How to think about ‘gray zone wars’? Critical discussion of the article by Antulio J. Echevarria II

Iranian Political Studies

Article 7, Volume 1, Issue 1, June 1397   

Document Type: Articles

DOI: 10.22067/ips.v1i1.74599

Abstract

The so-called ‘gray-zone’ or ‘hybrid’ war has gained prominence in the recent years referring to conflicts wherein the level of violence falls below the threshold of legal frameworks justifying formal military response. Examples are Russia’s actions in Ukraine and partly Syria and China’s actions in the South China Sea. Both exploit the zone of ‘ambiguity’ to achieve de-facto ‘military’ or strategic objectives. This article explores the challenges of strategic thinking about such ‘gray-zone’ conflicts as part of the broader challenges of thinking about asymmetric war. It addresses the limitations of the existing strategic, legal, and conceptual tools regarding such conflicts.

Keywords

hybrid war; asymmetric war; Russia; China; strategic theory; deterrence; concept of war