Vojenské Rozhledy

Czech Military Review

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Results 331 to 360 of 2414:

The Total Force Policy and Some Issues of Building-Up of the Militia-Like Units in the Czech National Security System

Military art

Bohuslav Pernica

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2012, Vol. XXI. (LIII.): 79-88

The essay deals with the concept of total force policy concept and its implementation. Some facts related to the history, implementation and development of this construct are presented in context of the Czech White Paper on Defence released in 2011. In order to improve capabilities of the national armed forces system, and as well as to diminish risks related to lack of human and financial sources in face of impeding population ageing, the author suggests a return to total force concept in the Czech Republic. He admits that the experiences with this policy before 1990 will be inoperative, as there is no chance of reintroducing of compulsory military service or the re-establishing of such paramilitary institutions such as e.g. the SVAZARM used to be.

Using the Sociomapping Method in Defence Department

Informational pages

Ing. Michal Hrbata

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2012, Vol. XXI. (LIII.): 90-93

The aim of this work is to explain readers the so-called sociomapping method that is among others used in Czech peacekeeping units employed abroad, e.g. in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq or Afghanistan. Sociomapping came into being in 1994, when a young scientist Radovan Bahbouh came up with the idea of this special analytical-graphical method. The method reflects the description of human activities and ways in which we could (in the positive sense) affect human lives. With Sociomapping, we can even predict the most suitable staffing of the crew. Sociomapping is shown as proper instrument, which helps to determine the problem and most important areas to focus on.

Management of Sources at a Level of Army Unit: Commander's Position

Military professional

Doc. dr. Luboš Štancl, CSc., pplk. Ing. Karel Vávra

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 120-137

Topical problems of insufficient military budget, limited means are a drive force for searching unoccupied financial means to saturate set goals and ensure their unbiased reallocation and rational exploitation. The necessary prerequisite is control implementation and managerial accounting. This ought to create primary predispositions for introducing managerial accounting system, which would be oriented not towards financial, and property operations, but towards effective economy. The article describes phenomena tied with an army unit, together with the position of its commander in the process of gradual implementation of integrated informational system of state treasury, which is most manifested in the field of planning, budgeting and accounting.

Operational Analysis: Key Capability Supporting Decision-making

Military art

Ing. Pavel Zůna, MSS, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2012, Vol. XXI. (LIII.): 35-44

The defence environment is complex and dynamic. This is a result of the nature of modern conflict, rapid changes in technology, the need to deal with uncertainty in the face of limited sources, changed attitudes to risk and the sheer diversity of actors from different cultural backgrounds. Defence-decision makers are confronted with an increasing operational complexity that has strategic implications. Decisions on defence policy and strategy are characterized by uncertainty and risks. This Article describes differences in Hard and Soft Operational Analyses, and presents some examples and conclusions for military practice.

Operations with Effective Impacts (EBAO - Effect-Based Approach to Operations)

Military art

Ing. Antonín Krásný, CSc., plk. gšt. Ing. Oldřich Socha

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 66-75

The reform of the Czech armed forces is factually and timely tied with the transformation of NATO forces, both in the field of technology and that of doctrine. The covering principle of this transformation is the so-called EBAO concept, in the frame of which we define three main transformation objectives: forces must have operational superiority, they must be operationally effective, deployable, and sustainable. The effects-based approach to operations focuses on combining military and non-military actions to influence the overall behaviour and capabilities of other actors: national, trans-national, belligerent and benign, in an operational environment in order do create effects leading to the achievement of strategic objectives and a desired end-state. Its application focuses the planning, execution and assessment of operations. The cited EBAO handbook was followed by several documents (e.g. discussion papers), issued at the end of 2007 as a means to inform future doctrine reviews. Many of the concepts and documents should be validated, either through experimentation, or through specifically designed exercises.

Centre of Gravity-the Decisive Operational Concept Part I

Military art

Plk. gšt. Ing. Ján Spišák

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 14-19

The Centres of Gravity (COG) are characteristics, capabilities, or localities from which a military force derives its freedom of action, physical strength, or will to fight. The COG belongs among the most important operational concepts. It is the main source of power and strength. Without dermining enemy's COG we are not able to carry out any quick and resolute action, to reach ordered tasks, desired objectives. The primary purpose of this article is to offer basic information about this subject. This first part is concentrated predominantly to Carl von Clausewitz's ideas. The article especially aims on disunity and heterogeneity of comprehension of the COG theory in confrontation with contemporary doctrinal publications and original Clausewitz's theory. It highlights coherences that can affect fulfilling political and military objectives in current and future military operations.

Defence Department and Management by Objectives

Military art

Pplk. Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 25-28

Management by objectives (MBO), first outlined by Peter Drucker in the 1950s, is a systematic and organized approach that allows management to focus on achievable goals and to attain the best possible results from available resources. The tasks are delegated to subordinates without dictating a detailed roadmap for implementation. Everybody within the organization has a clear understanding of the aims, or objectives, as well as awareness of their own roles and responsibilities in achieving those aims. In the U. S. Army, MBO was implemented into The Army Plan FY 2000-2015, with 789 operational capabilities, divided into 1,248 operational standards, but without demonstrable success, as the system worked rather formally; it was too complicated. The same was true in the Czech Army, where e.g. The Set of Objectives till 2005 came into existence in 1991. The author tries to explain why. He concludes that MBO can be a useful management tool in the army environment, but it should not be realized without proper understanding this process.

Selected Elements of Fire Support at a Tactical Level

Military professional

Kpt. Ing. Michal Sobarňa, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 127-132

Lowering numbers of humane resources and heavy armed vehicles, together with military materials, subsequent transition to light vehicles, with advanced technologies, being capable of quick, rapid movements-those are worldwide trends in the field of military that are reflected also in the Army of the Czech Republic. This new type of forces is able to reach high warfare effectivity-even with lowest numbers of servicemen-in combat and non-combat operations. Namely this article deals with some problem segments of the fire support of mechanized troops. The author describes individual elements of the system, their tasks and responsibilities. At the end of article he summarises the tasks we need for complex and effective fire support of mechanized troops, especially fire support to task forces.

Left Aside: Applicative Impact of Public Legal Nature of Service Relationship of Servicemen

Military law

PhDr. Ing. Matěj Fichtner, MBA

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 169-177

The paper is devoted to the public legal nature of the service relationship and consequences that arise from this fact. It implies the non-existence of publicly available applicable theoretical apparatus (explicit paradigm), which would describe service legal relationships in context of stabilized principles of Czech judicature. It is the judicature from which this paper derives basic knowledge about the service procedural law and systematically connects them in a unified theory. As a result, it concludes that the service relationship, or the service law, is a special branch of the administration law. It points out the necessity of a discussion about procedural service law that is a source of most problems and misunderstandings.

NATO's Strategic Concept: An Important Step Towards Military and Political Qualification of Alliance

Reviewed

Kpt. Mgr. Karel Zetocha, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 3-14

The main Alliance mission is to "safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries" and to "deter and defend against any threat of aggression against any of them". Those general tasks are tailored today to changed international security surroundings. In May this year, a report by the experts group was released, forming the basis for further negotiations over the new strategical concept of NATO. The experts produced a document of first-rate quality identifying main tasks NATO is facing today. At the same time this document redefines prospective directions the Alliance should follow in the years to come. Without a broad popular support NATO's engagements namely off European territory couldn't be vindicated and justified. The same is true as far allocation of sources for NATO missions and developing military capabilities are concerned. So, the communication with public thus becomes a further dimension of this highest strategic document.

Civil-Military Reflections: Does the Army Need Its Own Value Code? (Military Culture, Professionalism, and Constabulary Force)

Informational pages

Mgr. Tomáš Kučera

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 71-82

Relations between a military and a civilian society belong to the core issue of civil-military studies. This article reflects main ideas and concepts used in theoretical and analytical literature, including seminar works by Samuel Huntington and Morris Janowitz. A military culture, military ethics and influence of new technologies, full-volunteer army and new missions on military culture are discussed. An abstract term "military" can change very significantly in accordance with actual military culture, perceptible to the fact how civilian society accepts military values. Therefore, not only size and equipment determine how particular armed forces look like. The author introduces the term Constabulary Force reflecting the idea that primary purpose of forces today are low-intensity conflicts and operations other than war.

The Security System of the CR and the Necessity of its Adaptation to Cumulative Effects of Threats

Reviewed - Review

PhDr. Libor Stejskal

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 37-47

The term of "growing complex of threats" covers higher and higher probability of concatenation of various intercommoned, mutually tied factors reflecting structured technological and informational reality of global society, making their solving by traditional means of security system extremely difficult. "Crisis situation" represents more general problem of natural disasters or technology breakdowns that are influencing one another, that cause great distress or destruction, in an unexpected manner, activating subsequent threats of so far unforeseen threats. For that reason we must adapt Czech security system to new liquid, instant and indivisible complex threats.

Present-day Notions on Military Deceptions

Military art

Doc. Ing. Milan Kubeša, CSc.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 60-65

In the previous Military Review we introduced the article "Will Military Deception Pass Away?" by the same author. In the Army of the Czech Republic we have no manual dealing with military deception (MILDEC). The only manual concerning MILDEC was abolished without any substitute. But military art can't be further developed without similar documents. Today we take MILDEC as a complex set of provisions misleading enemy's commanders and staff, by means of false information and counterfeit data that deliberately deceive adversary decision-makers and planners. Use of MILDEC during any phase of an operation also helps to mislead adversaries as to the strength, readiness, locations, and intended missions of friendly forces. The MILDEC could contribute to the successful accomplishment of the assigned mission by many ways.

Knowledge from the Research into Nourishment Background of Czech Servicemen

Military professional

Prof. Ing. Aleš Komár, CSc.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 148-163

The article deals with nutritious conditions of professional soldiers of the army of the Czech Republic in foreign operations. The way of food subsistence in KFOR and ISAF missions was evaluated. Results reached of performed investigations were summarized; collected data of respective observations were used for processing. The article is supplied by the description of various methods used for above mentioned measurements and data processing. The second part of study also contains the interpretation of

Military Keynesianism, Defence Expenditures and the Growth of Economy Militarization in Advanced Countries of World

Informational pages

Ing. Vendula Hynková, Ph.D., doc. dr. Luboš Štancl, CSc.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 108-120

Keynesian economics argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and therefore advocates active policy responses by the public sector, including monetary policy actions and fiscal policy actions by the government to stabilize output over the business cycle. This paper defines the core of Keynesian economics in the mirror of defence expenditures and their influence on country's economy growth. The main attention is paid to the analysis of military-industrial complex and its pressure on armed forces, as one of most important factors introducing a danger of the so-called militarization of both state economy of advanced industrial countries and their social life.

Some Theoretical and Methodological Starting Points for Examination and Involvement of Outside Sources for the Use of Armed Forces

Nonreviewed - Research

Dr. Jindřich Nový, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2006, Vol. XV. (XLVII.): 56-63

All NATO nations and their armies are looking for effective exploiting social sources for defence and security. It is clear now that effective spending of public expenses asks for changed infrastructures of forces and their activities. It is necessary to form teams of experts who will cooperate with leading defence officials while setting the most suitable variants of further advance.

The Strategic Control of Czech Republic Defence: a Part of National Security

Reviewed

Ing. Vladimír Krulík

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 3-22

One of most discussed themes in this field is also a critique of unfinished, non-stable structure of master documents, e.g. Security Strategy of the Czech Republic. They are often told to be obsolete. The latest document, the White Paper on Defence, Critical responses are not quite justified. There are a lot of good ideas, innovations. Many things have been done, many set tasks have been met at the level of Defence Ministry. Positive effects of results reached are obvious. They are summarized in the White Paper mentioned above. The only danger lies in arbitrary decisions by political management, including employing variable means of their implementation, wanton interpretation of leading defence principles, low respect to approved strategical decisions. We must name mentioned handicaps as a first step towards the real and true remedy.

The Shift in Character of Future Operations: Joint Doctrine Publication 3-40

Military art

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 69-70

The document "Security and Stabilization: the Military Contribution UK revision of Joint COIN doctrine" was created by the team of authors of DCDC (Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre), Defence Ministry, Great Britain. The publication was similarly as other JDP series written as an instruction manual for members of armed forces to solve at general level the tasks in missions abroad, in disintegrated countries: security, stabilisation and insecurity, strengthening the capacity within armed forces to work alongside civilians for certain specific, short-term reconstruction, development tasks in hostile environments, and to provide a stabilisation presence in the immediate aftermath of a military operation while sufficient security is put in place to enable civilians to deploy. It is highly recommendable literature for members at the level of join staffs, participants in stabilization operations, or for attenders of Higher General Staff Courses.

The Report by Madeleine Albright's Team and Its Wide-ranging Contexts ("Council of Wise Men" and Drawing up the Alliance's New Strategic Concept)

Reviewed

PhDr. Antonín Rašek

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 15-30

This concept has been preparing since the early 2009. In short, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation must be increasingly prepared to intervene far beyond its borders. In the coming decade, NATO will have four central inter-related military missions. The first requirement is to "deter, prevent and defend" against aggression, so as to ensure the political independence and territorial integrity of NATO member states. The report insists on the need to send out military missions beyond the treaty area "when required to prevent an attack on the treaty area or to protect the legal rights and other vital interests of Alliance members". Any expeditionary mission must be based on the principles of the UN charter. Another key item is to cooperate better with those partners, and others worldwide, in order to tackle the new threats posed by cyber attacks, piracy, arms proliferation and energy supply insecurity and climate change. However, in order to achieve the new goals, NATO "must halt the precipitous decline in national defence spending", and to introduce reforms to make spending more efficient.

WikiLeaks Case and Its Reflections in World's Security Community

Informational pages

PhDr. Antonín RAŠEK

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 129-137

Czech dailies and weeklies publicised their analyses of the diplomatic dispatches released by WikiLeaks. Some were concerned in world's politics, but higher attention was paid to 1,271 dispatches from Prague. According to the dispatches, the U.S. Navy wanted to purchase 23 Russian anti-ship missiles to obtain the weapons from Belarus through Ukraine, with a Czech arms dealer. However, the Czech government decided to derail the plan by not granting the Czech middleman the needed permission to export weapons from a dictatorship like Belarus. Various cables also detailed a dispute in the area of arms technology. Some observations from the dispatches dealing with characteristics of Czech prominent politicians are amusing. Overall, the United States evaluated the CzechRepublic positively, as an economically mature country and as an ally.

The Czech Republic and Its Participation in European Military Transport Organizations

Informational pages

pplk. Ing. Martin Rejzek, Ph.D., pplk. Ing. Luděk Hradecký

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 83-93

The NATO Washington Summit in 1999 discussed Defence Capability Initiatives to increase Alliance defence potential together with capacities for accelerated deployability and mobility of NATO forces. This fact was underlined during Prague Summit 2002. One of Prague Capabilities Commitments is the requirement of deployability and sustainability in operations. Among others, this requirement is met by Memorandum of Understanding and bilateral agreements. The Czech Republic is involved in activities of international organizations, enumerated in this article. We support a principle of specialization, the concentration to limited, part-time scale of transport capacities operating for Czech peacekeeping missions. Active participation in the Movement Coordination Centre Europe could be the leading pattern for synergic cooperation in the field of strategic transport.

Changes in Public Sector Resources Management Systems and their Reflexions within Czech Armed Forces

Nonreviewed - Other

Ing. Aleš Olejníček

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. ZC/2007, Vol. XVI. (XLVIII.): 44-55

This essay describes management system as a factor that can increase effectiveness in defence sector. The author depicts relationship among new public management reforms, public expenditure reforms and defence sector management reform. The reform of defence sector in the Czech Republic is characterized as introducing new management tools. Author explains their inner substance and importance; draws our attention to the difficulty of its first implementation. He underlines some of the factors which shape their successful implementation into Czech armed forces.

The Czech Fiscal Policy for Internal and External Security after 1998

Opinions, controversy

Podplukovník Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 66-75

When the Czech Republic joined NATO, some structural changes in the national security sector were expected. Actually, changes in national defence strategy were declared by national strategic documents, such as military and security strategies. In addition to it, since 2002 the Czech Republic has been taking part in Global War on Terrorism and, generally speaking, it implies higher expenditures spent on security purposes. Surprisingly, many things have remained the same. The strategic documents were mostly ignored, deep changes did not happen due to fiscal policy based on a traditional incremental budgeting. Proportions between expenditures for internal and external security were only fluctuating.

Jan Eichler: Terrorism and Wars in Era of Globalisation. (Is it possible to prevent wars?)

Book review

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 172-174

The author Jan Eichler works at the Institution of International Relations Prague, so those are the themes he is professionally involved in. His publication deals with security threats and their assessments at the beginning of 21st century. This second edition of his book is amended by several wars taking place since the first edition was released. They were wars between Russia and Georgia 2008-2009, Israel vs. the Palestinians 2008-2009, several conflicts in Africa, Columbia, and Sri Lanka; ISAF operations in Afghanistan; in Iraq the new attitude of the USA towards conflict solution. Somalia represents a typical failed state with warlords, criminal gangs, Somalia and sea piracy is a mutually tied problem the word community was not able to solve. Last but not least, there are dangerous activities of Islamists in North Africa. Even though those mentioned conflicts are only regional, their consequences are global. They therefore need the involvement of international organizations, the EU and the UN respectively.

Theory of Gravity in War on International Terrorism

Military art

Ing. Ján Spišák

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 47-64

Official objectives of war on terrorism are as follows: we must face theorist threats, prevent terrorist strikes; suppress the power of terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda. War on terrorism is not a classical or conventional warfare; the term is wide-ranging, covering longterm strategies of national importance. The war on terrorism and employed means are also a source of controversy. It is a question of adequacy of used tools. It is necessary to implement the new strategy of improving conditions in Muslim countries to eliminate their background supporting negative religious and political attitudes towards democracy. Outlined ways of "smoothing edges" in economical, social spheres can noticeably change hateful attitudes of Muslim population towards values of Western democratic society.

The Political Economy of Conflict: A New Direction of Research on Internal Conflicts?

Informational pages

Mgr. Vladimír Vaďura, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 138-154

The key term in this article is "war economy" It is used to describe the contingencies undertaken by the state to mobilise its economy for war production. Often confused term "resource conflicts" needs explaining. First, there are raw materials, mineral resources (diamonds, precious metals). Another group of resources are critical items, water supplies, and fertile lands. This article concentrates on conflicts provoked by the abundance of natural sources, not by their insufficiency. Their driving motive is "greed-based" model (the effort to take over the control over lands, crude oils). Another model is "grievance-based" model, based upon the feeling of hate, having its roots in e.g. underprivileged position of certain part of population) tied with worsening economy). "War economy" got a new meaning. It moved far away from Clauzewitz's paradigm, the sense of such war is in itself, the war is protracted, it is war for war's sake.

Internal Auditing as an Effective Management Tool Introduced into Slovak MoD

Military professional

Ing. Soňa Jirásková

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2006, Vol. XV. (XLVII.): 147-153

Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization to accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach, so that we are able to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, command and control, or other processes. Internal auditing is a tool of Ministry of Defence management that is used for increasing effectiveness both in departmental and public sector administration. The article is supplemented by two schemes of the position of audition authorities within the Slovak MoD.

Strong and Week Features of "Responsible Ownership of Technology" Concept

Military professional

Ing. Marie Poláchová

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 138-144

There is an urgent need to recognize changed priorities and evolve new approaches to non-proliferation and disarmament objectives for a sharper focus on the real and present dangers to international peace and stability. The focus must now shift to more effective monitoring and verification of compliance at various levels. The proposed ROOT system (Responsible Ownership of Technology) might be one of such means to meet above mentioned challenges that could eliminate present-day dangers and contribute to international peace and stability. It is the technology for security in the 21st century.

The Various Ways of Civil-Military Development (Concepts and Doctrines)

Reviewed

Ing. Pavel Zona, Ph.D.

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 20-29

With the running changes in methods of modern operations within NATO framework, there are also changes in demands and tasks in the scope of civil-military operations-CIMIC. They are incorporated in many documents, such as the Comprehensive Political Guidance, New Concept of Civil-Military Cooperation or Field Manual 3-07 Stability Operations. The CIMIC capacities ought to be used for active impact on impending security situation, crisis development, impact implemented more sooner then crises might escalate to conflicts, eventually they could be used to halt the conflicts, in the places where they are a threat to Alliance security. We must create new rules of co-operations between civil and military sections, with the use of Alliance materials, resources and documents from conferences, seminars and field working shops. Today we have also abundant experiences that the Army of the Czech Republic, its CIMIC section, have acquired in preceding ten years.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Informational pages

Ing. Jaroslav Kulíšek

Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 94-113

The PTSD is an emotional, anxiety disorder that might develop after exposure .to a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experiences. Recently, we have witnessed quite inappropriate behaviour of the Czech Army soldiers in Kosovo (KFOR) and Afghanistan (ISAF). The Ministry of Defence came to the conclusions the Czech Army soldiers ought to be immune to PTSD, but so far there has been is no serious psychological research, no survey conducted by Czech Army Mental Health Services and no information how many Czech soldiers returning from the duty in Afghanistan or other missions abroad are suffering from PTSD. It is high time to take important initial steps in the care over Czech army veterans, because competent professional soldiers, with years of experience, can also often break down from accumulated stress. This was illustrated by the events in KFOR and ISAF last year.

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