evaluated using Saaty method and the weighted sum method. This procedure is now also applied to the newly assessed countries. The analysis of sheltering in Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden highlighted common features resulting from the inclusion of sheltering within the system of total national defence, as well as differences in the systemic integration of sheltering among the countries under review. The findings suggest that an effective sheltering system is contingent upon sustained political support, a clear legislative framework, and the integration of protective infrastructure into the broader framework of national security.

This paper explores strategic communication as a key instrument for countering hybrid threats in contemporary democratic states. The author, drawing on conceptual analysis, policy documents and practical case studies, examines the role of strategic communication in strengthening societal resilience, shaping public narratives, and responding to information-based aggression. He defines hybrid threats as multidimensional and adaptive phenomena operating below the threshold of armed conflict, exploiting institutional, psychological and informational vulnerabilities. Simultaneously, he argues that strategic communication, when coordinated, credible and value-based, constitutes an essential component of national security policy. The analysis identifies four core functions – informational, preventive, coordinative and normative – and highlights challenges related to institutional fragmentation, analytical capacity, and ethical dilemmas. Based on the findings, the author formulates normative and practical recommendations for policymakers. He concludes that strategic communication is not only a reactive tool but also a proactive mechanism for narrative resilience and democratic integrity in the age of non-linear conflict.

Ensuring the defence of freedom, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and population belongs to the main tasks of each state. Therefore, countries, in response to the current political, security and economic situation, must earmark, within the framework of their national budgets, a proportion of the available resources to ensure their defence. The aim of the article, based on current trends in the defence budgets of the European Union member states, is point out that not only the global economic and financial crisis and the credit and debt crisis in the euro area have a significant negative impact on the amount of resources, which individual European Union member states earmark to ensure their defence.

Due to a dynamic environment, human resource competency evaluation and factors influencing its outcome are in constant change. Evaluation of human resource competency and factors influencing its quality are widely discussed subjects in scientific literature with ample controversial viewpoints. Various definitions, points of view and models makes it difficult to choose the best option when evaluating human resource competency and may be the source of the following problem: how to know that the chosen competency evaluation method will convey reality and deliver objective results that could be used as a basis for human resource development related decision making in the future. This study analyses different scientific views on the human resource competency evaluation process. The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual model for competency evaluation of professional military service in the Lithuanian armed forces that would allow for human resource potential evaluation and form a basis in human resource development related decision making processes in organization. Multiple criteria assessment methods were used for identification and evaluation of factors influencing human resource competency. As a result of conducted research, authors developed the conceptual complex model for competency assessment of professional military service in the Lithuanian armed forces, which enables objective identification of human resource competency influencing factors and forms the foundation for decisions related with development of human resources in organization.