Czech Military Review, 2009 (vol. 90), issue 1
Sovereignty, Integrity, Political Independence (Forming Strategical and Security Documents)Reviewed
PhDr. Antonín Rašek
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 3-22 
This leading article deals with the sphere of strategy and defence policy. The essay is an output of scholarly work and therefore it is summarizing and evaluating problems in question with professional recommendations. First, the author draws our attention to various concepts of security and underlines national differences backed by national histories. Security concepts have their sources in deep analyses of potential threats and corresponding scenarios, with specific bias to Czech environment. He openly expresses his critical opinions on contemporary security documents, for lack of political security directions, as politicians in general have little...
European Security in Global Context (Reflections over Security Analyses and Prognoses in the World, the EU and the CR in 2003-2008)Reviewed
PhDr. Miloš Balabán, Ph.D., PhDr. Antonín Rašek
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 23-30
The document "A Secure Europe in a Better World" approved in 2003 has introduced the so-called the European Security Strategy. The authors use this framework to refer to the whole set of organisations, people and activities, both military and civilian, to ensure capabilities to be delivered effectively and efficiently, both in current surroundings and in preparation for the future. They are members of the Centre for Social and Economic Strategies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University Prague, which has conducted a wide-ranging research work to detect the long-term trends, factors and actors shaping the position of the Czech Republic in European...
EU Battle Groups' Deployability in ESDP OperationsMilitary art
Ing. Jaroslav Kulíšek
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 31-58
Factors such as distance, destination, deployment demands, duration, represent key elements to determine logistics requirements. The EU BG concept necessitates considerable strategic air/sea lift and combat support capabilities, since EU battle groups are to be able to be deployed almost anywhere in the world, primarily in Africa. They have to deploy both troops and materiel simultaneously to its mission areas. Strategic airlift is the fastest way of deploying troops over long distance. The main challenge for the EU is therefore availability giant airplanes. A lack of suitable European transport crafts in EBalabáuropean airlift fleet is the Achilles...
The Theory of the Culminating Point PartIMilitary art
Plk. gšt. Ing. Ján Spišák
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 59-67
This article begins with a theoretical discussion of the culminating point, for both the attack and defence. Key definitions and related concepts provided in Carl von Clausewitz's On War, Joint Publication 3-0, Doctrine for Joint Operations, and U.S. Army Field Manual 100-5, Operations, are discussed in detail. These sources provide many of the factors that can cause a force to reach culmination, and serve as a basis for understanding the difficulties involved in trying to determine the time and place of culmination. Other current factors attributing to culmination are discussed, and recommendations are offered to help operational commanders and planners...
Where Are You Going, Defence Department?Opinions, controversy
Pplk. Ing. Karel Vávra
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 68-75
The autor responds to several articles published in our Military Review, namely by Prof. František Ochrana, Prof. František Božek, Brigadier Rudolf Urban, Prof. Miroslav Krč, in No. 4/2008, with special appreciation to critical articles by Ing. Jiří Dušek and Lt.Col. Ing František Růžička in the same issue. He tries to find out common denominators of those essays. There are three of them: economization tied with rationalization, risk management, and information compatibility. As necessary he regards to unite those denominators both at the level of decision making officials and at the level of their subordinated elements, by means of e.g. working teams...
Social Engineering in Czech Armed Forces behind the Risk Edge: Results of 15 Years of Experiments with the Creation and Implementation of Career RulesOpinions, controversy
Pplk. Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D.
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 76-80
This highly critical article, the author opens with a statement that 15 years of changes, implementation of rules, professional career advances do not fulfil expectations. The problem is more serious as the armed forces do not compete effectively in labour marked, with the implication of wasting public money (from defence budget). The whole situation is demonstrated on pay and career stratification of career officers and soldiers. Among others, in comparison with civil sector, military pays have low level of competitiveness. The article is supported by several graphs and tables.
Performance Monitoring and Auditing (An Outline ofStarting Pointsfor the Formation of Methodology in Ministry of Defence Department of the Czech Republic)Informational pages
Prof. PhDr. František Ochrana, DrSc.
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 81-87
Effective operations of institutions within public sector presuppose obtain necessary knowledge how those institutions operate in the scope of their responsibility. Collected data could be used for making use in higher levels of command and control. The data might be acquired via the audit of activities of examined institution. This study tries to outline main basic steps how to accomplish the audit of institutional activities with the stress on a level of administration and management. By definition, audit is inspection and verification of the accuracy of financial records and statements. Internal audits are conducted by a company's own personnel...
Economic Aspects of the Acquisition in Defence DepartmentInformational pages
Ing. Aleš Olejníček
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 88-99
This essay depicts he alternative approach to investments in public sector. Author expresses his belief on evaluating and rating investments in public sector in the same way as in private sector. The simple theoretical analysis and foreign experiences give enough evidence about feasibility of such approach even in defence sector. Nowadays, in governments across the world, public-sector financial systems are being transformed more fundamentally than at any time in decades. The changes are taking place to respond to a number of deficiencies of government accounting and financial-management system. Foreign experience has proved that a system of output...
Up to Law Family Tree of Public ContractsInformational pages
JUDr. Ing. Dalibor Nový
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 100-109
Evaluating offers of contestants for public contracts belong to key and critical moments of public tenders and the whole acquisition process at all. Variety and comprehensibility of numerical and rating methods shouldn't prevent applicants from understanding conditions and terms of contract/agreement. The transparency principle of evaluating is only slowly pushing forward in our legal system. We move from mere subjectivistic and unverifiable impressions to the unbiased comparing of best offers, together with the requirement of transparency, as a part of the process of comparing, ranking, and assessing offers, by the use of specific qualitative or quantitative...
Education in the Field of SecurityInformational pages
Ing. Miroslav Jurenka
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 110-114
In the Czech Republic, the schooling of security experts is broken into fragments, i.e. into many fields of study, which go beyond security politics. The state of affairs can't be regarded as satisfactory. The first step is the Resolution of Czech Security Council No. 32/2007, Common Minimum for Security Experts, which put a proposal to introduce security issues into teaching programmes in universities and institutions of further education, so that such institutions could obtain accreditation in this field. This minimum is specified namely for undergraduate study; graduated security studies ought to be more specialized. Political scientists involved...
Virtual University of Jihad: Training and Schooling Islamic Terrorists in CyberspaceInformational pages
Mgr. Jiří Hodný
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 115-120
This article is discussing the role of the Internet in the Islamic terrorist movement. It describes how the nature of the Internet provides the perfect medium for terrorism. Major terrorist organizations now have their own production capability, ranging from video capture, to video editing, to distribution, but, these organizations also have an advanced understanding of the concepts of influence, information warfare, and the power of targeted messages. This is further highlighted by the fact that among al Qaeda's original organizational structure was a committee dedicated to publicity and the media. The internet plays the role as a means of propaganda...
Testing and Validation in VTÚPV Vyškov, VOP-026 Šternberk, s.pMilitary professional
Ing. Lubomír Přikryl
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 121-134
The Military Technical Institute of Ground Forces (VTÚPV) Vyškov was established in 1978 as a research authority and its activities have covered both requirements of the Army of the Czech Republic as well as the civilian sector. The VTÚPV Vyškov Division specializes in equipment, material and technologies of the ground forces. It solves tasks ranging from theoretical analyses and applied research and development to the prototype production phase, testing and validation, and small series production. It is an accredited testing laboratory for testing products and systems; it operates as an accredited certifying body for a large number of products. Since...
Calculating Physical Condition and Nutritional State of the SoldierMilitary professional
Prof. Ing. Aleš Komár, CSc., Ing. Pavlína Vasická
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 135-147
Physical condition and nutritional state of soldiers were monitored among members of KFOR mission by means of anthropometrical measurement of physical changes, defined above all by the so-called Mass Body Index, metabolic exchanges, and contents of fat in a body. The evaluation was done in picked-up clusters, formed on the base of physical activities of personnel. Verifying was carried out by means of the Wilcoxon test, non-parametric statistical test for the case of two related samples or repeated measurements on a single sample. The test involves comparisons of differences between measurements; the null hypothesis is specified. The alternative hypothesis...
Neonacisms and Anarchism (Inner Security Threats)Military sociology
PhDr. Antonín Rašek
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 148-158
The complex security strategy must pay attention not only to outer threats, but also to inner security risks. Social and cultural impacts of globalisation produced even to our country a rise of several extremist right-wing political groups inspired by or following the tenets of Hitler's Nazi Party, referred to as neo-Nazis, because they modify Nazi doctrine and because the original Nazi movement inspires them. Some forms of fascism are also anti-Semitic or xenophobic. On the contrary, Anarchism is a political theory opposed to all forms of government. Anarchists believe that the highest attainment of humanity is the freedom of individuals, unhindered...
Pacifism and Manning Armed Forces of the Czech Republic by Reserve Soldiers in Time of Threat or WarMilitary sociology
Mjr. Ing. Bohuslav Vlček, Ph.D.
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 159-161
Pacifism, opposition to war and other violence, is both organized political movement and individual ideology. Pacifism varies from a form that is absolute and doctrinal to a relative and more practical form. Absolute pacifists are against all wars and against violence in any form whatsoever; relative pacifists are selective of the wars and violence they oppose. Most absolute pacifists stress the immorality of the taking of one person's life by another person. The philosophy of pacifism has been propounded throughout history on grounds of morality, divine will, or economic and social utility. The probable impact of pacifist theories on the Armed Forces...
Army and Public 2008 (Public Opinion Poll)Military sociology
Mgr. Nataša Ballová, Mgr. Jiří Hodný, Radomír Saliger, Ph.D.
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 162-174
Under the auspices of Defence University Brno, for the third time, the social researchers executed the investigation of opinions and attitudes of Czech citizens towards the Army of the Czech Republic. It is a continual, systematic monitoring of long-run attitudes, perspectives, and preferences of Czech population, their stability or variability, preferences and priorities. It was measured by the sample survey (quota sampling). A total of 1,050 adult respondents (with a representative sample of 1,005 respondents) were polled by 62 interviewers. The first place among Army tasks took the help of the forces in time of natural disasters and ecology catastrophes...
Defence Principles of the Czech Republic "2030" (Informative Review)Book review
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 175-178
Many security experts are of the opinion that the global security situation has been going worse af ter September 11, 2001. Even though Balkan wars ended, in fact, there are high tensions tied with Kosovo?s proclamation of independence, or in similar state of affairs in Macedonia. In Iraq, there some elements of improving, but in Afghanistan there are a lot of problems, we must mention tensions in Iran concerning building its nuclear capacities and missile tests, Russian-Georgian conflict, which is reflected in the policy of NATO enlargement: Georgia, the Ukraine were not accepted to NATO alliance. The reviewer highly appreciates this anthology of...
Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Arnošt Polák-Veteran World War II, Member of No. 311 Squadron RAF (Czechoslovak), Secretary of the Free Czechoslovak Air Force Association in Great BritainPersonal data
Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009: 179-180
He was born in 1923 into a Jewish family. Luckily, he and his older brother left the former Czechoslovakia with the last transport of Jewish children, organized by Sir Nicholas Winton. In 1943, when he was 18, he joined the Royal Air Force. He completed the course for radio operators and aerial gunners and in the second half of 1943 he joined the 311th Bomber Squadron and took part in operational sorties. In 1944, after finishing 63 flights, he was transferred to a transport squadron. After the War, he was redeployed to transport air group, he flew old Ju-52 and C-3-10 all over Europe. He left the Air Force and returned to Britain where his brother...