Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

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 article analyses the challenges and perspectives of the European Union's security and defence policy in a new geopolitical era shaped by Russian aggression against Ukraine, growing US-China rivalry, and instability in the EU's neighbourhood. It identifies three key weaknesses that limit the Union's strategic autonomy: insufficient military capabilities, the fragmentation of the defence industry, and a reliance on external suppliers of weapons, equipment, and critical raw materials. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework that combines political economy, political science, European studies, and security studies, the article examines how existing tools and initiatives, the EDF, PESCO, ASAP, EDIRPA, and the ReArm Europe plan, are responding to these deficits. While these instruments and initiatives demonstrate the EU's ambition to strengthen its security role, their effectiveness remains limited by political divergences and restricted resources. The author concludes that overcoming fragmentation and building sustainable mechanisms for defence cooperation are essential if the EU is to establish itself as a credible security actor in a multipolar world.

Personal body armor has evolved to address threats typical of contemporary warfare. Artillery effects, particularly fragmentation, have become a significant threat to military personnel, increasing the demand for effective protective solutions. This paper proposes a combined analytical–experimental framework for evaluating the effectiveness of personal body armor against artillery fragmentation. Fragmentation characteristics are examined using mathematical modeling and analytical methods. Additionally, existing body armor evaluation standards and testing methods are reviewed. The results indicate that fragmentation represents the dominant lethal mechanism of artillery fire. Although the V50 ballistic test is commonly used to assess fragment resistance, it does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of real-world protection effectiveness. These findings highlight the need for more advanced and realistic assessment methods.

The current geopolitical changes and the dedication to regional safety have drawn researchers’ attention towards discussion on the multiple aspects of new residents’ integration. Ensuring that new members of society are welcomed has been of significant scientific and political interest in sustaining coherent and resilient communities. This discussion also extends to the well-being of soldiers and their families when relocating due to deployment. Since deployment locations vary, the state of scientific knowledge highlights the need to investigate the integration of soldiers and military-related families within the specific contexts of individual states. Accordingly, this study examines the case of Lithuania, with a focus on the socio-legal factors influencing the integration of military-related families. The research is based on a thematic analysis of international scientific literature, identifying the main challenges faced by families residing in foreign countries. It also outlines the conditions necessary for the successful integration of military-related families in the Lithuanian context. The findings indicate that: a) in addition to traditional integration programs, special attention must be given to the specific characteristics of military life; b) integration of military-related residents should adopt a family-centred approach that considers the past, present, and future experiences, needs, and aspirations of family members; and c) successful integration requires strong intersectoral cooperation. The practical implications highlight the need for practitioners to pay particular attention to monitoring and managing both the sequence and quality of the integration of foreign soldiers’ families during their residence in the host country.

The phenomenon of globalization is wide, changeable and versatile. Therefore, there are a lot of different and contradictory opionins about its historical nature, driving motives and assessment of its influence on the various spheres of the social life. As it is widely known, globalization is the integrity of the processes having place in the world, inspiring people to acquire the common quality and character and draw near each other. The problem of its influence especially on the small countries doesn’t lose its topicality even today. Facts, when after the global integration a country with a small and open economics improves its economic conditions and becomes active on the international stage, due to the development of the communication and education systems, is a reflection of the fact, that globalization has a positive impact on such countries and helps them not to lag behind the world progress.