Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

The article focuses on the complex and long process of liquidating the world's chemical weapons stockpiles under the control and supervision of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, headquartered in The Hague. The main possessors of chemical weapons from the end of World War II until their complete destruction were the United States of America and the Russian Federation (formerly the Soviet Union). The process of destroying chemical weapons by the main owners is described in detail. Surprisingly, the completion of the destruction of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation was announced already in 2017, while the United States of America announced the completion of the destruction of its chemical weapons only in mid-2023. A significant fact remains that in 2013, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was highly honoured by receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The last part contains official announcements about the end of destruction of chemical weapons in the world.

This paper critically analyses the escalating security challenges facing the European Union, primarily defined by the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine after 2022 and the return of great power tensions. This transformation of the security environment has definitively ended the era of post-conflict peace on the European continent and exposed deep structural vulnerabilities in assuring sovereign European defence. The analysis identifies three key structural challenges: the critical fragmentation of Member States' defence capabilities and capacities, the limited ability to respond to high-intensity conflict, and the industrial unpreparedness of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. It is asserted that the EU’s persistent reliance on external guarantees, particularly amid rising transatlantic uncertainty, jeopardises its political sovereignty. To overcome these structural limitations, the paper advocates for a deeper integration trajectory towards the concept of a Total Defence Union. It posits that strengthening European defence is a strategic imperative for maintaining Europe's stability and international standing in an era of increasing great power rivalry.

This study examines the construction of military identity among Generation Z cadets in technologically mediated training environments. A comparative quantitative design was applied using data from cadets in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic (N = 120). Military identity is operationalized through leadership identity and analyzed in relation to stress exposure, resilience, and belonging. The results show that belonging and resilience are significant predictors of leadership identity, while stress exposure has no direct effect. Cross-national differences indicate distinct identity formation pathways shaped by institutional context. The findings suggest a shift toward hybrid models of military identity integrating institutional values with psychological and social factors.

This longitudinal study examined sex‑specific changes in body composition across the first academic year in military university students using multi‑frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 970). A total of 497 cadets (408 men, 89 women) were assessed at baseline and follow‑up. In both sexes, body mass increased primarily due to gains in fat‑free mass and skeletal muscle mass, accompanied by higher total body water and basal metabolic rate, while changes in adiposity indicators were small. Men exhibited greater increases in lean‑related parameters, whereas women showed a modest reduction in percent body fat. These findings support MF‑BIA as a practical tool for large‑scale monitoring of functional and medical readiness in military populations.

The paper examines contemporary national defence challenges arising from the interconnection of digital technologies, social dynamics, and global tensions. Using interdisciplinary analysis and policy review, it explores how cyber threats and emerging technologies shape resilience and security outcomes. The findings highlight the critical role of societal trust, strategic communication, and coordinated international frameworks such as NATO and EU initiatives. The study implies that effective defence strategies require integrated technological, social, and policy dimensions. The paper contributes original insights into comprehensive security approaches that enhance both national and collective resilience in the digital age.

In contemporary legal, institutional, and security-oriented environments, language increasingly functions not only as a medium of communication but also as evidence, the interpretation of which may influence legal reasoning, institutional decision-making, intelligence assessment, and strategic analysis. The expansion of digital communication, anonymous and threatening texts, disputed authorship, cyber discourse, and propaganda narratives has revealed the limitations of purely intuitive or exclusively legal approaches to textual interpretation. Against this background, forensic linguistics has become an increasingly relevant applied linguistic discipline concerned with the systematic analysis of language in legal and evidential contexts. The paper presents a pilot interdisciplinary and bilingual model for integrating selected elements of forensic linguistics into legal foreign language education, specifically within Legal English and Legal German instruction. The model was implemented as a preliminary instructional experience rather than as a full-scale empirical study. At the beginning of the semester, an orientation questionnaire was administered to 88 students in order to identify their expectations, perceived difficulties, and learning needs in relation to legal foreign language education and language-related legal analysis. Of these students, 58 were enrolled in Legal English and 30 in Legal German. During the following three months, selected forensic linguistic topics were introduced as separate instructional modules within both courses. The most important feature of the model was its interdisciplinary design. Case materials were provided by specialists from the Faculty of Law and were based on real legal and quasi-legal situations, with full protection of anonymity and confidentiality. Linguists adapted these materials into terminology-based, discourse-analytical, and case-based learning tasks. After three months of instruction, students’ knowledge of legal terminology and their ability to analyze language-related legal materials were reassessed on the basis of the topics covered. The pilot experience suggests that forensic linguistic modules can strengthen students’ terminological competence, increase their motivation, and develop their awareness of language as evidence. The paper argues that such a model can serve as a sustainable transitional step toward establishing forensic linguistics as an independent interdisciplinary university course with relevance for legal, institutional, and military-educational contexts.

This article examines the physical fitness of young people in the Czech Republic. Unlike other studies addressing similar topics, it does not assess the individual components of physical abilities in isolation. Instead, an efficiency score is calculated using a multi‑criteria model based on four variables: shuttle run, long jump, the W170/kg test, and handgrip strength. This model produces an efficiency score for each participant, reflecting their overall level of physical fitness. The second stage of the analysis investigates whether these scores differ statistically significantly according to the type of school attended at the time of measurement. The comparison covers both general secondary schools (gymnasia) and technical/vocational secondary schools. The analysis also includes one military secondary school, which is the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic. Data collected from 1,116 young people indicate that the type of school plays a significant role in determining physical fitness scores. Students attending the military secondary school achieve demonstrably better physical fitness outcomes compared to those from, for example, general academic secondary schools (gymnasia).

Language proficiency is a key prerequisite for interoperability within NATO armed forces, making foreign language education an essential component of professional military training. This paper examines learning motivation and learning effectiveness among Czech Armed Forces personnel attending English language courses aligned with NATO STANAG 6001. The research is based on a questionnaire survey of 320 learners conducted between 2023 and 2025, combined with their examination results. The study analyses differences in motivation and learning effectiveness with respect to proficiency level, gender, and age. The findings indicate that learning effectiveness is not directly dependent on course level, motivation structures are similar across genders, and the age significantly influences learning outcomes.

This paper examines how Professional Miliary Education (PME) can enhance strategic-level learning deliberate through curriculum design, active teaching methods, and faculty engagement. Using the Higer Command Studies Course at the Baltic Defence College as a case study, the research draws on document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation. The findings demonstrate that active learning, peer interaction, and skilled facilitation significantly strengthen strategic judgment and decision-making. While multinational diversity enriches learning, it also requires deliberate management to ensure intellectual interoperability. The study offers practical implications for PME institutions seeking to improve strategic-level competence development in an increasingly complex security environment.

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).