| Abstract [eng] |
The search for a new military training area in Lithuania has become something of a challenge for the Lithuanian Armed Forces and has attracted considerable public interest. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology for selecting sites for military training areas using geographic information systems. To achieve this aim, five objectives were set: 1. To conduct a spatial analysis of existing military training areas in Lithuania, identifying the necessary criteria for these areas; 2. To develop criteria for selecting training area locations and to establish coefficients for their relative importance; 3. To select the necessary spatial datasets that enable the implementation of military training area selection criteria; 4. To develop a spatial analysis model using GIS tools to select the most suitable locations for training areas; 5. To prepare several maps showing the locations of potential training areas that best meet the criteria. The first part of this academic paper reviews studies similar in nature to the one conducted here. Following an analysis of publicly available information on the selection of territories for NATO military training areas and a spatial analysis of the nine existing Lithuanian Armed Forces training areas using GIS tools, the main criteria for territory selection and factors limiting suitability were identified. Five main factors that exclude potential locations were identified: state border protection zones, special airspace and traffic restriction zones, nature reserves and their protection zones, urbanized areas, and the boundaries of existing military training areas. Ten priority criteria for location selection were also established: low population density, high forest cover, the ratio of state-owned to cultivated land in the area, a small number of protected areas and cultural heritage sites, optimal distance from railway lines, the absence of national highways, high-voltage power lines and gas pipelines, and an optimal amount of wetlands and water bodies within the territory. In the second part of the study, the relative importance coefficients of the criteria, determined using the pairwise comparison method, showed that the most important criteria are population density, forest cover, and the ratio of state-owned to cultivated land in the potential territory. Based on the summarised key criteria, a list of the necessary datasets required to implement the location selection was compiled, and using the ModelBuilder environment of the ArcGIS Pro 3.6.0 software, a spatial analysis model was built aimed at selecting the most suitable locations for military training areas. It showed that there are more than 2.51 million hectares (25,111.9 km2) of land in Lithuania that meets the established criteria. The third part of the study presents the results: a map of Lithuanian territories suitable for military training areas, which shows that the most suitable locations for this purpose are in the south and southeast of Lithuania, in the country’s most forested municipalities – the Varėna District and the Kazlų Rūda Municipality. After selecting the three largest and most contiguous territories that meet the criteria and analysing them using GIS tools, the generated maps allow for a comparison of potential sites with existing Lithuanian Armed Forces training areas. The maps make it possible to visually assess the similarity of the locations selected during the study to existing Lithuanian Armed Forces training areas. |
