Defence and strategy

Dear readers,

I would like to introduce the second issue of the Obrana a strategie journal of 2017 with a number of interesting and topical papers.

The introductory contribution from Ivan Princ is slightly different in nature from the articles traditionally published in our journal. It is a very interesting memoir reflection on direct experience of a member of the 1^st Czechoslovak Independent Chemical Defence Battalion deployed in the Gulf War in 1990-1991, in a broader context of analysis of military-political aspects of the use of poisonous agents in this conflict.

The following contribution by Ján Spišák and Jaroslav Kolkus introduces the problem of scenarios to the reader and details its practical use for the determination of capabilities to fulfill the mission of the armed forces. The use of this tool is demonstrated in the proposal for the new Concept of Use of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic 2030 and critical reflection on this document.

The problem of concept documents is addressed in the article from the couple of authors Věra-Karin Brázová and Rafał Wiśniewski, looking at the importance of system thinking for Czech and Polish strategic documents. The central focus is on the development of the understanding of the security system in the Czech Republic and Poland and its relation to the concept of systems theories as well as practice.

The following two articles focus on the links between non-state actors (terrorist organizations) and advanced weapon technologies. Ladislav Kulhánek’s paper discusses the problem of proliferation of missile technology deployed in a guerilla-style combat in the Middle East. The paper examines the use of these weapon systems by a non-state actor (Hezbollah) and their importance for the achievement of the set objectives on one side and the response of the state actor (State of Israel) and its ability to withstand such attacks on the other side. The contribution by David Mrva deals with a new phenomenon of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by terrorist organizations. Especially in recent years, it is possible to identify a significant increase in the numbers of terrorist attacks carried out by these systems, which is another challenge for the security forces of each state.

The series of articles is closed with the one by Hana Votradovcová that can be described as a “review article”. It focuses on the analysis and a summary of major Western publications on the role and the interests of external actors in Libya. The objective is not only to provide a comprehensive view of the contemporary level of knowledge about the involvement of individual states in the ongoing conflict, but also to identify options for further research.

Finally, let me thank you for your ongoing interest and wish you all the best for the forthcoming year 2018 on behalf of myself, the editorial board and all colleagues who contributed to this issue of the Obrana a strategie journal.

Chairman of the Editoral Board

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