Conflict in the 21st Century: The Rise of Hybrid Wars

Frank G. Hoffman | Potomac Institute for Policy Studies | 2009-07-13

This December 2007 report of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies advances the debate on modern warfare’s evolution in the post Cold-war world. The report argues that the present age is one in which multiple types of warfare will be used simultaneously by flexible and sophisticated adversaries.

An excerpt from the executive summary: “Future contingencies will more likely present unique combinational or hybrid threats that are specifically designed to target U.S. vulnerabilities. Instead of separate challengers with fundamentally different approaches (conventional, irregular or terrorist), we can expect to face competitors who will employ all forms of war and tactics, perhaps simultaneously.”

Referenced in David Axe's July 1, 2009, WPR column: War is Boring: Sri Lanka Conflict a Preview of 'Hybrid War'.