Hybrid Warfare

Definition 

Hybrid Warfare means broadening military operations to encompass espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks, in addition to accomplishing election interference, propaganda or disinformation campaigns to weaken and destabilise the enemy from within.

Aim

To create confusion, disrupt the enemy’s decision-making, and make the most vulnerabilities, without counting on large-scale conventional warfare.

Instances of Use of Hybrid Warfare

• Both the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in hybrid warfare all through the Cold War, through clandestine sabotage operations among several other tactics.
• Russia’s association with hybrid warfare was solidified in 2013 after military chief Valery Gerasimov posted a piece of writing noting that the rules of warfare have changed.
• China has also publicly adopted a “Three Warfares” concept relating to psychological operations, media manipulation and felony warfare.

Why is Hybrid Warfare at the Rise?

• To Avoid Direct Confrontation: In the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union engaged in hybrid warfare as the 2 nuclear powers wanted to avoid outright disagreement.
• To preserve Military Might: After the Soviet Union broke up, Russia found its military might dwindled, which simplest recommended the further use of hybrid warfare to keep away from direct military confrontation with the West.
• Inexpensive War: As the costs of conventional warfare in a nuclear technology keeps on growing, it’s a lot more feasible to sponsor a hybrid war.
• Increased Cyber Networks: The increasing reliance on digital infrastructure and conversation systems has opened new avenues for warfare.
  • Cyberattacks permit adversaries to disrupt important infrastructure, steal sensitive facts, or control facts.
• Rise of Social Media: The proliferation of social media and digital structures has made it less complicated to spread disinformation, affect public opinion, and destabilize governments. 

Why is Preparedness for Hybrid Warfare essential?

• Evolving Threat Landscape: As technology advances, adversaries increasingly more use cyber and statistics warfare means. India needs to adapt to those evolving threats.
• Deterrence: A strong hybrid warfare security can deter capability aggressors by demonstrating the potential to counteract their strategies, thereby reducing the probability of warfare.
• Protection of Critical Infrastructure: Hybrid warfare attacks regularly target crucial systems, along with strength grids and conversation networks.
  • Preparedness ensures resilience and fast recovery from potential disruptions.

India’s Preparedness for Hybrid Warfare

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Theaterisation: The introduction of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2019 was a first reform aimed toward integrating the 3 military—Army, military, and Air Force.
  • The CDS is tasked with overseeing the combination and modernization of military techniques and operations.
  • This will enhance coordination and improve the performance of India’s military response to multi-domain threats.
• Integrated warfare Groups (IBGs): India has restructured its military formations into IBGs, which might be speedy-response devices able to handle both conventional and hybrid threats. 
• Defence Cyber Agency: India operationlised the Defence Cyber Agency in 2021 to specially address cyber threats to national security.
• ‘Make in India’ in Defense: The government has closely promoted the ‘Make in India’ initiative, encouraging domestic manufacturing of security systems.
  • This self sufficiency is giant for countering protection worries.
• Intelligence Agencies: India’s intelligence organizations like the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) play an essential position in gathering intelligence to identify and neutralize hybrid threats.
• Countering Financing of Terrorism: This consists of stricter anti-money laundering legal guidelines and cooperation with global organisations along with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
• International Cooperation: India works with the United States, Australia, and Japan in the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) framework to address troubles like cybersecurity, maritime security, and counterterrorism.
• Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence 2024: Indian armed forces’ preparedness to cope with “hybrid warfare” is one of the 17 topics that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has narrowed down for deliberations for the year.

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