Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

Remote warfare is a phenomenon that has been significantly manifested over the course of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In this new type of modern warfare, military remote systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), are becoming increasingly relevant. One of the key prerequisites for the flawless use of remote systems is trust in them. Despite the rapid development of such systems, there is still a lack of empirical research examining operators' trust in these systems, resulting in limited evidence on this phenomenon. This article presents the key findings of the study aiming at identifying the main factors that shape soldiers’ trust in UAV systems in the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LAF).

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 paper presents the results of a sectoral analysis of the Czech Republic’s security environment and interprets them from the perspective of strategic studies. Its objective is to identify key structural trends shaping the operational and strategic environment and to derive their implications for defence planning, capability development, and the long-term transformation of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The analysis shows that the security environment in last years is characterized by persistent geopolitical instability and accelerating technological change. The rapid diffusion of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence applications is transforming the conduct of warfare and increasing demands for capability modernization, interoperability, and force readiness. At the same time, demographic and societal pressures are deepening, affecting the personnel sustainability of the armed forces and the overall strategic resilience of the state. Economic and environmental factors intensify competition for resources and raise demands for the prioritization of defence investments. The findings confirm the growing interdependence of sectors and the necessity of integrated assessment of the security environment as a foundation for force and capability development.

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.