Autonomy in Engineer Support

This paper analyses the role of autonomy in engineer support within the Czech Armed Forces (CAF), with a particular focus on its strategic and modernisation implications. While autonomy has become a critical dimension of contemporary defence capabilities, no existing strategic or operational document in the Czech Republic explicitly addresses the autonomy of military engineering forces. The study provides a normative analysis of autonomy in relation to the current corps of engineers, their operational assets, and prospective capabilities introduced through ongoing modernisation projects. By identifying critical points from national strategic defence documents, the article highlights the strategic areas that significantly influence the tasks of engineer support. Using a qualitative framework, the research evaluates the relationship between modernisation projects and strategic requirements, prioritising those with the highest potential impact on national security. The originality of this study lies in proposing a prioritisation framework that integrates autonomy levels with strategic alignment, offering guidance for future acquisition and modernisation efforts in the CAF’s engineer support units.