The Conceptual Foundations of ‘Hybrid Warfare’

In the literature produced in the West, the concept of hybrid warfare is most often associated with US military theorist Frank Hoffman, who attempted to bridge the gap between the linear characterization of (regular or irregular) warfare in the context of the twenty-first century operational environment. This chapter explores the conceptual foundations of hybrid warfare and how it was originally conceptualized and understood in the West. Since the concept is the product of US military thought, it examines the context in which it was developed, in addition to the way it has been used by US scholars and members of the military. This chapter introduces four main sources that influenced the idea of hybrid warfare: namely the concepts of unrestricted warfare, fourth generation warfare (4GW), compound warfare and the ideas outlined in the 2005 US National Defense Strategy.