Hybrid warfare and the way forward.

'Hybrid' warfare, as the name implies, is a product having the mixed characters of two or more elements. Initially, it referred to the employment of irregular forces and non: state actors with military capability. After the 2006 Lebanon: Israel war, which saw Hezbollah employing guerrilla warfare along with innovative use of technology and effective information campaign, Frank Hoffman used the terms 'hybrid threat' and 'hybrid warfare' to explain the application of multiple, diverse tactics simultaneously against an opponent. In the absence of an agreed: upon term, numerous terms such as 'hybrid threats', 'hybrid influencing', 'hybrid adversary', 'non: linear war', 'non: traditional war', 'special war', 'grey zone' and 'unrestricted warfare' are in use by militaries and academia in different countries. However, the term 'Fifth Generation Warfare' being all about 'information and perception' with dependence on non: kinetic means such as social engineering, misinformation, cyberattacks etc. can be applied in support of hybrid warfare but does not provide an alternate term.

Hybrid warfare relies on provoking historical, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and geographic differences or fault lines in society. Its tools include proxy warfare, information warfare, propaganda, terrorist activities, political and diplomatic coercion, economic strangulation, cyber warfare, social engineering, misinformation and lawfare etc. The aggressor also endeavours to leverage influence over international actors and institutions through diplomatic efforts. However, all these are spearheaded by intelligence systems. The perpetrators of hybrid war use multidimensional infiltration into enemy systems with an aim to demoralise, destabilise and disintegrate the adversary with an underlying intent of controlling or influencing the latter into compliance. The infiltration creates divisions and polarisation in the population, psychologically undermines decision: making capabilities, and systematically cripples financial and information networks. The result of the combined effects of these efforts is catastrophic for the target nation. In other words, such warfare is a struggle fought in familiar and unfamiliar battlefields, from the virtual realms of cyberspace to the minds of people. It has a peculiar nature and various elements interact at different levels. Offender exercises the ability to control their levels and apply the elements singly or in different combinations...