Institutional Development of Special and Training Capabilities of the Military Law Enforcement Service (2006–2025)
Abstract
Purpose. To examine the establishment, development, and functioning of the 138th Special Purpose Center (Counter-Sabotage and Counter-Terrorism) and the 25th Training Center of the Military Law Enforcement Service, determine their role in military security and specialist training, and identify their significance for the institutional development of the Service during 2006–2025.
Methods. The study employed content analysis of legal acts and departmental documents, together with historical-genetic, problem-chronological, and historical-system methods to reconstruct the development stages of the institutions under study and establish their interrelationship.
Findings. The establishment of the 138th Center in 2006 initiated a specialized force-response component within the Military Law Enforcement Service. After 2014, its capabilities expanded through combat adaptation, interagency and international cooperation, improved professional training, and technological modernization. The establishment of the 25th Training Center in 2017 enabled the transition to a centralized professional training system, standardization of training programs, implementation of the Systems Approach to Training (SAT), and an increase in annual training capacity from approximately 250 to more than 1,000 service members. The study identifies the interrelationship between the development of special and training capabilities.
Practical implications. The findings may support further reform of the Military Law Enforcement Service, improvement of combat and specialized training, development of interagency cooperation, and preparation of analytical and instructional materials for military institutions and command authorities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Limitations/Future research. The available source base does not permit a statistical assessment of the combat effectiveness of the 138th Center or the effectiveness of individual training programs. Further research should examine experience accumulated after 24 February 2022, technological adaptation, and mechanisms for developing the capabilities of the Military Police of Ukraine.
Paper type: Original research article (historical and institutional study).
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References
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