The phenomenon of managerial competence of the Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a subject of theoretical and methodological analysis: psychological aspect

Introduction. The outcome of any military campaign in modern armed confrontation depends on air superiority, which is a critical issue for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The successful execution of air offensive and defensive operations is largely contingent upon the level of managerial competence of the Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine—professionals in military command at the operational level. Consequently, the targeted development of this competence has become a pressing psychological and pedagogical issue of national significance. Aim: to conduct a theoretical analysis and substantiate the essence and psychological content of the managerial competence of the Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine—professionals in military command at the operational level. Methods. The study employs theoretical methods, including the generalization of scientific information on the issue of officers' managerial competence, systematic analysis of the researched sources with further specification of scientific ideas, as well as the synthesis of new scientific results based on the analyzed materials. Results. This article presents the results of a study on the psychological aspect of the managerial competence of the Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine—professionals in military command at the operational level—as a subject of theoretical and methodological substantiation in psychology. The scientific approaches to studying the managerial competence of Air Force officers at the operational level were analyzed. The essence and psychological content of this phenomenon were examined and justified. The study emphasizes the importance of developing managerial competence among Air Force officers—military command professionals at the operational level—as key subjects of military-professional activities in the contemporary military-professional environment. The psychological aspects of the managerial competence of Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were explored. Conclusions. It has been proven that the managerial competence of Air Force officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are professionals in military command at the operational level, is a professionally significant psychological formation that enables them to successfully perform tasks related to the management of subordinate units and formations, planning and organizing combat operations, and making managerial decisions under complex and dynamic conditions of combat and operational situations. Their primary functional purpose has been identified as the execution of managerial activities within their respective areas of responsibility in a specific echelon of military command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine—both within a particular unit (department, section, group) of a military (combat) command structure and in relation to subordinate formations (associations, brigades, military units, and subunits) of the corresponding operational domain. The content of the managerial competence of Air Force officers has been defined as a multi-component system closely related to organizational and managerial competencies in the military command of the Air Force.