In contemporary conflicts, land forces - including artillery units and even individual soldiers - have increasingly faced threats posed by small, inexpensive yet highly effective unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Even though extensive research has been conducted, it has proven challenging to support artillery efforts to counter Class I UAVs effectively. There have been several relatively successful attempts to examine artillery combat capabilities using UAV assets, depending on the technologies and methodologies used. Mathematical models and simulation techniques offer the possibility of predicting hit hazards, determined by detection capabilities, range determination, the probability of small-arms engagement, and the law of destruction. Specifically, this study analyses the probability that a Class I UAV is hit by massed shotgun fire (pellet cloud) as a function of key firing parameters, in particular the aiming error, lead determination error, and the dispersion characteristics of the weapon. The proposed Monte Carlo modelling framework enables parametric studies of counter-UAV shotgun engagements and provides quantitative guidance for selecting suitable weapons and shooting conditions.

Military activities remain insufficiently represented in greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and debates on climate security. This article develops a system-based model for assessing direct operational GHG emissions from artillery training. The model adapts established inventory logic to the structure of an artillery battery and separates emissions from mobility, stationary operation, support and logistics, and a supplementary firing-process module. It is demonstrated using a single hypothetical standardized training scenario for a battery of self-propelled howitzers, based on assumed and estimated parameters rather than field measurements. Under the stated assumptions, the training day generated an estimated 4353.74 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Operational fuel combustion accounted for 93.94% of the total, and the supplementary firing-process proxy accounted for 6.06%; stationary engine operation of the howitzers in firing positions was the dominant source (73.87%). Within the defined gate-to-activity boundary, the scenario’s direct operational carbon footprint was therefore driven primarily by energy demand rather than projectile discharge. The article’s contribution is an artillery-specific, transparent decomposition of established GHG accounting principles, not a new emission-factor method. The model provides a transferable structure for tactical-level assessment, while the numerical results are scenario-specific and require validation against measured data and additional operational scenarios.

Interoperability remains a fundamental requirement within NATO, enabling effective coordination and cooperation during joint operations among allied forces. This article focuses on a comparative analysis of the university-level education of artillery officers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, examining the structure of curricula, duration of study and variations in professional specialization. Based on the findings, the paper proposes a unified educational model that integrates branch-specific competencies with standardized technical, tactical and operational training. The proposed framework aligns with NATO standards and addresses the demands of the contemporary battlespace, incorporating operational insights from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Furthermore, the model introduces shared training modules aimed at significantly enhancing the interoperability of allied artillery forces. The comparative analysis revealed differences in instructional hours, the extent of practical training and the integration of modern teaching methods, all of which influence the preparedness of officers. The findings demonstrate that current disparities may limit the ability to conduct joint fire support in multi-domain operations, making the proposed unified curriculum a crucial step toward enhancing alliance interoperability.

This paper presents an analytical method for calculating artillery firing elements under contingency and emergency conditions, where reliance on automated systems may be compromised due to electronic warfare or system failure. The method introduces direction (Cdir) and distance (Cdis) coefficients, enabling accurate and efficient computation of firing data using only basic tools such as a calculator or tabulated values. These coefficients are derived through a geodetic approach involving auxiliary angles and coordinate transformations within the MGRS and UTM systems. The method addresses a critical gap in NATO's PACE (Primary, Alternative, Contingency, Emergency) framework by offering a time-efficient, low-error alternative to traditional graphical techniques. An experimental study compared the proposed analytical approach with graphical methods, involving expert artillery teams from Czech and Slovak forces. Results demonstrated that the analytical method significantly reduces errors in both direction and distance while maintaining comparable or shorter computation times. The study confirms the method's effectiveness in degraded operational environments and recommends its integration into artillery training and doctrine. This solution enhances the resilience and operational readiness of artillery units, particularly in multidomain operations where technology denial is a growing threat.

Accurate meteorological data is crucial for precise artillery fire, yet its availability can be compromised in combat conditions. This study investigates the impact of limited meteorological information on artillery accuracy and explores potential mitigation strategies. By analysing upper-air data from a single weather station, we simulated various scenarios of reduced meteorological support. Our findings highlight the significance of meteorological factors on artillery performance and the potential consequences of inadequate data. We developed a foundational framework for offline artillery support products, emphasizing the need for robust methods to estimate atmospheric conditions in data-scarce environments. Future research will focus on incorporating advanced modelling techniques and additional data sources to enhance the accuracy and applicability of these products.

Article delved into the environmental impact of artillery fire, proposing an innovative sampling method for assessing its effects. With a focus on minimizing ecological harm from military operations, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, it explained a new approach to defining environmental damage based on the detection of the harmfulness of a specific type of ammunition. The proposed approach offers a more accurate determination of environmental impacts than traditional sampling methods that do not identify the specific agent. The article outlined the first step in addressing artillery environmental impacts by introducing a new crater soil sampling methodology, refined through experimental artillery fires. This method ensures enough samples are collected for valid chemical analysis and identification of soil pollution caused by specific types of ammunition. In addition to the sampling methodology, the article explained the nature of the execution of experimental artillery fire and the necessary considerations in relation to the shape of the crater and defining of its center, which is a necessary step to the layout of the sampling scheme. Applying the method will precisely define the environmental impacts of each projectile type, enabling accurate determination of post-war restoration requirements for artillery-affected areas.

The work deals with the movement of military vehicles in operational areas following artillery fire, depending on munition type, fuze, and soil characteristics across different horizons. It adresses both the mobility of own forces within the operational area and the counter-mobility effects on enemy forces due to weapons' impact. Mobility assessment, including counter-mobility, is crucial for land forces and finds significant application in contemporary conflicts such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The objective of this study is to determine the dimensions of shell craters resulting from artillery fires on terrains with diverse soil compositions atop varying geological bedrocks. These craters may pose obstacles to military vehicles, thereby limiting their mobility. The primary contribution of this study lies in identifying fundamental methodologies for determining the depth and radius of shell crater effects caused by artillery munition. This includes experimental validation of theoretically calculated values and subsequent comparisons. This analysis of the battlespace carries implications for military decision-making processes in command and control. Consequently, the findings of this study offer insights into shaping terrain shelling strategies to render it inaccessible or determining the level of terrain penetrability following enemy fire. Key findings include the establishment of a comprehensive database and procedural frameworks for quantifying basic shell crater parameters. It is noteworthy that none of the theoretical procedures precisely matched the results obtained through experimental validation. Nonetheless, the experimental verification affirmed that created shell craters can become impassable obstacles for specific vehicles, and the procedure for determining this condition holds applicability to other vehicles.

The paper describes the results of an experiment based on the use of constructive simulation in the MASA SWORD environment to verify the ability of an artillery firing battery to provide self-defense and protection in the firing position area and to perform the firing task when different types of adversary attack the firing position area. The objective of the experiment is to verify the ability of the artillery battery to survive within the Artillery Reserved Areas/Artillery Maneuver Areas (ARA/AMA) while performing combat tasks and the necessity of allocating additional resources (equipment, personnel, material) to protect and defend the firing position area and the artillery firing unit assets operating within it. The experiment results are the initial basis for follow-on simulations that will assess the impact on the ability to accomplish an artillery battery operation’s planned and unplanned joint fire support tasks.

This paper discusses the employment of simulation technology in teaching and research at the Department of Air Defence and Fire Support at the University of Defence. In the course of the last years was requirement placed to increase the competencies of students in the area of the forces operation planning and ensuring the coordination of the means of ground air defence and artillery. Additionally, theoretical results from troop deployment planning processes that could be realistically confirmed had to be credibly verified. The current information technologies enable to create static situations of battlefield, based on graphic interfaces and simulate interactions of entities. Collaboration with defence industry businesses is also beneficial for creating and implementing the simulation environment. The approach discussed here has a synergistic impact of vastly accelerating and tremendously improving land and air defence operations planning through several realistically practical applications.

: The article discusses a research project focused on new approaches to the meteorological preparation of artillery units. As can be observed in the current conditions of the war in Ukraine, artillery is a key component of both warring parties. The effectiveness of artillery is based on the accuracy of its fire. However, in order for the artillery to fire accurately, it is necessary to compensate for all the influences that may affect the shell flight. The main component of influencing factors are meteorological conditions, which the artillery determines by upper air sounding of the atmosphere. However, currently used methods are very susceptible to enemy activity and artillery must therefore be able to obtain meteorological data at any level of degradation of its capabilities. This article describes the research project which is aimed to create an aggregated predictive model based on historical meteorological data. Using this model, it would be possible to obtain meteorological data autonomously, without the need for complex sounding of the atmosphere or obtaining data from external sources. The article describes the proposed approaches to the solution of the project and the creation of an aggregated predictive model for the use of artillery units.

The article deals with the currently realized research of a new survey vehicle of the Czech field artillery, which task will be support of the activity of autonomous and non-autonomous artillery weapon systems. The article describes the basic aspects of artillery survey together with the current progress of the project. Baseline for the article is description of current status of Czech artillery survey and the way it supports the artillery operations. The individual chapters then present the identified variants of the functionality of the gun navigation system and the resulting requirements for the capability of the unmanned artillery survey vehicle. Main focus of the article is to present specific approach which Czech armed forces have in terms of artillery use under degraded and GPS denied operations. All these proposals are presented according to current status of Czech artillery which transitions from non-autonomous 152mm howitzers to the new, NATO standard 155mm autonomous weapon systems.

The article focuses on the problemof artillerymanual gunnery in the context of reduced artillery ability which is caused by the unavailability or malfunction of automated fire control systems. The authors deal especially with themanual calculation of corrections in specific situations depending on the position of the observer post and during the artillery call for fire missions, where target (impact) information is given in polar coordinates. Unlike most of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) armies, Czech artillery uses an analytical method of correction calculation, which can be more advantageous than graphicalmethods. The problemwith the analytical method is its limitation by the value ofAngle T, which is between the gun-target line and the observer-target line. To solve this problem, the authors have determined the error of calculation and present a mathematical formula for corrections during the adjustment of targets. Proposed solutions allow to calculate corrections manually in degraded operationswith similar accuracy as achieved by automated fire control systems andwith sufficient speed.

The Army of the Czech Republic is part of a broad military (security) alliance (such as NATO, EU, UN), and is deployable both on its territory, but also on the territory of the states of the members of the alliance, or anywhere in the world. The article focuses on inference of principles and limits for more efficient using of mile rule in school and combat condition. The Linear and Angular issues (which contains mile rule) in perspective Artillery Fire Control System called PVNPG-14M are the important area of the present defence research of Fire Support Department of University of Defence in Brno. The efficient using of artillery rules is necessary condition for the case without automated command, control, and information systems. Only under conditions of comparable efficiency can tasks of the required quality be fulfilled in the event of a malfunction of the automated system. Decision-making processes carried out by the commanders in the present and in the upcoming future depend on the correct application of the presented rules. The paper defines appropriate Linear and Angular variables for common use by Artillery and Mechanized commanders. The presented results are based on the analysis performed in the classroom and at the same time during live combat exercises.

The article deals with the artillery manual gunnery in accordance with the modernization of the czech artillery. The article describes the results of research aimed at innovating manual (alternative) methods of determining the firing data so that they are applicable on the contemporary battlefield and are compatible with the nature of the data used by artillery within the NATO. The issue of the article is aimed primarily at determining the firing data by the use of meteorological techniques, while presenting the outputs of a comparative analysis of procedures used in the czech artillery with the procedures applied by the US army. The main contribution of the article is a critical evaluation of the approaches of both armies and a proposal for innovation of existing procedures so that the most beneficial requirements are applied and negatives are eliminated.

Article history: Received: 27 August, 2020 Accepted: 15 October, 2020 Online: 20 November, 2020 This paper describes methods of eliminating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) nondestructively, using Electronic Warfare Methods. The aim is to introduce certain methods of UAV detection and elimination in a complex environment and terrain, e.g., in an urban and battlefield environment, that will result in finding the control device position and the UAV itself. Neural networks, cyber penetration elements, and wireless network scanning programs are all used to address this issue. The output of this article is a new concept of a comprehensive solution, which can be implemented into the existing complex system of electronic defence against UAVs, e.g., within the allied base. Conclusions will be also used to further improve the above-mentioned topics at the authors' workplace, within the frame of long-term projects and specifically as a part of solutions applicable to the force protection of combat support units, namely field artillery, which is described here in detail.

The article deals with the possibility of using artillery fire with the multiple round simultaneous impact, for artillery weapon systems currently used in the Army of the Czech Republic. It aims to analyze the existing artillery procedures and then describe the possibilities, benefits and possible negatives of multiple rounds simultaneus impact fires. In the end, specific requirements are set that must be met for the effective use of fire with the simultaneous impact of missiles with currently used artillery weapon systems.

The article is focused on operations of autonomous artillery weapon systems and possible requirements on survey units and their equipment. In the light of perspective purchase of artillery weapon systems it is necessary to analyze the character of operations of these systems and determine requirements on preparation of position areas. Goal of this article is to describe the character of autonomous artillery weapon systems operations in terms of functionality of individual components of navigation unit and based on this to set the requirements on survey units equipment. As the main method authors used method of scenarios where were as a scenarios determined individual variants of navigation system functionallity. Output of this article is determination of requirements on survey units equpment used for geting information about position coordinates and directions.