Defence and strategy

Dear readers,

Let me introduce the second issue of the Obrana a strategie journal in 2016.

Among the peer-reviewed articles in this issue, you can find the paper by Richard Stojar devoted to the issue of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in armed conflicts. The paper tries to present not only the main comparative advantages of drones, but also controversies associated with the current use of the armed unmanned aerial vehicles.

The second article, written by Kristýna Maťátková, examines transformation of neutrality in the cases of Finland and Austria with regard to the security cooperation within NATO and EU. The article shows that for both, Austria and Finland,full participation in CSDP and cooperation with NATO are so important that as a result the concept of neutrality becomes disintegrated and weakened.

The third contribution is written by Linda Piknerová and it deals with the phenomenon of the African sea piracy, which represents a significant and complex (and unfortunately not the only) safety issue the consequences of which modern Africa has to face. At the same time, the author analyzes the strategy of selected actors - African Union and regional organizations in eastern, western and south Africa - who enter into combating piracy and try to eliminate its occurrence through their own effort.

The series of articles is complete with the text by Lukáš Tichý, to a certain extent following up on the author's article from the previous issue, which is devoted to the subject of terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda against the energy sector in the area of the Middle East and North Africa. The paper not only describes the main forms, targets and examples of these attacks, but it also analyzes their impact on the energy security of the states concerned.

Apart from articles, this issue includes also reviews of newly published professional publications. The first one is Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize this year. The second reviewed publication is the book Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War written by the former United States Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates as his own autobiography.

Finally, let me thank you for your support and wish you all the best in the coming year 2017 on behalf of myself, the editorial board and all co-workers who participate on the publishing of the Obrana a strategie journal.

Chairman of the Editorial Board

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