Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

This paper evaluates how the distance between air defence sensors and the command and control (C2) element influences fire-control effectiveness. Three deployment variants at 1, 7 and 20 km were assessed by means of operational analysis and the TOPSIS multi-criteria method using latency, connection reliability, situational awareness (SA), probability of kill (𝑃𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙), survivability and logistical complexity. The baseline model favours the short-distance configuration, but sensitivity analysis shows that greater emphasis on survivability shifts the optimum towards the medium-distance variant. A separation of approximately 5-10 km provides the most robust operational compromise for contemporary air defence employment.

This study evaluates the role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in demining operations and environmental monitoring under wartime and post-conflict conditions. A structured literature review (2015–present) assessed UAV-enabled detection, mapping, and environmental sensing capabilities. The results indicate that UAVs significantly enhance reconnaissance efficiency, reduce suspected hazardous areas, and improve safety, yet cannot independently meet humanitarian clearance standards. While wartime use prioritises rapid risk mitigation, post-conflict deployment supports systematic clearance, environmental monitoring, and land restoration. The study highlights a gap in doctrinal integration and underscores the need for standardised UAV-based demining and environmental workflows.

The present article is founded upon a Researche paper, which was composed during the Joint Command General Staff Course at the Baltic Defence College in 2025.

The present article examines the implementation of small unmanned aerial systems into tactical units of the Czech Armed Forces, with a focus on the systemic capabilities that such integration brings to the areas of doctrine, organization, training, equipment, leadership, personnel, facilities and infrastructure, and interoperability. Systematic reviews and structured qualitative coding are used to derive implementation measures, which are then validated by field and academic experts and prioritized. The findings indicate that priorities extend across all domains and must inform Czech Armed Forces processes and procedures.