The Logic of Hybrid Warfare: How the Concepts of Depth and Vulnerability Still Shape Russian Operational Approaches
Abstract
This work challenges recent discourse regarding Russian military actions in the "near abroad." It offers that the metaphor of "Deep Operations" based upon adversarial vulnerability assessments provides greater explanatory power for varied Russian actions than that of "hybrid warfare" or a continuous cycle of "Russian Revolutions in Military Affairs." Case studies of Ukraine and Moldova, in the form of vulnerability assessments, demonstrate that specific sociopolitical vulnerabilities in those two countries allowed Russia to couple a multi-faceted information campaign with an asymmetric ground-game to enable conventional military operations. Thus, specific vulnerabilities within the "depth" of Ukraine and Moldova allowed "hybrid warfare" to function effectively. This work concludes with specific recommendations for identifying and rectifying such vulnerabilities while cautioning against preparation for "hybrid warfare" in at-risk countries with vulnerability sets conducive to alternate Russian operational approaches.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1038868
Entities
People
- Peter C. Bakke
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies