Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

This study proposes a multi-criteria framework for automated evaluation of scientific language quality using Large Language Models (LLMs). The approach models translation assessment as a structured decision process across semantic, grammatical, and terminological dimensions aligned with ISO 5060:2024. Validation on biomedical data shows strong agreement with expert judgment (κ = 0.81), while metric-based estimation demonstrates weak correlation. The results indicate that interpretable LLM-based evaluation can reliably replicate expert reasoning and support scalable, transparent language quality assessment.

This paper develops a multiplicative model of logistic effectiveness for a Joint Logistic Support Group and explicitly links logistics performance to the fighting power construct used in doctrine. It further expands the intelligence support factor as a composite index that captures both the availability and quality of relevant data, information, and intelligence inputs and the operational performance of intelligence processing that supports the commander’s decision-making. The model also accounts for information-volume effects, recognising that both insufficient and excessive reporting can reduce utility, and it distinguishes between enduring, organic intelligence capability (as part of the physical component of fighting power) and the day-to-day process performance of intelligence processing (as part of the intelligence support factor). Finally, the paper places the model in the context of a continuously changing operating environment, including hybrid threats that can disrupt logistic support and reduce achievable effectiveness. The paper provides definitions and equations, proposes measurable indicators, demonstrates the calculations with a numerical illustration, outlines a calibration approach, and offers practical recommendations for application beyond command-and-control elements at the Joint Logistic Support Group level.

This research tackles the challenge of precisely segmenting military and army objects within intricate visual environments that are influenced by factors such as camouflage, clutter, occlusions, and variations in lighting. A hybrid framework is introduced that merges Graph Cut-based energy minimization with traditional image processing techniques and pre-detection using convolutional neural networks. This method combines appearance characteristics and spatial constraints to enhance robustness and the accuracy of boundaries. Results from experiments on significant military datasets indicate improved segmentation consistency and clarity, rendering the approach suitable for image analysis tasks that are critical for safety and defense.

This paper presents deterministic and stochastic matrix models for radiophysical processes in UAV microcontroller systems. The methodology generalizes matrix signal dynamics using Markov switchings and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck diffusion approximation. Based on oscilloscope measurements of the power supply voltage, model parameters were identified, revealing increased fluctuation intensity under higher propulsion loads. The results enable quantitative stability assessment of control algorithms. The key contribution is the combination of the matrix modeling approach with experimental identification of stochastic parameters under realistic electromagnetic interference conditions.

Understanding how soil systems respond to atmospheric forcing requires analytical approaches capable of capturing not only instantaneous interactions but also delayed, cumulative, or depth‑dependent effects. In this study, we quantify the lagged response of soil‑moisture sensor to key meteorological variables across six monitoring stations, over the period 2022–2024. The meteorological dataset includes daily series of mean air temperature, total daily precipitation, sunshine duration, mean relative humidity and mean wind speed, while soil measurements represent three vertically installed within the natural soil profile moisture sensors with differing depths and thermal-hydric sensitivities. The resulting lag‑correlation heatmaps reveal that the soil–atmosphere coupling is highly station‑specific, displaying substantial variation in both the timing and the sign of the soil response. This analysis evaluates the instantaneous (lag 0) statistical relationships between daily meteorological variables and soil-profile responses at three depths (10 cm, 50 cm, 90 cm). Using Pearson correlation coefficients, we characterize how near-surface and sub‑surface layers respond to atmospheric forcing without temporal offset. The results confirm that day‑to‑day correlations are weak, especially in deeper horizons, reflecting the inherent delayed propagation of thermal and hydrological signals into the soil profile.

The study analyses the organisational and decision-making preparedness of outpatient healthcare facilities in the Czech Republic for disruptions to the drinking water supply. A cross-sectional empirical investigation combining quantitative questionnaire data with a qualitative analysis of open-ended responses was conducted. The findings indicate a predominantly low to moderate level of preparedness, a lack of formalised procedures, limited operational continuity, and a strong reliance on improvisation and external actors. The preparedness of facilities is determined primarily by organisational and decision-making capacity rather than by technical self-sufficiency. The study establishes a basis for the development of decision-support tools and emphasises the importance of organisational resilience in managing infrastructure disruptions. It also contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between technological dependency and the governance of healthcare systems.

The capacity of military organisations to sustain operational effectiveness depends increasingly on their ability to lead and retain Generation Z personnel (born 1996 – 2012) – the first fully digital cohort entering professional armed forces worldwide. This narrative literature review synthesises evidence on the leadership challenges and opportunities associated with Generation Z, with particular focus on the Czech Armed Forces (CAF). Drawing on generational theory, transformational and adaptive leadership models, as well as empirical military research (2019 – 2025), the paper identifies three analytical dimensions: generational characteristics in military contexts, leadership and development requirements, and institutional adaptation within the CAF. Evidence-based implications are developed for leadership doctrine, training design, and organisational culture.

The present study examined the communication sources used in the personnel marketing of the University of Defence, the content of the university's website, and the perceived reactions of family members to the intention to study at the university. The study draws on data obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted among prospective students during the university's Open Days, that is, prior to the submission of their applications. The findings indicate that electronic sources, in particular the university website, are the most frequently used sources of information. The majority of prospective students who visited the website were able to obtain the information they required. The reactions of family members to prospective applicants' intention to study at the University of Defence are predominantly positive. However, they also express concerns about the applicants. The originality of the article lies in the fact that this issue has not yet been examined, thereby enabling more targeted use of specific communication tools within the personnel marketing of the University of Defence.

Military expenditures represent an important component of government spending devoted to the provision of national defense as a core public good. Despite their importance, no universally accepted definition of military expenditure exists, as national governments and international organizations apply differing conceptual and methodological approaches. This paper examines the evolution of defense burden, measured as military expenditure as a share of gross domestic product across NATO member countries from 2010 to 2025, with particular attention to NATO spending commitments adopted at the Wales Summit in 2014, all within the context of the current defense spending commitment adopted during the Hague Summit in 2025. Using SIPRI military expenditure data, defense burden trends are analyzed in three periods: pre-2014, post-2014 and pre-2022, and post-2022 following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The results reveal a long-term shift from declining defense burdens prior to 2014 toward a sustained increase across most NATO members after the Wales Summit, with a pronounced acceleration after 2022. While the NATO-wide average defense burden rose above 2% of GDP by 2025, significant disparities among member states persist. A detailed case study of the Czech Republic demonstrates a broadly similar but lagging trajectory, with defense spending consistently remaining below NATO average and median values and failing to reach the 2% GDP threshold by 2025. The findings underscore structural differences in burden sharing within NATO and highlight the relevance of past spending behavior for assessing the credibility of current and future defense commitments.

War rarely announces itself politely; instead, it abruptly restructures systems that once appeared routine into matters of existential urgency. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in Ukraine’s railway network. Since the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) has evolved from a largely invisible economic backbone into a central artery of national survival. This article examines how the railway system absorbed simultaneous shocks, including military attacks, infrastructural collapse, and a minus 44.3% contraction in the transport sector while maintaining operational continuity under extreme wartime pressure. Drawing upon statistical data, policy documents, and theoretical insights from resilience and vulnerability research, the analysis situates railway infrastructure at the intersection of logistics, geopolitics, and humanitarian response. The study argues that Ukraine’s railway system represents not merely a resilient infrastructure but a strategically transformative mechanism that catalyzed a structural shift in international freight flows, enabling rail to partially replace maritime routes that previously dominated export logistics. The article contributes to transport resilience scholarship by illustrating how large-scale conflict accelerates adaptation cycles, strengthens institutional learning, and redefines the operational role of railway systems in contested environments.