Department of Land Forces

The Army Department is a structural subdivision of the Command and Staff Institute for the Applying of Troops (Forces) of the National Defense University of Ukraine.

The department is designed to carry out educational and methodological activities aimed at the training of Army specialists and carries out scientific research, as well as scientific and technical activities in the direction of researching the problems of the Army troops applying.

The main tasks of the department

• training of higher education seekers according to the relevant educational programs: at the first (bachelor's), second (master's), third (educational and scientific) levels of higher education;
• training of students of the strategic level senior management course (L-4), the operational level joint staff officers course (L-3) and the Army tactical level command and staff course (L-2 A);
• training of course participants on combat (operations) planning and combat operations management of the Army military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, combat use of combined military units, combat use of units of a separate Army Aviation brigade, aerial enemy reconnaissance in the Army Air Defense Forces, fire control of the Army Air Defense Units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• creation of an educational environment focused on meeting the needs and interests of higher education seekers;
• implementation of NATO standards in the training content and introduction of advanced approaches to the organization of the educational process based on the partner countries experience in order to improve the educational process.

Structure of the department:

• Department management (head of the department, deputy head of the department);
• Scientific and pedagogical workers;
• Scientific research laboratory of the Army branches of forces applying problems;
• Educational and laboratory complex.

The department offers training in 3 specializations:
Specialty - 253 "Military management (by types of armed forces)".
Specializations:

1. "Combat application and management of Mechanized and Tank troops military units operations";
2. "Combat application and management of the Army Aviation military units operations";
3. "Combat application and management of the Army Air Defense Forces military units operations."

History of creation and development of the department

The Army Department was created on the basis of the Tactics Department of the National Defense Academy of Ukraine (formerly the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine).

April 19, 1994 is considered the day of the Tactics Department creation – it is the day when the first department meeting was held under the head of the department leadership, Colonel (since 1996 – Major General) SHARYI Volodymyr Ivanovych.

The department started working with students on September 1, 1994. The first scientific and pedagogical workers who started the organization of the educational process were Colonels Vladislav Zorin, Volodymyr Ovchinnikov, Yevhen Kyrylkin, Anatoly Shevtsov, Serhiy Kravchenko, Lieutenant Colonels Volodymyr Stryzhevskyi, Oleg Sidorov, Volodymyr Martynyuk, Yuri Alyoshin, and Major General Valery Shchukin. During 1995-1998, the staff of the department included experienced generals Boleslav Dembovskyi, Ivan Kondratyuk, Boris Lavrynenko, Oleksandr Pletenets, who held important positions in the military and brought all their rich service and life experience to the educational process.

The stage of the department formation ended with the first graduation of trainees (1994 admission), which took place in 1996.

A significant contribution to the department development was made by its heads:
Colonel Mykola Hryhorovych HONCHARUK, candidate of military sciences, professor, headed the department from 1997 to 1998 and from 2013 to 2014;

Colonel Volodymyr Vasyliovych OVCHYNNIKOV, candidate of military sciences, associate professor, headed the department from 1998 to 2002;

Major General Vasyl Petrovych GERASYMENKO – Head of the Tactics Department from 2002 to 2005.

In 2005, the Tactics Department was headed by Colonel Volodymyr Vyacheslavovych STRYZHEVSKYI (since 2009 – Major General), candidate of military sciences, professor. The Army Department was created on September 1, 2007, on the basis of the Tactics Department under the leadership of Colonel STRYZHEVSKYI.

From 2015 to 2021, the Army Department was headed by Colonel Dmytro Petrovych MUZYCHENKO, Candidate of Military Sciences, Associate Professor.

All military personnel of the department took part in countering the aggression of the russian federation since 2014 (in the anti-terrorist operation and the operation of the United Forces), as well as in the russian-Ukrainian war since 2022.

The largest division of the department is the interdisciplinary and methodical commission (IMC) of mechanized and tank troops, which was formed in 2021 on the basis of the subject and methodical commission of General Tactics. Today, the IMC is headed by the professor of the Army Department, colonel Serhii SKORODID, PhD.

IMC of the Army Air Defense (AD) was formed in 2007 with the aim of providing training of operational-level officers on issues of combat employment and management of the AD military units operations. IMC is headed by Colonel Kostyantyn GORBACHOV, PhD.

Also in 2007, the IMC of the Army Aviation (AA) was formed, which provides training of operational-level officers on issues of combat employment and management of the AA military units operations. Today, IMC is headed by Colonel Oleksandr MALKOV.

Scientific and research laboratory of the Army branches of forces employment problems is a unit that carries out scientific and technical activities at the department. Since 2022, the laboratory has been headed by Colonel Oleksandr MARCHENKO, Candidate of Military Sciences, Associate Professor.

The educational and laboratory complex is designed to ensure the department educational activities, maintain the educational material and technical base in working condition and ensure the department daily activities. Today, the training and laboratory complex is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Maxym SAMSONENKO.

The most important achievements

Educational activity

According to the results of educational activities in 2019 and 2022, the department was recognized as the best in the National Defense University of Ukraine.

According to the results of educational activities in 2023, the department was recognized as the best in the command and staff institute for the employment of troops (forces).

During 2023, the department organized and trained more than 20 headquarters and staffs of brigades, which were formed or restored combat capability both within the university and outside of it (including abroad – in Germany and Great Britain).

Research activities

In 2023, the department completed:

• one research work, where the department was the main executor;
• two research work – as a co-executor;
• five operational tasks.

In 2024, the department as the main executor performs one scientific research work (SRW) and one SRW as a co-executor.

In 2023, scientific and pedagogical workers of the department published 7 articles in the bibliographic and abstract database Scopus, 11 articles in scientific specialized publications of Ukraine and 30 abstracts of reports at scientific and practical conferences (seminars).

Scientific potential

The scientific potential of the department consists of 7 scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers, including:

• 4 – Candidates of military sciences;
• 1 – Candidate of historical sciences;
• 2 – Doctors of philosophy;
• 2 – Associate professors.

International military cooperation

Representatives of the department participate in the activities of international military cooperation:

• participation in international exercises (Sweden – Viking-2018; Kyiv, NDUU – international Ukrainian-Lithuanian command and staff exercises in 2018 and 2019);
• training in advanced training courses (USA in 2019; Lithuania in 2018, 2022; Estonia, Great Britain, Poland in 2023; Romania in 2024);
• participation in international conferences, forums and seminars (Norway, Croatia in 2022; Lithuania (Iron Wolf Brigade) – in 2023);
• dissemination of experience gained by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian war (Lithuania, Latvia, Poland in 2023; Japan – in 2024);

Educational material and technical base

The balance sheet of the department includes:

• 12 classrooms, including one lecture hall, two operating centers, 9 classrooms for study groups;
• 5 premises of scientific and pedagogical workers;
• educational and laboratory complex;
• avenue of mechanized troops.

Sport achievements

In 2019, Colonel Oleksandr Marchenko took part in the fishing competition, which was held at the university's sports and health center. As a result, the staff of the Command and Staff Institute for the Employment of Troops (Forces) won the first place in fishing in the team competition among NDUU institutes.