Optimization of self-propelled mortar selection using multi-criteria analysis and constructive simulation
Abstract
The article focuses on the evaluation of turreted and non-turreted self-propelled mortar systems, examining their respective advantages and disadvantages in operational deployment. The study aims to identify promising mortar platforms suitable for future acquisition by the Czech Armed Forces (CAF). Key assessment criteria – capturing the essential capabilities and characteristics of these systems – were defined based on expert input from specialists in artillery employment. Using mathematical methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), the most appropriate mortar types were selected and subsequently tested and compared within the MASA SWORD constructive simulation environment developed by MASA Group. The simulations aimed to determine how technical and operational differences translate into battlefield performance and overall effectiveness within CAF artillery operations. The outcomes of this analysis provide a data-informed foundation for future procurement decisions regarding mortar units in the CAF, with potential applicability for allied armed forces.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
Data availability statement
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding authors.
References
1. Žilinčík S, Pikner I, Staněk J. Character of war: how to understand it? Oas 2023; 23: 109–125.
2. Drábek J, Potužák L, Havlík T, et al. Practical evaluation of instruments for determining the exact position during artillery operations of the Czech Artillery. CNDCGS. Epub ahead of print 7 November 2024.
3. Horak L, Drmotova K, Stodola P, et al. Building the “Russieafrique“: Russian influence operations changing the geopolitics in the Sahel. SRSA. Epub ahead of print 27 August 2024.
4. Blaha M, Šilinger K, Potužák L. Linear and angular issues in perspective artillery fire control system. MATEC Web Conf 2018; 210: 02055.
5. Rolenec O, Šilinger K, Žižka P, et al. Supporting the decision-making process in the planning and controlling of engineer task teams to support mobility in a combat operation. Int J Educ Inform Technol 2019; 2019: 33–40.
6. Sýkora F, Rolenec O, Kroupa L. The charges that can be used for explosive breaching into urban structures within the engineer mobility support in an urbanized environment. In: 2023 international conference on military technologies (ICMT), Brno, 23–26 May, pp. 1–6. New York: IEEE.
7. Drábek J, Šustr M, Potužák L, et al. Contingency and emergency manual procedures for calculation firing data using direction and distance coefficients. Eng Rep 2025; 7: e70252.
8. Ivan J, Blaha M, Šustr M, et al. Evaluation of possible approaches to meteorological techniques of artillery manual gunnery after the adoption of automated fire control system. VR 2021; 30: 75–96.
9. Czech Armed Forces. Czech armed forces development concept2035. https://www.mo.gov.cz/assets/en/ministry-of-defence/basic-documents/cafdc_2035.pdf (2025).
10. Chang Y, Keblis MF, Li R, et al. Misinformation and disinformation in modern warfare. Operat Res 2022; 70: 1577–1597.
11. Drozd J, Procházka J. Weapon system acquisition process utilizing design simulation as decision support. VR 2024; 33: 37–50.
12. Świętochowski N. Field artillery in the defensive war of Ukraine 2022–2023. Part II. Methods of task implementation. SJMULF 2024; 211: 57–76.
13. Drozd J, Neubauer J, Sekanina J, et al. Bridging the gap: aligning physical work capacity testing with actual endurance performance in military settings. Front Psychol 2025; 16: 1536197.
14. Hasilová K, Otřísal P, Stodola P. Smoothing methods for continuous permeation data measured discretely designated for quick evaluation of barrier materials. Aimt 2023; 18: 207–223.
15. Oulehlova A, Kudlak A, Urban R, et al. Competitiveness of the regions in the Czech Republic from the perspective of disaster risk financing. JOC 2021; 13: 115–131.
16. Šlouf V, Blaha M, Pekař O, et al. An alternative model for determining the rational amount of funds allocated to defence of the Czech Republic in conditions of expected risk. Oas 2023; 23: 149–172.
17. Pekař O, Šlouf V, Blaha M, et al. Redefining defence expenditures in B9 countries: a risk-based model for rational allocation under foreign threat scenarios. Oas 2025; 25: 71–112.
18. Wezeman PD, Kuimova A, Wezeman ST. Trends in international arms transfers, 2021. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Epub ahead of print 14 March 2022.
19. Bako M. Zbraně pozemních vojsk v rusko-ukrajinské válce. Vydání první. Praha: Práh, 2023.
20. Majchút I. Contemporary civil-military relations. CNDCGS. Epub ahead of print 7 November 2024.
21. Prezelj I, Harangozo D. Confidence and security-building measures in Europe at a crossroads. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. Epub ahead of print 2018.
22. Hrnčiar M, Kompan J. Factors shaping the employment of military force from the perspective of the war in Ukraine. VR 2023; 32: 69–82.
23. Orłowski M, Rogala A, Sweklej P, et al. Analysis of the influence of heat and mechanical treatment on the fragmentation of 120 mm high-explosive mortar shells. Part I – characteristics of selected 120 mm mortar shells. PTU 2024; 169: 7–27.
24. Klima M, Bures M, Blaha M. Ant colony optimization based algorithm for test path generation problem with negative constraints. In: 2024 IEEE 24th international conference on software quality, reliability and security (QRS), Cambridge, 1–5 July 2024, pp. 701–712. New York: IEEE.
25. Biggs AT, Hirsch DA. Using Monte Carlo simulations to translate military and law enforcement training results to operational metrics. J Defense Model Simul 2022; 19: 403–415.
26. Korecki Z, Hoika T, Ulvr J, et al. Simulation of the attack helicopter Mil Mi-24 conducting anti-surface air operations in support of a battalion task group. J Defense Model Simul 2024; 21: 245–258.
27. Šustr M, Potužák L, Blaha M, et al. Multiple round simultaneous impact fires and possibilities of its application in Czech Army. Vojenske Rozhledy: Czech Military Review 2020; 29: 84–93.
28. Šustr M, Vajda M, Blaha M, et al. Artillery officer education and the interoperability challenge in Joint fires: a Czech–Slovak comparison. Cogent Educ 2025; 12: 2533308.
29. Ivan J, Niesner KB, Blaha M, et al. Environmental risk assessment of artillery-impacted soils contaminated by heavy metals using pollution indices. Manag Environ Qual: Int J. Epub ahead of print 25 February 2026.
30. Fotr J. Manažerské rozhodování: postupy, metody a nástroje. Vyd. 1. Praha: Ekopress, 2006.
31. Havlík T, Šustr M, Ivan J, et al. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a firing battery in self-defense and protection in the area of firing positions using constructive simulation. J Defense Model Simul 2024. Epub ahead of print 9 November.
32. Mach O, Ulvr J, Rackova P, et al. Multicriterial analysis and comparison of air-to-air fighter jets. CNDCGS. Epub ahead of print 7 November 2024.
33. Taherdoost H. Analysis of simple additive weighting method (SAW) as a multi-attribute decision-making technique: a step-by-step guide. J Manag Sci Eng Res 2023; 6: 21–24.
34. Vajda M. Analýza spôsobov ostreľovania cieľov pozemným delostrelectvom OS SR. VR 2023; 18: 78–90.
35. Mansikka H, Virtanen K, Harris D, et al. Live–virtual–constructive simulation for testing and evaluation of air combat tactics, techniques, and procedures, part 1: assessment framework. J Defense Model Simul 2021; 18: 285–293.
36. Rak L, Neubauer J, Hrdinka J, et al. Simulation technology in the training application of Cadets. AD ALTA: J Interdiscip Res 2023; 13: 345–349.
37. Palasiewicz T, Rolenec O, Lacinová V, et al. A simulation-based analysis for optimal placement of anti-tank obstacles in armored warfare. J Defense Model Simul. Epub ahead of print 15 May 2025.
38. Macúchová K, Macúch J, Krblich J. AI bridge between art and science. In: Cioboată DD (ed.) International conference on reliable systems engineering (ICoRSE) – 2024. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 123–139.
39. Macků K, Caha J, Pászto V, et al. Subjective or objective? How objective measures relate to subjective life satisfaction in Europe. IJGI 2020; 9: 320.
40. Rolenec O, Maňas P, Palasiewicz T. Characteristics of forcible entries into objects and an experimental assessment of the potential impact of fragments scattering on training safety when using fence charge. VR 2024; 33: 147–166.
41. Němec P, Stodola P, Pecina M, et al. Optimization of the weighted multi-facility location problem using MS Excel. Algorithms 2021; 14: 191.
42. Drozd J, Rak L, Zahradníček P, et al. Effectiveness evaluation of aerial reconnaissance in battalion force protection operation using the constructive simulation. J Defense Model Simul 2023; 20: 181–196.
43. Fialkova Z, Hauschwitz P, Flimelova M, et al. Periodic nanogrooves from an unlikely source: nanosecond laser processing on a budget. Mater Res Express 2025; 12: 105005.
44. Křepelka J, Schovánek P, Tuček P, et al. Optimization of component assembly in automotive industry. Meas Sci Rev 2024; 24: 36–41.
45. Thawani B, Lim SK, Brown L, et al. Design of multi-layered protection against guided mortar threats through numerical modeling. Defence Technol 2023; 29: 55–65.
46. Blaha M, Varecha J, Drábek J, et al. Comparison of AI speech-to-text systems and their application in artillery command and fire control systems. In: Hadjali A, Maiorana E, Gusikhin O, et al. (eds) Deep learning theory and applications. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 82–95.
47. Zahradníček P, Botík M, Rak L, et al. Modern battlefield and necessary reflection in military leader’s education and training. VR 2023; 32: 110–122.
48. Sobotka J, Benda M, Coufal D, et al. The point cloud in the design of temporary bridges. In: 2025 international conference on military technologies (ICMT), Brno, 27–30 May, pp. 1–4. New York: IEEE.
49. Pekař O, Šlouf V, Šotnar J, et al. War game as a method of training, as a method of analysis. ECGBL 2022; 16: 651–654.
50. Rak L, Hrnčiar M, Hrdinka J, et al. Effective simulation systems and simulation entities for training modern military tactics. J Defense Model Simul. Epub ahead of print 30 September 2025.
51. Ivan J, Šustr M, Gregor J, et al. Advancing soil sampling techniques for environmental assessment of artillery impact zones. J Ecol Eng 2025; 26: 1–14.
52. Klima M, Bures M, Ahmed BS, et al. Genetic algorithm for path-based testing of component outage situations in IoT system processes. Appl Soft Comput 2025; 185: 113854.
53. Besbes O, Fonseca Y, Lobel I. Contextual inverse optimization: offline and online learning. Operat Res 2025; 73: 424–443.
54. Świętochowski N, Varecha J, Korec D, et al. Immersive training of artillery observers with integrated artificial intelligence. In: Krems JF, da Silva HP and Cipresso P (eds) Computer-human interaction research and applications. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 287–300.
55. Meng F, Li Y, Shao F, et al. Visual-simulation region proposal and generative adversarial network based ground military target recognition. Defence Technol 2022; 18: 2083–2096.
56. Novák J, Potužák L, Blaha M, et al. The impact of the deteriorated political and security situation on the financial stability of arms companies operating in an oligopolistic market environment. CNDCGS. Epub ahead of print 7 November 2024.
57. Tarraf DC, Gilmore JM, Barnett DS, et al. An experiment in tactical wargaming with platforms enabled by artificial intelligence. J Defense Model Simul 2025; 22: 59–76.
58. Nema J, Bures M, Novák J, et al. Using data from wearable electronics in the military environment – security, privacy, and software development style discussion. In: 2025 IEEE international conference on digital health (ICDH), Helsinki, pp. 138–141. New York: IEEE.
59. Varecha J, Majchút I. Modelling of artillery fire and simulation of its efficiency. Int Conf Knowl-Based Organ 2019; 25: 174–180.
60. Drozd J, Procházka J. Constructive simmulation: an effective tool for an assessment of the operational effectiveness within the cability planning process. VR 2022; 31: 54–70.
61. Hujer V, Šlouf V, Farlik J. Utility as a key criterion of a decision-making on structure of the ground based air defence. In: Mazal J, Fagiolini A, Vašík P, et al. (eds) Modelling and simulation for autonomous systems. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 249–260.
62. Sládek D, Šustr M, Ivan J, et al. Building meteorological backup artillery products: leveraging upper air data. VR 2025; 34: 136–158.
63. Švehlík M, Sedláček M, Hasilová K, et al. Applications in engineer and artillery support: mathematical modeling of symphatetic detonation. CNDCGS. Epub ahead of print 7 November 2024.
64. Stodola P, Drozd J, Mazal J, et al. Cooperative unmanned aerial system reconnaissance in a complex urban environment and uneven terrain. Sensors 2019; 19: 3754.
65. Farlik J, Kratky M, Casar J, et al. Multispectral detection of commercial unmanned aerial vehicles. Sensors 2019; 19: 1517.
66. Pemcak I, Baláž T, Jasztal M, et al. Theoretical vulnerability analysis of individual components of class I – micro drone against small arms fire. Probl Mech Armam Aviat Safe Eng 2024; 15: 9–26.
67. Švehlík M, Šustr M, Potužák L, et al. Creating of minefield breaches with artillery. In: Proceedings of the 20th international conference on informatics in control, automation and robotics. Rome: SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, pp. 266–272.
68. Racek F, Baláž T, Krejcí J. Evaluation of target acquisition performance in photosimulation test. In: Stein KU, Schleijpen R (eds) Target and background signatures V. Strasbourg: SPIE, p. 24.
69. Svobodová A, Dohnal F, Pekař O, et al. Using fusion of digital elevation models for artillery crest clearance determination: a study from the Czech Republic. In: 2025 international conference on military technologies (ICMT), Brno, 27–30 May, pp. 1–8. New York: IEEE.
70. Neubauer J, Vlkovsky M, Michalek J. Statistical modeling of cargo securing on selected military trucks and road surfaces. J Defense Model Simul 2024; 21: 341–355.
71. Nohel J, Stodola P, Flasar Z, et al. Swarm maneuver of combat UGVs on the future digital battlefield. In: Mazal J, Fagiolini A, Vašík P, et al. (eds) Modelling and simulation for autonomous systems. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 209–230.
72. Blaha M, Potužák L, Šustr M, et al. Simplification options for more efficient using of angular and linear measuring rules for fire control. Int J Educ Inform Technol 2021; 15: 28–34.
73. Palasiewicz T, Rolenec O, Kroupa L, et al. Blast-induced deformations of the building entrance part caused by improvised shaped charges. In: Mazal J, Fagiolini A, Vašík P, et al. (eds) Modelling and simulation for autonomous systems. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 109–130.
74. Korec D, Blaha M, Barta J, et al. Innovative approaches to the use of artillery in wildfire suppression. Fire 2025; 8: 232.
75. Pemcak I, Novackova K, Krejcí J, et al. Probability of hitting the drone propeller by projectile. In: 2023 international conference on military technologies (ICMT), Brno, 23–26 May, pp. 1–6. New York: IEEE.
76. Pekař O, Novák J, Varecha J, et al. Bridging theory and practice in military education through advanced technologies. ECGBL 2024; 18: 1056–1060.
77. Holek T, Bures M, Cerny T. Review of open software bug datasets. In: Rocha A, Adeli H, Dzemyda G, et al. (eds) Information systems and technologies. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 3–12.
78. Odehnal J, Neubauer J, Olejníček A, et al. Empirical analysis of military expenditures in NATO nations. Economies 2021; 9: 107.
Biographies
Captain (OF-2) Viktor Vitoul is a graduate of the University of Defense in Brno, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2013 and his Master’s degree in Economics and Management in 2018. Since 2024, he has been pursuing a PhD in State Defense Theory. He has served in command positions within mortar units of a mechanized battalion and in staff roles at the headquarters of the Rapid Deployment Brigade. He was deployed to Mali (2018–2019) as Deputy Contingent Commander. Since 2022, he has been engaged in academic and training activities at the University of Defense. His research focuses on artillery and mortar system operations.
Captain (OF-2) Tomáš Havlík is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Defense in Brno, majoring in Military Management. He served as a mortar platoon commander in a mechanized battalion and was deployed abroad. He currently works at the Department of Fire Support, Faculty of Military Leadership, University of Defense, and is pursuing a PhD in National Defense Theory. He provides theoretical and practical instruction in artillery operations. His research focuses on the combat employment of artillery units, including fire preparation, execution, and related tactical activities.
First Lieutenant (OF-1) Jan Drábek is a graduate of the Faculty of Military Leadership, University of Defense in Brno (2018–2023), specializing in Management and Employment of the Armed Forces. He is currently a PhD candidate in State Defense Theory at the same university. His research focuses on artillery reconnaissance, image transmission and evaluation, and artillery fire error systems.
First Lieutenant (OF-1) Daniel Korec serves at the Department of Fire Support, University of Defense in Brno, Czech Republic. After completing his master’s degree in 2022, he served as a Fire Support Platoon Leader in the 131st Artillery Battalion and was deployed to Lithuania in 2024. Since October 2024, he has been a PhD candidate in State Defense Theory. His research focuses on the application of simulation technologies and artificial intelligence in artillery training, decision-making, and fire coordination, including the integration of VR/AR and machine learning into military simulation environments.
First Lieutenant (OF-1) Adam Vaculík is a graduate of the Faculty of Military Leadership, University of Defense in Brno, specializing in Management and Employment of the Armed Forces. He currently serves as an Artillery Platoon Commander. His professional interests focus on artillery unit leadership and operational employment.
Cite
Cite
Cite
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: April 9, 2026
Keywords
Data availability statement
Data is available for this article. View more information
Authors
Author contributions
Viktor VITOUL: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Methodology, Supervision, Visualization, Validation, Writing – Original draft. Tomáš HAVLÍK: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Formal analysis, Data curation. Jan DRÁBEK: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Validation. Daniel KOREC: Formal analysis, Investigation, Supervision. Adam VACULÍK: Data curation, Validation.
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation.
View All Journal MetricsPublication usage*
Total views and downloads: 5
*Publication usage tracking started in December 2016
Publications citing this one
Receive email alerts when this publication is cited
Web of Science: 0
Crossref:
There are no citing articles to show.
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
I am signed in as:
View my profileSign out
I can access personal subscriptions, purchases, paired institutional access and free tools such as favourite journals, email alerts and saved searches.
loading institutional access options
SCS members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
SCS members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
