Hybrid Warfare in the Sino-Indian Context

Abstract

In the first quarter of the 21st century, we have used terms like civil disobedience, counter-insurgency, guerrilla warfare, insurgency, insurrection, internal security, revolutionary warfare, small wars, subversion, terrorism, Fourth Generation Warfare (4 GW), grey zone, hybrid, sub-conventional and conventional conflicts. These are more often intra-state than inter-state. However, a Sino-Indian conflict, in all probability, would be an inter-state conflict. With China, it could be conventional, sub-conventional, grey zone, or hybrid. A grey zone conflict is best understood as an activity that is coercive and aggressive in nature. It is deliberately designed to remain below the threshold of conventional military conflict and open interstate war. Grey zone challenges are ambiguous and usually incrementally aggressive. Grey zone conflicts exist short of a formal state of war.