Global rise in hybrid warfare and gray zone tactics

Security experts are reporting an increase in hybrid warfare and ‘gray zone’ tactics, which involve non-conventional actions designed to achieve strategic goals without triggering full-scale military conflict. These methods include cyberattacks, hacking, the use of artificial intelligence to undermine defenses, and the destabilization of information networks through disinformation on social media platforms.

Physical disruptions have also been noted, such as the deployment of drones near airports in Denmark, Norway, and Germany to cause economic instability, and the use of migration as political leverage, as seen during the 2021 border crises involving Belarus, Poland, and the Baltic states. In the Netherlands, investigations are underway regarding potential deliberate interference following incidents like cable fires near Schiphol airport and the placement of tubes on railroad tracks.

Modern conflicts increasingly blend these immaterial dimensions with traditional combat, exemplified by the war in Ukraine, which combines physical trench warfare with sophisticated digital and drone technology.