A Taxonomy of Hybrid Threats
The term “hybrid threat” is ubiquitous in current security policy debates, as it encapsulates an elusive range of different types of attack. This analysis argues that constructively engaging with a hybrid threat scenario initially requires a clear understanding of the underlying forms of hybrid warfare.
Western states increasingly face attacks that fall into a gray zone between war and peace. The outbreak of a conventional war on European soil has accentuated this trend. In order to describe this phenomenon, which has played a significant part in destabilizing the security situation in Europe in recent years, the term “hybrid threat” is currently gaining traction.
Switzerland is not immune to this development either: The term “hybrid threat” has found its way into the federal government’s security policy documents in recent years. In particular, one of the four scenarios taken into consideration by the Swiss Armed Forces in its force development is explicitly oriented towards hybrid warfare.
Precisely because of the institutionalization of this term, a basic understanding is needed of what “hybrid” means and how this concept mcan contribute to a better understanding of a threat environment. This analysis seeks to sharpen the concept of state-driven hybrid threats so that a minimum consensus on the defining elements can be reached based on existing terminology.